Historic Mount Hope Walking Tour

Historic Mount Hope Walking Tour. . , Welcome to the Mount Hope Historic Walking Trail. Walk along the sidewalks of Mount Hope and take a step back in time as you make your way through the heart of downtown. Hear stories of how the New River Company not only shaped the town but the face of the Southern West Virginia Coalfields. Take a moment to stroll back in time as you tour, "The Little Town With A Big Welcome.", Public Art Projects , A. Dubois On Main Museum Depicting the African- American history of the area, this mural pays homage to one of two historically black high schools in Fayette County. Painted by DuBois alumni and community volunteers., B. Mount Hope Elementary School Student Mural Represents the fire of 1910 which destroyed the town. Handprints of fifth grade students create a rainbow with Phoenixes rising over the mountain tops, illustrating a community known for reinventing itself., C. Mount Hope Phoenix Wall Installed in 2018, at Giuseppe's Italian Restaurant, this colorful mural depicts the people, places and events which characterize the area. Featuring present and future possibilities for the town of Mount Hope., Historical Sites , 1. Siltix Mine Portal A sealed drift portal of the former Siltix Mine that operated until 1984. The portal also serves as a memorial for the victims of an explosion that occurred at the mine on July 23, 1966., 2. Coal Heritage Park Foaturos a out stone wator fountain, an exposed vein of the Sewell seam of coal framed and inscribed with The Famous New River Smokeless Coal, and intorprotivo signage telling the history of Mount Hope., 3. Coal Heritage Discovery Center Two-story vernacular commercial building, built in 1920. Currently being restored for the Coal Heritage Discovery Center, a visitor center featuring coal history interpretive exhibits., 4. Aide's Department Store Two-story commercial building once home to Aide's Department Store. Opened in the 1930s and closed in the early 1990s. Foaturing a nostalgio ghost sign depicting Mount Hope's only Department Store., 5. Old Stone Bank Built in 1897, this building is one of the oldest remaining structures in Mount Hope. The former First National Bank of Mount Hope survived the fire of 1910., 6. Bon-Bon's Confectionery and Hardware Established in the 1920s, this soda fountain and candy shop was operated by the Bonifacio family, and was a gathering place for residents for many years., 7. Garrett and McNabb Block With an architecturally distinctive stair-step façade, this district reflects Main Street commerce within the New River ooal fiolds, featuring commercial architecture post-dating the fire of 1910., 8. Princess Theater and Masonic Temple Mount Hope's Princess Theater opened in 1928 inside the Neo-Classical style Masonic Building. The 800-seat, first-floor auditorium, part of J. Woodrow Thomas's circuit, offered films and performances., 9. Mount Hope Community Center Built by the New River Company in 1922 to house the Loup Creek Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), it originally contained a swimming pool, bowling alleys, dorm rooms, and a full-sized gymnasium., 10. New River Company Store This structure, built in 1941, was one of the company stores owned by the New River Company, serving miners and their families from the surrounding coal camps., 11. Post Office and Wpa Mural Colonial Revival style building, designed by U.S. Treasury architect, Louis A. Simon, in 1940. "Mining mural by Michael Lenson, noted WPA Federal Art Project artist., 12. New River Company General Office Building Built in 1917 to consolidate the management functions of the New River Company into one location as part of an overall modernization of the company., 13. The Mountainair Hotel Built in 1910 by the New River Company to house those who came to town to conduct business. Former names include Hotel Mount Hope and New River Hotel Red brick likely added in the 1930s., 14. Stadium Terrace Constructed in 1939, West Virginia architect H. Rus Warne designed one of the first public housing facilities known in Wost Virginia. Featuring twenty-five identical double houses of wood frame construction., 15. Mount Hope Municipal Stadium Designed in 1933 by Mount Hope resident George Siems, a civil ongineer. Construction was accomplished through local fund raising and labor provided by a series of public works employment programs.