In the picturesque Bramwell National Historic District, the Collins Building on Main Street includes five storefronts and four second-floor apartments. Constructed in 1922, the income-earning property was designed by architect Alex Mahood to accommodate the town’s affluent visitors. At the turn of the 20th century, tiny Bramwell boasted the greatest number of resident millionaires per capita in the U.S.

HIGHLIGHTS AND AMENITIES

• On National Register of Historic Places
• Grants and tax credits available for renovation
• Four tenant-occupied storefronts
• Four apartments used as short-term rentals
• Adjoins high-impact ATV tourism region
• 300 feet from Bramwell Visitor Center
• Approximately 3,900 square feet of private parking
• On horseshoe bend in scenic Bluestone River

• 7 miles from Bluefield, West Virginia
• 17 miles from I-77 at Princeton, West Virginia

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.3251517091041, -81.31214467463694
Address: 135, 137, 143, 147, 151 Main Street, Bramwell, West Virginia
Elevation: approximately 2,180 feet above sea level

OVERVIEW

The Collins Building is an anchor property in Bramwell and fronts Main Street, the most trafficked thoroughfare in its historic district. Many visitors exploring the district walk past the building between the visitor center and the residential section, which includes many of its most elaborate structures. An estimated 50,000 visitors tour the district annually. Many are off-road adventurers traveling the adjacent trail systems, while others are attracted chiefly by Bramwell’s remarkable history and architecture. More than 400 vehicles travel past the building daily.

The property includes five street-level storefronts and four upstairs apartments. Approximately 3,900 square feet of private parking adjoins the building at the rear on River Road, while public parking is also available along Main Street and in a lot 130 feet away at the west end of the block.

The subject property is the long-time home of the United State Post Office of Bramwell, WV

Four of the five storefronts are occupied—by Blue Moon Antiques, Honeycomb Cafe, and the U.S. Post Office. A fourth storefront and a smaller fifth are partly occupied. Four store sections are approximately 21 feet wide by 65 feet deep and enclose approximately 1,365 square feet, though dimensions vary slightly from one to another. The fifth is 10 feet wide by 30 feet deep. It encloses approximately 300 square feet and has traditionally been entered from the adjacent store rather than the street. Each of the store sections is heated and cooled with a heat pump.

Each of the four upstairs apartments includes a foyer, living room, dining area, an eat-in kitchen, two bedrooms, and a full bath. All feature two entrances leading off a central lobby. The second entrance to each may have been designed for servants attending to guests. Dimensions vary, though each apartment is approximately 1,300 square feet. They open into a skylit central lobby accessed by stairs that lead to the street levels at the front and rear of the building. Each of the apartments is heated with electric and propane units.

HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

The Collins Building was built in 1922 by Jairus Collins, one of the most influential developers in the surrounding Pocahontas Coalfield. Born in 1859 and raised in the lignite-mining fields of Alabama, he moved to Bramwell in 1896 when he became general manager of the Louisville Coal & Coke Co., and in 1902, opened mines of his own in Mercer and nearby McDowell counties. He was a founding member of the Pocahontas Operator’s Association and was the brother of Justus Collins, who helped develop the New River Coalfield some 50 miles to the north.

Jairus Collins

In about 1900, he built a fanciful home on Brick Street, now admired by visitors for its hallmark square tower, and in 1910, he built a larger residence on South River Street. It’s been said that Mrs. Collins grew frustrated with the many visitors she was forced to entertain and insisted that Mr. Collins build the apartments to accommodate their guests.

Alex B. Mahood

He commissioned architect Alex B. Mahood to design the two-story building. Known for his civic and commercial projects, Mahood studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris before returning to the U.S. He designed many notable buildings in West Virginia. His drawings, plans, and other records are in the Eastern Regional Coal Archives in the Craft Memorial Library in Bluefield.

The building was built of deep red brick in the commercial mode of the period, strongly defined by first-floor storefronts of plate glass that allowed for the display of merchandise. Slender vertical piers divide the front facade into five bays or storefronts. For much of its history, the building included only four bays, though a fifth of only one story was later added. Retractable awnings on the south-facing front helped cool interiors in summer and warm them in winter.

