The Heart of Town

The Heart of Town. New River Gorge National River. , You are now in the heart of downtown Thurmond. In 1913 the Fayette Journal called Thurmond the “Biggest Little Town.” Today it is difficult to imagine why. Just three buildings survive from Thurmond’s once-thriving commercial district. , Thurmond once boasted a telegraph and express office, district telephone offices and a telephone exchange, two general stores, offices of two coal companies, a restaurant, drug store, law office, shoemaker, jeweler, photographer, meat processing plant, offices of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, and the Thurmond Hotel., But despite a thriving commercial district, even in its prime in the 1920s Thurmond’s resident population never exceeded 500.,

“One of the finest little hostelries in the state is the new Thurmond Hotel…There are 35 rooms with seven bathrooms. The building is heated by steam and lighted with 400 electric lights…Nearly every room is filled every night.” Fayette Journal January 23, 1902.

, [Caption:] , The Thurmond Hotel (below, circa 1909) stood where you now stand. Beyond the hotel were more businesses, including an Armour packing plant that shipped meat to coal camps for 30 years. The hotel and Armour plant burned in 1963.