Fourteen historic structures within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve are going to be demolished, while three others will be retained, according to National Park Service documents.
Additionally, three other buildings that were in the original 20 proposed to be demolished might be leased by the Park Service.
The three structures to be retained include the Dun Glen Ark, the Marilyn Brown house, and the Thurmond Ice House. The three that might be put out for lease are the Tom Kelly House in Thurmond, and the Mini Ark and Boat Storage Rack in the Dun Glen area.
The Marilyn Brown House’s location along the main route through Thurmond, and its visibility in proximity to the Fatty Lipcomb house, provide a clear visual representation comparing houses for railroad workers versus those for the managers. The Thurmond Ice House embodies a unique railroad industry structure not otherwise represented in the Thurmond Historic District, and its small size and stable condition offers opportunities for the structure to potentially be relocated and reused under a future planning effort. The Dun Glen Ark, located in the heart of Dun Glen’s day use area, represents the history of the commercial whitewater rafting industry along the New River; its stable condition and large size provide reuse potential. -- National Park Service
Some of the buildings were built for railroad managers, some for railyard workers, at least one was part of a hotel that burned in 1930, some were used in the early days of white-water rafting on the New River. Some structures were deemed not be historic and that removing them would open up more recreational area for park visitors while reducing maintenance work for the National Park Service.
This project is one component of a proposed major investment in the park funded by the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 that would (1) upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure; (2) renovate bathrooms, picnic shelters, and other important visitor facilities; (3) stabilize and rehabilitate historic structures; and (4) remove hazardous and underused non-historic and historic structures.
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