OVERVIEW

Bon Bon Confectionery and Hardware is one of the oldest business locations in historic Mt. Hope, West Virginia.  Mt. Hope also came to be known as Phoenix City from its recovering and rebuilding from the great fire of 1910. This landmark business has been a staple for the local community, plus includes a number of famous visitors including John F. Kennedy, Governor Okey Patteson, and, most recently, Mike Wolfe and the American Pickers television program.

Bon Bon opened in the roaring 1920s shortly after America had won the Great War.  The Bonifacio Family’s soda fountain and candy shop was the local gathering place for residents for many years.  The Bon Bon building is actually two adjoined storefronts that were completed around 1912, soon after the great fire of 1910 that destroyed nearly all of Mt. Hope. A local coal mining company used the location for headquarters until about 1920. Sam and Mary Bonifacio brought the property and the rest in an incredible history of serving Mt. Hope and the outlying communities. The Bonifacio Family founded Bon Bon’s Confectionery and Hardware in 1920, back in the day when small town shopping was in its heyday. The business operated dually as a soda fountain and as a shoe cobbler shop. Mr. Bonifacio soon afterwards transitioned from working as a cobbler, choosing to run a confectionary and a hardware store. The era of the hardware stored ended in 1968. Mr. Bonifacio’s children found running both businesses to be too much for just the three of them. The hardware store was repurposed to become a storage area. The confectionery continued to be a hang-out spot for local teenagers until the public schools consolidated. This landmark Mt. Hope business continued until recently when Phyllis Bonifacio stepped back and closed the doors. Brothers Dean and Doug Bonifacio still own the property and are active in decorating the front store windows.

HIGHLIGHTS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Income Producing
• Legacy business with 100 + years
• Prominent Main Street property, high visibility
• Mt. Hope could become the next Gatlinburg because of the Park and Scouts
• Three historic storefronts with approx. 13,083 sq. ft., according to tax records
• Only steps away from the police department
• Only a few steps to the Mayor’s office and city hall
• Across the street from the very active Pendleton Community Bank
• Law office and other offices are just a few steps across the street
• Three homes are currently rented
• Includes ten residential units, seven with tenants
• Large storekeepers’ residence
• Within the Mount Hope National Historic District
• Store buildings eligible for historical grants and tax credits
• Featured on the “American Pickers” television series
• One mile from US-19 New River Gorge Expressway
• One mile to Bechtel Scout Reserve and National Jamboree site
• Five miles to New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
• Five miles to I-77 and I-64 expressways at North Beckley

Google Coordinates: 37.892859°(N), -81.167405°(W)
Address: 531 Main St., Mt. Hope, WV 25880
Elevation: 1760 ft. +/-

BON BON CONFECTIONARY AND HARDWARE

Three historic storefront buildings on Main Street and three houses in a courtyard behind them are being sold as a collection of income-producing properties. The commercial buildings have long housed family-owned stores central to the Mount Hope National Historic District and were featured on the American Pickers television series.

Ideally situated to take advantage of the region’s burgeoning tourism industry, the buildings are less than a mile from the US-19 expressway, the primary traffic route through the northern New River Gorge market area. The community has often been cited as the gateway to the central New River Gorge National Park & Preserve and is some 15 miles south of the world-famous New River Gorge Bridge and five from the boundary of the park.

THE COMMERCIAL STOREFRONTS ON MAIN STREET

531 MAIN STREET, COMMERCIAL

Address:531 MAIN ST
Class Type: Commercial
Parcel ID 10-08-0009-0200
County 10: Fayette
Deed Book 91 Page 440
District: 8 – Mount Hope Corp – Map 0009 – Parcel No. 0200
Tax Class: 4
Deeded Acres: 0.129
Legal Description: LOT 19 MAIN ST STORE & APT BLDG
Tax Class: 2
Deed Book 91 Page 440 – Deeded Acres 0.129
Property Class: C – Commercial
Land Use 373 – Retail-Single Occupancy
Use Type 11-Apartment, 34-Retail Store, 41-Mini Warehouse
Sq. Ft.: 3,639
Cubic Feet: 43,250
Year Built: 1912
Stories: 2
Exterior Wall: Frame
Construction Type: Wood frame/Joist/Beam
Commercial Basement: None
Square Feet: 3,639 and 3,639 per level

UTILITIES

Water: City of Mt. Hope
Sewer: City of Mt. Hope
Electricity: Appalachian Power
Telephone: Multiple servers are available
Internet:  Suddenlink, now Optima, Frontier and others are available
Cellphone Coverage: Excellent

MECHANICAL & IMPROVEMENTS

Many of the mechanical features of the building may be improved and repaired with the aid of grants and tax credits, which can offset total costs by as much as 90 percent if used in tandem. New heating, plumbing, and electrical systems may be eligible for tax credits, as may be expenses related to updating kitchens and bathrooms, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and fire-suppression systems. Grants are typically provided to remedy emergent issues that could lead to damage and may include the repair of the roof, windows, and foundations. Expenses covered by credits may include architectural and engineering fees, development fees, and other construction-related costs.

