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Beckley attraction adds company store to rebuilt coal camp

April 12, 2008 @ 10:34 PM

CHARLOTTE FERRELL SMITH

The Associated Press

BECKLEY, W.Va. -- The complex above the popular Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine reopened recently, but visitors interested in the main attraction -- the trip underground -- will have to wait until June.

And waiting a couple of months will yield another reward. Construction is nearly complete on a $3.5 million replica of a coal company store.

The 14,000-square-foot building also will include a visitor's center, gift shop and museum filled with artifacts, memorabilia and records. The addition was built with federal and state funds as well as grants.

The company store will be in keeping with a theme that takes visitors back in time to West Virginia's coal mining history.

More than a year ago, Beckley Mayor Emmett S. Pugh announced the improvement project and said tours of the underground mine would cease until construction was complete.

Meanwhile, other buildings remained open, including the Youth Museum and restored historical structures of a mountain homestead, superintendent's home, schoolhouse and church.

While all offered a glimpse into 20th-century coal camp life, people voiced how much they missed the underground mine tours.

"We didn't realize how popular and well known we are," said director Renda Morris.

"People called all last year and wanted to know if we were open. It was the first time the coal mine had been shut down since 1962. The exhibition coal mine is one of the main tourist attractions of southern West Virginia. It's good for the economy in Beckley and for the state."

When the company store opens in June, she believes popularity will soar even higher.

About 50,000 visitors come every year. She said the new structure replaces a building that did not fit well with the historical theme.

"We brought buildings from various coal towns in West Virginia, dismantled them and rebuilt the buildings," Morris said. "All were owned by New River Company.

"The company store was a big part of the coal town," she said. "We couldn't bring in an authentic building. So, we simulated one. This building keeps our heritage alive. "

The other buildings opened for the season with visitors following a boardwalk to reach the various structures while avoiding the construction area. The season runs from April to November each year. Also, a 17-site campground is available.

When construction ends in early June, the company store will open and mine tours will resume.

That should be a big draw for tourists.

"The underground mine tour is the same, showing the early mining era and pick and shovel days," she said. "We hope to add more modern techniques in years to come. People need to be educated about what mining is today."

Underground tours will be conducted by guides like Leroy White, who worked as a coal miner for 271/2 years.

Visitors ride a railroad car as the guide stops to show old coal mining equipment and explain techniques.

White also can tell stories of men who worked in tight spaces to mine coal and the dangers they faced. For example, rats were welcome and the miners fed them chicken bones to keep them around. If the rats fled from an area, that meant oxygen was dwindling.

White's enthralling stories told in the cool, dampness of the underground mine garner appreciation for courageous miners trying to scratch out a living to feed their families. Tours are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $12 for students. Group rates are available. For more information, visit www.beckleymine.com or call (304) 256-1747.

The Associated Press

Construction continues on March 31 outside the Exhibition Coal Mine, in Beckley, W.Va. Workers are scrambling to complete construction of the company store by early June when underground mine tours will resume.

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