Thurmond, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Thurmond was incorporated in 1900 and was most likely named for Captain W. D. Thurmond, who settled here in 1844. He served in the Confederate Army
and died in 1910 at age 90. Thurmond post office
was established in 1888 and discontinued in 1995. The community remained small until Thomas G McKell of Glen Jean
negotiated with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad for a crossing at Dunloup Creek in 1892.
W. D. Thurmond banned alcohol from his lands, which comprised the originally incorporated portion of the town. However, the McKell family had no such scruples, and their Dun Glen Hotel on McKell land just to the east of the Thurmond land became notorious for hosting a fourteen-year-long card party claimed by Ripley's Believe It or Not to be the world's longest-lasting poker game. A district called "Ballyhack" or "Balahack" on the south side near the Dun Glen became notorious as Thurmond's red light district
.
There were two hotels in the town; one was called the Lafayette (known locally as the 'Lay-flat') which was close to the railroad, and the aforementioned 100-room Dun Glen, which opened in 1901, became a nationally known resort, and burned down in 1930, marking the beginning of a decline that saw Thurmond a virtual ghost town by the 1950s. The Thurmond National Bank (owned by Thurmond) closed in 1931 and the New River Bank (owned by the McKells) moved to Oak Hill
in 1935.
The Thurmond Historic District comprises the entire town and a small portion of the opposite riverbank. Thurmond was accessible solely by rail until 1921. The town occupies a narrow stretch of flat land along the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad track, with no road between the tracks and the town. Instead, a single-lane road crosses the New River on a single-track railroad bridge, crosses the main line, and climbs the hill behind the town so that it parallels the town 150 feet higher on the hill before dropping down next to the tracks. Due to its strategic position on the rail line, the commercial center thrived in spite of the absence of a road.
In the residential portion of the town, housing types are standardized, with three or four basic types corresponding to different positions in the railroad hierarchy. The commercial district, while lacking a street for much of its history, boasted two hotels, two banks, and a number of other commercial buildings. The railroad station was built in 1888, while a railyard and shops served the extensive branch line network which carried coal out of the hills.
The town once had a population of several hundred, which has dwindled to fewer than a dozen. The railroad depot
is now a visitor center for New River Gorge National River
.
of 2000, there were seven people, five households, and one family residing in the town. The population density
was 70.5 inhabitants per square mile (27.0/km²). There were seven housing units at an average density of 70.5 per square mile (27.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% White.
There were five households out of which none had children under the age of 18 living with them, one was a married couple
living together, and four were non-families. Three households were made up of individuals and two had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.40 and the average family size was 2.00.
In the town the population was spread out with one from 18 to 24, one from 25 to 44, three from 45 to 64, and two who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. There were five females and two males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $0. The per capita income
for the town was $10,782. There were no families living below the poverty line.
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
and died in 1910 at age 90. Thurmond post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established in 1888 and discontinued in 1995. The community remained small until Thomas G McKell of Glen Jean
Glen Jean, West Virginia
Glen Jean is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, near Oak Hill. As of the 2010 census, its population is 210....
negotiated with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad for a crossing at Dunloup Creek in 1892.
W. D. Thurmond banned alcohol from his lands, which comprised the originally incorporated portion of the town. However, the McKell family had no such scruples, and their Dun Glen Hotel on McKell land just to the east of the Thurmond land became notorious for hosting a fourteen-year-long card party claimed by Ripley's Believe It or Not to be the world's longest-lasting poker game. A district called "Ballyhack" or "Balahack" on the south side near the Dun Glen became notorious as Thurmond's red light district
Red Light District
Red Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...
.
There were two hotels in the town; one was called the Lafayette (known locally as the 'Lay-flat') which was close to the railroad, and the aforementioned 100-room Dun Glen, which opened in 1901, became a nationally known resort, and burned down in 1930, marking the beginning of a decline that saw Thurmond a virtual ghost town by the 1950s. The Thurmond National Bank (owned by Thurmond) closed in 1931 and the New River Bank (owned by the McKells) moved to Oak Hill
Oak Hill, West Virginia
Oak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is the primary city within the Oak Hill, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The micropolitan area is also included in the Beckley-Oak Hill, WV Combined Statistical Area. The population was 7,589 at the 2000 census...
in 1935.
