Built 1933 NRHP Reference # 80004297 Phone +1 304-235-5240 Architect Hassel T. Hicks | Built by David M. Goode Opened 1933 Added to NRHP 6 March 1980 | |
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Location 2nd Ave. and Court St., Williamson, West Virginia Address 36 Court St, Williamson, WV 25661, USA Similar Mountaineer Hotel, Corral del Carbón, Matewan Historic District, South Side Mall, Phillips‑Sprague Mine | ||
Coal house williamson west virginia top 9 facts
The Coal House in Williamson, West Virginia is a unique building built of coal masonry. The bituminous coal was quarried as blocks and dressed as stone using 65 tons of coal from the nearby Winifrede Seam. At the time of its construction it was the only coal building in West Virginia. The house was designed by architect Hassel T. Hicks of Welch, West Virginia and supervised by David M. Goode. The coal masonry was varnished for weather-resistance. Located adjacent to the Mingo County Courthouse, it houses the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The building's construction in 1933 was organized as a publicity stunt by O. W. Evans of the Norfolk and Western Railway, who wished to create a symbol of the "Billion Dollar Coalfield" centered on Williamson. While it is known as the "Coal House", it has never been a residence.
West Virginia's second coal house was built in 1959 in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
On October 11, 2010 the Coal House caught fire. There was extensive damage to the inside of the building and minimal damage to the outside structure. Following $200,000 of restoration work the Coal House was reopened in September 2011.