"The Most Modern Club": Black Knight

"The Most Modern Club": Black Knight. . , The Black Knight Country Club was organized in 1929 after Colonel Ernest E. Chilson offered more than 60 acres of Raleigh Coal and Coke Company property for a golf course and clubhouse. While the club itself was funded by sales of stock shares locally, RC&CC owned the clubhouse, and Chilson named it after the company's Black Knight trademark. , Coalfields architect Alexander B. Mahood designed the clubhouse, recognized at the time of construction as a symbol of Beckley's economic success. Governor William H. Conley attended the club's opening ceremony. Its terraces, ballroom, bar, and dining areas were described by the Beckley Post-Herald in 1928 as the "most modern clubhouse in West Virginia.", The golf course was laid out by noted golf architect Fred Findlay, and and several famous golfers including Sam Snead played there over the years., The club was purchased in 2011 by Jim Justice, then sold to the City of Beckley in 2018. As early as 1928, the Beckley Post-Herald had noted that, "while these facilities will not be for the employment for a great number, they are sure to bring benefits of no uncertain advantage on the whole section." The club's exclusionary practices led to "Country Club" being dropped in acknowledgment of the new municipal park's welcoming and inclusive policy.