Thurmond Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

House Votes On Saving Thurmond, Diversifying Coalfield Communities

One resolution and two bills on third reading in the House of Delegates Tuesday dealt with helping preserve West Virginia History, increasing help for the coalfields economy and alcohol at community festivals.

One resolution and two bills on third reading in the House of Delegates Tuesday dealt with helping preserve West Virginia History, increasing help for the coalfield economy and alcohol at community festivals.

Officials with the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve have sparked legislative concerns over the possible demolition of some historic properties.

House Resolution 6 passed with a voice vote. It reaffirms support for the town of Thurmond, located in the heart of the park, along with the historic buildings within the community, and the strong coal mining history associated with it.

Del. Elliott Pritt, R-Fayette, spoke on the need for legislative support.

“Many of the structures from the original town of Thurmond still stand in very sharp contrast to the other coal mining communities in the area,” Pritt said. “They’re overrun, most of the structures are gone. When the National Park took control of this area we were under, we understood and believed that they were going to be preserving our history, our heritage, and the structures. And now they have a plan to demolish over half of the remaining structures in the town of Thurmond, which is now in the national park because of budget cuts.”

On third reading, Senate Bill 354 establishes the West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority. This King Coal Highway bill calls for yet another legislative effort to help diversify coalfield economies and enhance economic development.

Del. Stephen Green, R-McDowell, spoke on how desperately that help is still needed.

“We have to look at other avenues of prosperity for us currently, and for our children and grandchildren,” Green said. “Tourism, which we are trying to cultivate in the southern counties, by itself is not the answer. We have to look at many different industries and opportunities.”

SB 354 passed 80 to 20 and goes to the Senate.

Finally, House Bill 5295 allows a community’s private outdoor designated area (PODA), meant for strolling alcohol consumption, to simultaneously host qualified permit holders, such as concerts and festivals. After debate over insurance liability, the bill passed 70-28 and also now goes to the Senate.

Workforce Training Helps Preserve Historic New River Gorge Depot

A group from the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center is working with staff at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve to restore its historic Thurmond Depot.

The building is an old railroad depot built at the beginning of the 20th century during Thurmond’s heyday as a railroad town. Its location on the main line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad meant the depot became an entry point for regional business during the Industrial Revolution.

“In 1910, the Thurman Depot had more freight revenue than any other depot on the entire Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad; it served roughly 70,000 passengers in that time period, in its heyday,” Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services Eve West said. “It was also a really important area just as a maintenance area for the steam locomotives.”

The Thurmond Depot was added to the National Register for Historic Places in 1984 before reopening as a visitors center for the National Park a decade later, in 1995.

The restoration of the depot doubles as a workforce training program. The national initiative, called the Campaign for the Historic Trades, helps train park workers on how to best preserve historical buildings.

“One of our mandates, of course, is to preserve the natural scenic objects and historic objects as well,” West said. “This is part of what we do in the National Park Service just to keep these stories alive.”

The program began preliminary upkeep on the structure as part of the training, which included the preservation and repair of windows, doors and wood siding. Old paint was also scraped off and replaced with a new coat, in keeping with its historic appearance.

“We have just barely scratched the surface of learning how to do things now,” West said. “And so we’re gonna continue on and put some of those new skills to action.”

The first phase of training is complete and restoration work will continue throughout the summer and fall.

The Thurmond Depot is open to visitors Memorial Day through Labor Day.

July 22, 1930: Fayette County's Dun Glen Hotel Destroyed By Arson

On July 22, 1930, one of West Virginia’s most popular—and most notorious—landmarks burned to the ground. On that day, arsonists destroyed the Dun Glen Hotel in Fayette County.

The Dun Glen was opened in 1901 across the New River from the town of Thurmond. Thanks to the coal and railroad industries, money poured in and out of the region. At one point, the town of Thurmond and the surrounding area accounted for almost 20 percent of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway’s revenues, shipping more freight than Cincinnati or Richmond.

The opening night gala at the Dun Glen featured an orchestra from Cincinnati. The hotel was four-and-a-half stories high and had 100 rooms. Alcohol, which was banned in the town of Thurmond, flowed freely at the neighboring Dun Glen. Its reputation as an early 20^th-century party palace added to the hotel’s lore and popularity among big spenders. According to a longstanding legend, the Dun Glen once hosted the longest poker game in history, lasting for 14 years. The burning of the Dun Glen brought a swift demise to one of the wildest places in West Virginia history.

Small W.Va. Town Passes Ordinance Against Discrimination

Thurmond, West Virginia is the smallest town in America to pass an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
In a unanimous vote Monday night, the town of five residents adopted employment, housing and public accommodation protections to a new town-wide Human Rights Act.

Since 2009, Fairness WV, a statewide advocacy organization, has been working with communities to pass these types of ordinances. In a statement, Executive Director Andrew Schneider says the Thurmond ordinance is stronger than current protections in the statewide Human Rights Act.

Bills to extend protections in employment and housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity have failed in the West Virginia Legislature for years.

Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Athens, and Harpers Ferry all have adopted similar ordinances banning discrimination against LGBT citizens.