Kaymoor in Fayette County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Kaymoor One Mine
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 2, 2024
1. Kaymoor One Mine Marker
Kaymoor was a company town, built by the Low Moor Iron Company of Virginia to produce fuel for its iron furnaces. Later sold to the New River & Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Company, coal and coke from Kaymoor was sold to national and international markets.
The company controlled everything at Kaymoor, a site built from the ground up. It had the mine, coal processing operations, and a power station, along with stores, churches, schools, and houses for workers and their families. The costs of living expenses were deducted from each worker's pay before they received their wage (paid in company money-scrip). There were two towns, Kaymoor Top and Kaymoor Bottom. By 1923, 560 people lived here, 140 of whom were employees that worked in and outside the mine. A baseball team, theater, and tennis courts added to life in this community.
As the nation's fuel needs changed and mining became less profitable, the company closed Kaymoor One in 1962. The story of this community and its industrial boom and bust can be explored at this site, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1990).
Erected by National Park Service US. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.
Location. 38° 3.569′ N, 81° 4.831′ W. Marker is in Kaymoor, West Virginia, in Fayette County. It is on County Route 82, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located at the Kaymoor Trailhead. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3553 County Rte
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the New River Gorge and in Greater Charleston Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Tale of Two Towns (approx. 0.4 miles away); A Vital Link (approx. 0.4 miles away); Forever Changing Forest (approx. 0.4 miles away); Working In a Coal Mine (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Right for Safety and Equality (approx. 0.4 miles away); A Trip Back In Time (approx. 0.4 miles away); Natural Renewal (approx. 0.4 miles away); Townsends Ferry (approx. 0.4 miles away).
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 2, 2024
2. Kaymoor One Mine Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 6, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 148 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 6, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
