Ranson in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Charlestown Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Company Building
Ranson Lost History Trail
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 29, 2024
1. Charlestown Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Company Building Marker
This Romanesque Revival building built by Julius C. Holmes in 1891 was the headquarters for the Charlestown Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Company. The owners hoped to create an industrial center in the Eastern Panhandle.
But due to the financial panic of 1893 CTMMIC was forced to sell the building to Charles Town's Baord of Education. And even though it was on the wrong side of the tracks the building served as Charles Town High School from 1893 - 1912.
The in between years of 1912 - 1936 were a busy time for the building. At various times it housed Ranson Elementary School, a Ranson Confectionary and Quick Lunch diner, the Post office along with apartments on the upper floors. In 1936 the City of Ranson purchased the building to use as its City Hall with Police Department co-sharing the building from the early 1980s to 2002.
The building remains a prominent landmark in Ranson.
Erected by Ranson, West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau; Jefferson County Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Communications • Government & Politics • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is February 18, 1891.
Location. 39° 17.672′ N, 77° 51.608′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in the Eastern Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern 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 and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ranson Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Right Reverend Ernest Eugene Baltimore (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Goetz Harness and Collar Factory (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Frederick Blessing (approx. Ό mile away); The James H. Webb House (approx. Ό mile away); Victor Products / Dixie-Narco (approx. Ό mile away); Emancipation In Jefferson County (approx. 0.3 miles away); Powhatan Brass & Iron Works (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ranson.
Also see . . . Charles Town Mining, Manufacturing, and Improvement Company Building. Wikipedia entry:
Links to National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Submitted on June 30, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 29, 2024
3. National Register of Historic Places plaque on the building
Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 562 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 29, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
