Elkins, Randolph County
2008 Update: Mill (shown after 2006 work) is in the process of being fully restored. 2003: The 1902 Elkins Mill was a major industry in the early years of Elkins. An original electric grain mill, it produced flour, cereals and animal feeds. Other than the depot, the Elkins Mill building is the only remaining original building on the Elkins rail yard. An architectural gem in the rough, the original post and beam structure is still intact and strong, with vast open spaces, hardwood floors, and large wooden beams. Slated for demolition in 2002, a local group obtained a year’s delay to prove the feasibility of rehabilitation. In Fall 2003, C-HOPE was allowed to purchase the building. Proposals call for a Forest Heritage Center to interpret the region’s forestry, forest ecology and logging history, an artisan’s workshop, gift shop and retail space. Fund-raising and rehabilitation work has begun on the building. Although the wrecking ball has been averted, much work remains before the future of the Elkins Mill building is assured.
The Marion County Commission had announced plans and solicited bids to demolish the Jail in order to build a new storage and parking facility. Local citizens led by the Fairmont Historic Landmark Commission opposed the demolition, arguing the building's historic significance and urging that it be rehabilitated to be functional for the county. Their efforts have been successful for the moment, as the county commissioners voted in November to hold off on demolition plans, in part because the cost of demolition and building new was estimated to cost $1 million dollars more than would restoration. An adaptive reuse feasibility study is planned for the structure, supported in part by Vandalia Heritage Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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Endangered Properties ListIf you are interested in assisting with any of these preservation projects, contact the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia at info@pawv.org.
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