Elkins Coal & Coke Company Building

Masontown, Preston County
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March 2019 Update: This 1907 Coal and Coke Building was "saved" and de-listed from Endangered Properties List in 2018. It now serves as a visitor information and restroom facility for the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail in Masontown, WV. It serves as part of a Preston County mini-park and trailhead for the 48-mile rail-trail network. It is now maintained by the Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission.”
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2017 Update: In July 2017, the Mon River Trails Conservancy (MRTC) received engineering design approval and the Notice to Proceed for Construction from WV Division of Highways for the site’s restoration project.  The MRTC plans to repurpose the former Elkins Coal and Coke building as a new visitor center and restroom facility for the Masontown Trail Head on the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail.  Preston County Parks and Recreation Commission (PCPaRC) has agreed to maintain the property and trailhead facility once is has been rehabbed.  Advertisement for contractor bids for construction was scheduled for mid-August and bids will be opened on September 7, 2017.  The contractor agreement includes a construction deadline of 4 months from the Notice to Proceed.  Keeping in mind maintenance ease and vandal-proofing, the restoration and repurpose design elements of the building will include:

• Auto-flush
• Motion detected/auto shut off water in sinks
• Motion detected indoor and outdoor lights
• Hand blowers
• Automatic locking of strong doors
• Drinking fountain moved to outside
• Vending machines in an area that can be caged off
• Enough heat to prevent freezing pipes
• Unbreakable windows
• Security camera

Additional fund-raising will be necessary as the above plans will likely reduce the budget for the history and culture displays planned for the visitor center inside the building.

http://www.montrails.org/masontown.shtml

2011: Elkins Coal & Coke Company Building (Preston County) sits along the Deckers Creek Rail Trail near Masontown. It is associated with the Elkins Coal and Coke Historic District containing the Bretz coke ovens, a National Historic Landmark. The Romanesque style stone structure is deteriorating and damaged by vandalism. The Monongahela River Trails Conservancy plans to convert the building and its nearby picnic shelter into a visitor’s center and restroom facilities for use by trail users and those traveling the Old Route 7 Byway.

Download 2011 Report