The Appalachian coal ghost town of Thurmond, West Virginia is home to only 5 people today. At the towns peak in 1930 there were 462 residents. Once home to a busy commercial district and a famed resort hotel in town, the only thing that goes on here today are visitors (Thurmond was swallowed up by the National Parks Service as part of the New River Gorge National River) and CSX trains bringing coal through coal country.

Settled in 1844 and founded in 1900, Thurmond was only reachable by train until a road was built over the New River in 1921. Despite the lack of a road in the commercial district, businesses remained busy due to the train station (built 1888 and again in 1905) being located in the same spot as all the businesses.

Following a fire that destroyed the nationally known Dun Glen resort in 1930, the town quickly shrunk and by 1970 the population was only 86.


In the 1990s, the National Parks Service restored the old train station which today is a NPS Visitor Center and Amtrak's second least-busy train stop in America. The commercial cluster still stands, the post office (closed in 1995), and a number of vacant homes scatter the hills above the town.



These were all shot in October of 2018 with a Sony RX100 point and shoot camera.










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Very nice, all of them.

Nice.

I have wanted to get an rx100 for a while now.

Great shots! I've had Thurmond and New River Gorge Bridge on my list for awhile...really need to get out there.

In #5 what is the building on the left?

Thanks all!

Posted by randomesquephoto Nice. I have wanted to get an rx100 for a while now.

Its a great camera I highly recommend one. I love it.

Posted by blackhawk In #5 what is the building on the left?

It's a coaling tower, was used to refuel the locomotives with coal. Definitely the longest abandoned part still standing there I'd imagine

Posted by southshore It's a coaling tower, was used to refuel the locomotives with coal. Definitely the longest abandoned part still standing there I'd imagine

Pretty cool. Where you able to get inside the bunker? Park Service seals and sometimes alarms buildings most times
Guess the water tank is gone.
Wuv the old steam stops.
You can still find their ruins throughout the US found a couple when walking the rails.

Posted by blackhawk Pretty cool. Where you able to get inside the bunker? Park Service seals and sometimes alarms buildings most times Guess the water tank is gone. Wuv the old steam stops. You can still find their ruins throughout the US found a couple when walking the rails.

I didn't get a good shot, but it's wide open. Most of the buildings here have cameras on them. Most of the abandoned homes in the hills are sealed but ventilated. They definitely keep a good eye on the place.



This is from a fb page for Thurmond, for a better view

That's a beauty
Like the spotlights on the top.
Looks very intact. Concrete roof.
Never saw one of those before. Wow!

I be more concerned with hard alarms; doubt this site warrants a smart cam.
However it is federal property. National Parks have their own set of laws that are independent of the state they are in.

Makes even more tricky... and inside could be extremely one touch dangerous.
Anything anchored into the concrete is not to be trusted including ladders and stairs.
When corroded anchors go they just 'pop-pop, etc!'... no warning other than a shitload of collapsing shit.
Size it up real careful if you go in or on it.

Posted by blackhawk Makes even more tricky... and inside could be extremely one touch dangerous. Anything anchored into the concrete is not to be trusted including ladders and stairs. When corroded anchors go they just 'pop-pop, etc!'... no warning other than a shitload of collapsing shit. Size it up real careful if you go in or on it.

There was a HUGE collapse straight into the basement in one the main commercial buildings from the lobby floor. Could see it through the window. Can hear commercial grade sump pumps down in the basement too from outside.

I went through a floor once at the old Belchertown State School. From inside of this industrial building. Not a big fan of falling through them ever since.

*** double post ***

Cool pics! I'm only a few hours away and I've been meaning to visit but because of limited time I'll probably never get around to doing it. Good to know it still there tho!

I wandered around there for probably two hours my trip through there a few years ago. I even went into the coaling tower and into the brush on the river side looking for foundations to the old engine shops. On my way out, I stopped at the ranger station back across the bridge and chatted with two of them for a bit. Was a very pleasant chat. Some of the buildings are alarmed, they have cameras, they are monitored, but not super-closely, and generally if you aren't damaging property, littering, or acting really suspicious you'll be left be.

I love this place. Stopped here in 2016 for some pics but I dont think I ever posted any.

nice shots.

I swing by Thurmond every time I'm in the area, I love that place! I've gotten some cool shots from there. Nice shots, thanks for sharing!

Just really Love everything about #1 and the beautiful water in 8 with the change of the season seen in the tops of the trees ...lovely.