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property fronts on Main Street, which is also Rt. 211, and joins onto N Ct. Street of Mt. Hope

ZONING

All prospective buyers should consult the City of Mt. Hope Government, County Commission, and the Health Department for details regarding zoning, building codes, and septic systems.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the states in the US that has two ownership titles, those being SURFACE RIGHTS and MINERAL RIGHTS.  This property is being conveyed as SURFACE ONLY.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: WB 91 Pg. 440
Fayette County, West Virginia
Acreage: 0.74 acre +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Fayette County (10), West Virginia
Mt. Hope Corp (8)
Tax Map 9 Parcels 184 Class 2, 200-000-6001 Class 4, 200-000-6002 Class 2, 201 Class 4, 202 Class 4, and 206 Class 4

2022 Real Estate Taxes:  $3787.74

SCHOOLS

Fayette County School District
(Additional Fayette County schools are listed on the West Virginia Department of Education website https://wvde.state.wv.us/ed_directory)

Public Elementary School:
Mt. Hope Elementary School

Public Middle School:
New River Intermediate School, Oak Hill

Public High School:
Oak Hill High School

Public College:
Fayette Institute of Technology

HIGHER EDUCATION

West Virginia University and New River Community & Technical College maintain campuses at Beckley, five miles to the south, and Concord University and Bluefield State College courses are offered at the Irma Byrd Higher Education Center nearby. Appalachian Bible College is a drive approximately two miles south at Bradley.

HEALTHCARE

The nearest hospital to the property, Plateau Medical Center at Oak Hill, is a four-mile drive and includes 25 beds and an emergency care unit. Nearby at Beckley, Raleigh General Hospital, with 300 beds, and Appalachian Regional Hospital, with 173 beds, also include emergency rooms and are both approximately 10 minutes away. A Veterans Administration Medical Center is also located at Beckley. Major state medical centers are located at Charleston and Morgantown, an hour, and 2.5 hours from Mount Hope.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK

The nation’s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, attracts more than 2.6 million visitors annually to the region. At Thurmond and Canyon Rim, two park visitor centers are 10 and 15 minutes from Mount Hope. The park’s best-known attraction, the New River Gorge Bridge, is a drive of approximately 15 minutes to Fayetteville. Hiking, biking, angling, hunting, kayaking, and camping are popular throughout the park, though it may best be known as a destination for rock climbing and whitewater rafting. The park is among the nation’s top destinations for both.

ABOUT THE HISTORIC DISTRICT

The commercial properties on Main Street are included in the Mount Hope National Historic District and are, therefore, eligible for grants and tax credits for maintenance and rehabilitation. They do not currently enforce architectural standards for the district, so property owners do not need to conform to oversight.

TRANSPORTATION

Flight service is a 25-minute drive at the Raleigh County Memorial Airport, which provides general aviation and flight service to Charlotte North Carolina. Nearby Yeager Airport, at Charleston, is an hour’s drive by expressway and provides flight service to Charlotte, Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Train service is by Amtrak rail passenger service to Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., is a 10- minute drive from Mount Hope at Prince.

SURROUNDING AREA

Mount Hope is in the heart of the New River Gorge Region, one of the state’s chief tourism and outdoor recreation destinations. Its economy is now centered chiefly around the national park and outdoor recreation. The US-19 expressway runs north to south through the region, linking a string of municipalities that include Beckley, Oak Hill, Mount Hope, and Fayetteville. An estimated 100,000 residents live here in the central part of the New River Gorge region. Mount Hope is notably located near the region’s center and at the central park entrance, through which multiple trails and camping areas are being developed. The 2011 park plan calls for the construction of several long-distance trails in addition to a new campground to open near Mount Hope.

City of Mount Hope

Mount Hope flourished in the early 1900s as the commercial center for the New River Coalfield, one of the nation’s most productive coal-mining regions. It is now best known as a residential community valued for its location near the new national park and the region’s commercial center at Beckley. It now claims more than 600 residences and more than 1,250 residents. Congress has awarded the city more than $4 million to develop a park and campground and to restore trout fishing on city streams.

City of Beckley

The largest municipality and chief commercial center in southern West Virginia, Beckley is home to more than 18,000 residents and is central to a market area of more than 115,000. Interstates 77 and 64 converge at Beckley, as do expressways US-19 and WV-16. Most national chain stores and restaurants operate properties at Beckley. The southern campus of West Virginia University is located in downtown Beckley. Three hospitals, including a VA Medical Center, are located around the city.

The Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve

Less than a mile from the property, the 14,000-acre Summit Bechtel Reserve is a veritable outdoor recreation park that also hosts the quadrennial Boy Scout Jamboree and one of five high-adventure bases for the scouts. The 24th World Scout Jamboree welcomed more than 45,000 visitors in 2019. The 17th Interamerican Scout Jamboree is planned for 2023. The reserve is the home of the Paul R. Christen National High Adventure Base, the James C. Justice National Scout Camp, and the John D. Tickle National Training and Leadership Center.

Hunting Preserves

Two public hunting and fishing areas with a combined 10,000 acres of woodland are located within five miles of Mount Hope. Deer, turkey, and squirrel are the principal game taken. The Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area includes 202-acre Plum Orchard Lake, a popular destination for flatwater kayaking as well as fishing. The Beury Mountain Wildlife Management area conserves some of the most remote highland forests in the region. In addition to the two preserves, hunting in the national park is also permitted in season on more than 65,165 acres.

Outdoor Recreation Resorts

Seven outdoor adventure resorts near the property are in the New River Gorge Region. All offer guided whitewater rafting tours on the New and Gauley rivers, and most include basecamps that accommodate cabins and camping and coordinate outdoor recreation adventures. Several offer canopy tours and zip line, and adventure courses.