Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine

1882 establishments in VirginiaBuildings and structures in Tazewell County, VirginiaHistoric districts on the National Register of Historic Places in VirginiaIndustrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in VirginiaIndustry museums in Virginia ... and 6 more

Mining museums in the United StatesMuseums in Tazewell County, VirginiaNRHP infobox with nocatNational Historic Landmarks in VirginiaNational Register of Historic Places in Tazewell County, VirginiaUse mdy dates from August 2023

Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine, also known as Pocahontas Mine No. 1, or Baby Mine, is an inactive coal mine in the Pocahontas Coalfield, in Pocahontas in western Virginia. The mine was the first in the sub-bituminous coal of the Pocahontas Coalfield, opening in 1882. In 1938 it became the first exhibition coal mine in the United States. Uniquely, it was possible to drive one's automobile through the mine, entering through the fan opening and exiting through the original entry. The practice continued until 1970, when it was discontinued due to damage to the roof of the mine from car exhaust. The site is also notable for its history of coke production on site for transportation by rail to steel mills. Pocahontas coal was especially suitable for coking, and played a significant role in the industrial development of the United States. Coke and coal were shipped by rail to Norfolk, Virginia for trans-shipment to eastern US ports and overseas. Coking on the site was eventually discontinued, and the mine spoil pile covers the area where the beehive ovens were located. Only three oven ruins remain, overgrown with trees. This mine, when active, supplied the United States Navy a majority of its coal through both world wars. Its smokeless quality allowed ships to go undetected from distances, thus giving the Navy an advantage over enemies. By the end of the second world war, coal in the "baby mine" was waning. Technology was advancing and reducing the number of miners required to do the work and allowed for the creation of the exhibition mine. In 1955 mining ceased in Pocahontas altogether. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

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Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine
Shop Hollow Road,

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Latitude	Longitude
N 37.308055555556 °	E -81.349722222222 °

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Shop Hollow Road

Shop Hollow Road
24365
Virginia, United States
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Nearby Places

Pocahontas Historic District

Pocahontas Historic District is a national historic district located at Pocahontas in the Pocahontas coalfield, Tazewell County, Virginia. It is near Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine, a U.S. National Historic Landmark which was Mine No. 1 of the Pocahontas coalfield. The district encompasses 17 contributing buildings and 1 contributing structure in the town of Pocahontas. Notable buildings include the City Hall (1895), the stone Episcopal Methodist Church, Catholic Church, the old brick medical dispensary, a Synagogue, the first millinery shop in the coalfields (now the Emma Yates Memorial Library) and a Masonic Hall. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Pocahontas, Virginia

Pocahontas is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. It was named for Chief Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, who lived in the 17th-century Jamestown Settlement. The town was founded as a company mining town by the Southwest Virginia Improvement Company in 1881. It was the first company mining town in Virginia. The post office opened on June 30, 1882. Its population was 269 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 106,363.

Big Vein, Virginia

Big Vein is an unincorporated community in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States.

Pocahontas State Correctional Center

The Pocahontas State Correctional Center is a medium-security prison located on 35 acres (140,000 m2) in Tazewell County, just west of the town of Pocahontas, Virginia. The $68.6 million facility was completed in the summer of 2007, and opened in September, 2007.

Wolfe, West Virginia

Wolfe is an unincorporated community in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. Wolfe is located along West Virginia Route 102 at the Virginia border and is 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east-northeast of Pocahontas, Virginia. Wolfe had a post office, which closed on June 25, 2011.

Bluestone, West Virginia

Bluestone is an unincorporated community in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. Bluestone is located along the Bluestone River and West Virginia Route 102, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Bramwell.

Boissevain, Virginia

Boissevain is an unincorporated community, census-designated place (CDP), and former coal town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. It was defined as a census-designated place (then termed an unincorporated place) at the 1950 United States Census under the spelling Boissevaine, when it had a population of 1,197. It did not reappear again as a CDP until the 2020 census with a population of 457. In February 1932 38 men lost their lives in a coal mine explosion. Boissevain is served by the Abbs Valley -Boissevain - Pocahontas Rescue Squad Inc - Rescue 945 for Emergency Medical Services.

Yards, Virginia and West Virginia

Yards is an unincorporated community straddling the border between Tazewell County, Virginia and Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. Yards is located on the Bluestone River, 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Bluefield, Virginia. Yards had a post office on the Virginia side of the border from 1888 until May 28, 1994. The community was named for its railroad yards.

Bramwell Additions Historic District

Bramwell Additions Historic District is a national historic district located at Bramwell, Mercer County, West Virginia. The district originally included 151 contributing buildings, 8 contributing sites, 5 contributing structures, and 2 contributing objects. The boundary increase added 27 contributing buildings and 1 contributing structure. The non-contiguous district encompasses formerly independent coal mining oriented communities now incorporated into Bramwell. These communities include Freeman, Ramey Addition, Simmons, and Cooper. The district is characterized by company houses built as residences for miners. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. A boundary increase was added in 2005.

Bramwell Historic District

Bramwell Historic District is a national historic district located at Bramwell, Mercer County, West Virginia. The district includes 65 contributing buildings and 2 contributing structures in the central business district and surrounding residential areas of Bramwell. Most of the buildings pre-date the 1920s. Notable buildings include the Bramwell Town Hall (c. 1889), Bryant Building (c. 1910) (Bryant Pharmacy and soda fountain, the pharmacy later became the Corner Shop Diner with the original soda fountain), Masonic Hall (c. 1893-1894), Cooper House (1910), Cooper Indoor Pool (1910), Cooper Garage Apartment (1910), Bank of Bramwell (c. 1893), Perry House (c. 1901-1904), Hewitt House (1914-1915), Hewitt Garage Apartment (1914-1915), Mann House, Bramwell Presbyterian Church (1902), Goodwill House (c. 1894, 1905), Thomas House (c. 1909-1912), Thomas Garage / Apartment (c. 1909-1912), Buck/Bowen House (c. 1900), Mann Playhouse (c. 1910), Freeman House (c. 1893), and Former Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (c. 1895). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Capt. James Moore Homestead

The Capt. James Moore Homestead is an archaeological site in rural Tazewell County, Virginia. The site is located near Boissevain, and has both colonial and Native American significance. There was once a palisaded Native village from the Late Woodland period on the site, and it was chosen by James Moore, a local militia captain who was one of Tazewell County's early settlers, as the site of his homestead in 1772. Sixteen years later (1786) he was killed by a Shawnee party that also took his family prisoner. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.