Exploring Nuttallburg

Exploring Nuttallburg. New River Gorge National River. You are at the site of the coal-mining town of Nuttallburg. Mine owner John Nuttall arrived here in 1870 and quickly opened two mines. He built Nuttallburg to serve the mines and his workers., Nuttallburg evolved with the mining industry, Mine ownership changed several times. At one point the Nuttallburg Mine was operated by Henry Ford of Ford Motor Company fame., Today you can visit the townsite and see structures that survived. As you explore, remember that the mine operated for 85 years, so features changed. The town would have been different depending on the period. Many of the major surviving features are from the Henry Ford era of the 1920s., Nuttallburg Timeline , 1870 - John Nuttall visits after learning that the C&O Railway plans to build through New River Gorge. He finds coal., 1870 - 1873 - Nuttall buys land, develops two mines, and builds Nuttallburg., 1873 - The C&O is finished. Nuttall ships his first coal. He was the second operator to ship coal from New River Gorge., 1873 - 1897 - Nuttallburg prospers, John Nuttall dies in 1897, passing ownership to his heirs., 1897 - 1920 - The Nuttall family oversees operations., 1920 - 1928 - Fordson Coal Company (owned by Henry Ford) leases and operates the mine. Modernized, production increases dramatically., 1928 - 1953 - Maryland New River Mining Company operates the mine, renaming it Dubree No. 4., 1954 - 1958 - Margie Coal Company acquires the mine, but quickly sells to Garnet Coal Company, Garnet operates for four years, 1 then closes the mine permanently in 1958., 1998 - Nuttall estate transfers ownership of Nuttallburg lands to National Park Service., 2005 - Nuttallburg is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.