The Thurmond Historic District comprises the entire town and a small portion of the opposite riverbank. Thurmond was accessible solely by rail until 1921. The town occupies a narrow stretch of flat land along the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad track, with no road between the tracks and the town. Instead, a single-lane road crosses the New River on a single-track railroad bridge, crosses the main line, and climbs the hill behind the town so that it parallels the town 150 feet higher on the hill before dropping down next to the tracks. Due to its strategic position on the rail line, the commercial center thrived in spite of the absence of a road.
In the residential portion of the town, housing types are standardized, with three or four basic types corresponding to different positions in the railroad hierarchy. The commercial district, while lacking a street for much of its history, boasted two hotels, two banks, and a number of other commercial buildings. The railroad station was built in 1888, while a railyard and shops served the extensive branch line network which carried coal out of the hills.
The town once had a population of several hundred, which has dwindled to fewer than a dozen. The railroad depot
Thurmond (Amtrak station)
Thurmond is an Amtrak station in Thurmond, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. The station is located on CSX's New River Line.It is one of Amtrak's least-busy stations Thurmond is an Amtrak station in Thurmond, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. The station is located on CSX's New River...
is now a visitor center for New River Gorge National River
New River Gorge National River
The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were seven people, five households, and one family residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 70.5 inhabitants per square mile (27.0/km²). There were seven housing units at an average density of 70.5 per square mile (27.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% White.
There were five households out of which none had children under the age of 18 living with them, one was a married couple
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, and four were non-families. Three households were made up of individuals and two had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.40 and the average family size was 2.00.
In the town the population was spread out with one from 18 to 24, one from 25 to 44, three from 45 to 64, and two who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. There were five females and two males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $0. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $10,782. There were no families living below the poverty line.
See also
- Kay MoorKay MoorKay Moor, also known as Kaymoor, is the site of an abandoned coal mine, coal processing plant and company town near Fayetteville, West Virginia. The town site is located in the New River Gorge at Kaymoor Bottom . It is linked to the mine portal above on Sewell Bench in the wall of the Gorge by...
, another mining town in the New River Gorge, now abandoned - Nuttallburg Coal Mining Complex and Town Historic DistrictNuttallburg Coal Mining Complex and Town Historic DistrictThe Nuttallburg Coal Mining Complex and Town Historic District is located near Fayetteville, West Virginia in New River Gorge National River. The townsite is almost directly across from the Kay Moor mine and townsite, now abandoned...
, an abandoned mining town near Kay Moor in the New River Gorge - List of places with fewer than ten people
- MatewanMatewanMatewan is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles, illustrating the events of a coal mine-workers' strike and attempt to unionize in 1920 in Matewan, a small town in the hills of West Virginia....
, a John Sayles produced movie that was filmed in the Thurmond area even though the real-life events actually took place in Matewan, West VirginiaMatewan, West VirginiaMatewan is a town in Mingo County, West Virginia, USA at the confluence of the Tug Fork River and Mate Creek. The population was 498 at the 2000 census...
, which borders the Kentucky state line about 100 miles away.
External links
- New River Gorge National River
- A tour around Thurmond, WV
- “Thurmond: A Town Born from Coal Mines and Railroads”, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
- Thurmond at New River Gorge National River
- Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, Thurmond Depot, Northeast end of New River Bridge, Thurmond, Fayette County, WV: 16 drawings, 6 photos, 1 data page, 2 photo caption pages, 4 color transparencies, at Historic American Engineering Record
- Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, Engine House, Along south end Thurmond, west of New River Bridge, Thurmond, Fayette County, WV: 2 drawings, 10 photos, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page, at Historic American Engineering Record
- Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, Coaling Station, Astride tracks west end Thurmond Yards, Thurmond, Fayette County, WV: 2 drawings, 3 photos, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page, at Historic American Engineering Record
- Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, Thurmond Yards, East side New River, mouths of Arbuckle & Dunlop C, Thurmond, Fayette County, WV: 4 drawings, 30 photos, 78 data pages, 3 photo caption pages, 6 color transparencies, at Historic American Engineering Record