1050 Burmeister Ave, Beckley, WV 25801 - Raleigh County

HISTORIC RALEIGH COAL & COKE POWERHOUSE

Built in 1906, the brick-and-stone powerhouse designed for the Raleigh Coal & Coke Company is a locally important industrial landmark now being studied for eligibility on the National Register of Historic Places. Renowned for its unique architecture and association with the growth of the regional coal industry, the property remains a practical structure ideally suited as a warehouse or historical venue.

ATTRIBUTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Unique Historical Structure

Brick & Stone Construction

Workshop / Warehouse

Proximity to I-77 and I-64

1.4 Miles From CSX Glen Morgan Depot

Proximity to New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

Proximity to Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine

Proximity to Winterplace Ski Resort

Market Area of 250,000 Residents

Tourism Destination For Approximately 3 Million

About Raleigh Coal & Coke Company

One of the most powerful coal-mining interests in southern West Virginia in the early 1900s, the Raleigh Coal and Coke Co. pioneered the extraction of coal in the productive Beckley seam, which underlay much of the present city of Beckley. It operated six mines on the Piney Creek Branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, the first line owned by the railroad to be built off its mainline from the New River Gorge. The competing Virginian Railroad also built a line to the town.

Raleigh Coal & Coke became influential in the expansion of neighboring Beckley, the commercial center of southern West Virginia. In 1929, it donated 60 acres for the development of a country club and golf course and 300 for the development of a exclusive residential neighborhood built to accommodate industry magnates and business leaders from throughout southern West Virginia.

In 1950, the company ceased operations and divested its interests, selling off lots in the community of Raleigh. Through 2020, the community declined but has recently seen increased residential interest as a site for affordable housing. Property owners in and near the powerhouse have discussed pursuing the development of a national historic district that would preserve several period buildings that remain, including several residences and company buildings.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.7568574295393, -81.17029136442058

Address: 1050 Burmeister Ave., Beckley, WV 25801