As you drive along the beautiful scenic roads of Fayette County West Virginia, you may just come upon a divine structure, a magnifcient building claiming the intersection of Hwy 612 at Whipple and Scarbro Road. This unique,one of a kind, architectural building is known to most West Virginia folks' as the company store.
Whipple Company Store to be exact!
If you pull off the road and take a moment to reflect what the year1890 might have been like, you will note that this building was one of huge significance. The Whipple Company Store in the Coal mining "heyday" provided everything the coal miner and his family would need. Although the Company Store had its benefits to the coal miner, it did not go without reputation. The coal companies owned the store, the goods, the homes, the miner, and their money.
Whipple Company Store was designed by the Coal Baron,Justus Collins. A man of strong will and merit. This store is one of 4 he had built, all in this unique architectural fashion, and today the only one left standing. The old store is a sight to see, and has a lot of history contained within its walls. Being a native West Virginian, I often had thoughts about owning the company store someday. Preserving its history and its stories. A place travelers, and tourists could visit and learn about coal camp life, the coal miners, and their families. When my husband decided to leave his profession of 32 years, Our family decided to combine our talents, efforts, and experience to make this happen.
Whipple Company Store and Appalachian Heritage Educational Museum is now a reality.
We offer daily tours May to November in the company store, introducing you to what we have learned about the past, while we listen to those in the present. The Museum has a wonderful hand operated freight elevator, the original post office and telephone operators station. The secret second floor and the original security system will amaze you. The third floor ballroom, the organ playing the waltz, 2 walk in safes that tell a story all there own, The windows, the walls,the shelves, all reflect a lifestyle gone, but not forgotten. We hope in the future you will stop by and pay a visit to the Whipple Company Store & Museumand reflect on a timeless piece of the past.
We look forward to your visit. Chuck,Joy,Victor,Holly & Charlotte
By Back in the day.... | December 14, 2016 at 06:13 PM EST | No Comments
I am reading over some of my notes and stories told to me from Whipple, I came across a rather nice one giving detail on what type of decorations and what types of gifts children received. We are fast approaching Christmas day so thought this would make a good lead up to the day story. Thought I would share,
The year was 1941 Christmas was my favorite holiday, and is still my favorite today. The sky was a clear crisp blue and the wind blowing around was leaving small cuts in my cheeks. As i stood on the porch looking up at my dad he said, " the snow will be falling by bedtime and when we rise in the morning you will not be able to see way to the privy." He smiled down at me and rustled my hair with his strong coal stained hand. "Now, go find your brothers its time to go get our tree," All the boys in the coal camp would wander into the woods around our homes to find the best tree for the houses. Everyone had their own idea of what was a great Christmas tree. My brothers and I wanted a big one with three sides with pretty full branches because it had to set in the corner, we wouldn't see the back side. We made our own decorations and always had plenty. Mother ordered the lights from the Sears and Roebuck catalog at the company store. I remember they were blue,yellow and red birds. We had silver tinsel of course and paper we had been saving all year to make chains to hang as garland around the tree. With the little birds shining bright and reflecting off the tinsel we were sure ours was the prettiest tree in the camp. Dad hung a big red crepe paper bell in the center of the room from the ceiling. the red,green,and white crepe paper strung from the bell to the corners. Tinsel was hung on the paper rope and the fireplace light made everything so pretty, warm and festive.