The upstairs apartments were designed for coal industry executives and affluent guests. Each apartment included two bedrooms, a living room, an eat-in kitchen, a full bathroom, and an entrance foyer. Each also included a secondary entrance, ostensibly for deliveries. With their exception, all rooms in the apartment enjoy plentiful sunlight cast through tall, double-hung windows.

The apartment entrances open into a nearly square central lobby, from which wide stairs descend to the street-level front and rear. A square central skylight enhances the room’s functionality and dimensions, nearly 16-by-19 feet.

The Collins building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 when the U.S. Department of the Interior established the district.

HISTORY OF BRAMWELL

Long a remote farming community, the present Town of Bramwell grew rapidly in the 1870s with the arrival of the Norfolk and Western Railway, which allowed for shipment of the region’s coal to outside markets.

Established in 1888, the town was named for J.H. Bramwell, one of the region’s first coal magnates and the town’s first postmaster. As the mining industry grew, entrepreneurs by the dozens arrived in the area. Many of the most successful built residences in and near the town, though they also maintained large homes in cities such as Washington, D.C., and New York City. In the late 1800s, it acquired some notoriety for having the largest number of millionaires per capita in the U.S.

Many of their residences were ostentatious and included housing for maids, butlers, and gardeners. Many incorporated materials imported from Europe and incorporated high-style designs that are more common in large U.S. cities. Following the Great Depression, the town’s period of growth ended, but as a result, its architectural integrity remained. This concentration of architectural landmarks earned the town its National Register of Historic Places designation in 1984.

The Coal Heritage Trail Interpretive Center at Bramwell houses relics and exhibits related to West Virginia’s coal mining history. Visitors can explore photos and memorabilia of former Bramwell coal barons and their families. The center is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily except Sunday when it is open from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The historic Itmann Company Store in Mullens, WV. Mr. Collins and Isaac T. Mann were friends. Alex B. Mahood designed the Collins Building and the Itmann Company Store.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the U.S. states with two ownership titles, SURFACE RIGHTS and MINERAL RIGHTS. A title search for mineral rights ownership has not been conducted. All rights the owner has will convey with the property. A mineral title search could be performed by a title attorney along with the surface title search.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

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

UTILITIES

Water: Town of Bramwell
Sewer: Town of Bramwell
Electricity: American Electric Power
Telephone: Various Carriers
Internet: Various Carriers

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property fronts on Main Street and is accessible at the rear by River Road.

ZONING

Bramwell is subject to some zoning regulations. Prospective buyers should consult the town administration, Mercer County Commission, and the county health department for zoning and building code details.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property continues to function for the commercial and residential uses for which it was designed. Its first-floor street front accommodates commercial tenants, including shops, a restaurant, and a U.S. Post Office. The second floor includes four large apartments now used as residential space for short—and long-term tenants.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: Deed Book 1091, Page 203
Mercer County, West Virginia
Acreage: 0.17acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Mercer County (28), West Virginia
Bramwell Corporate (4)
Tax Map 5, Parcel 103; Class 4;

2023 Real Estate Taxes: $2,656.00

ABOUT THE REGION

Bramwell is located in a region renowned for its mountain scenery. It nestles in the upper valley of the Bluestone River, a forested Appalachian region dotted by small towns and farms. Most of its communities were established in the late 1800s when mining commenced. By the late 1900s, however, the decline in mining employment led to an outmigration of many residents. While coal is still mined, the population of Mercer County, in which Bramwell is located, had declined dramatically, though its population has begun to increase. The Bluefield micropolitan area, which includes Bramwell, supports a population of more than 100,000 permanent residents. Remote work opportunities, the relative affordability of real estate, and the growth of tourism have conspired to attract many new residents.

Though long associated with mining, tourism has become a chief economic force in the region, and many visitors are drawn to explore ghost towns that remain from the mining period. The governments of West Virginia and nearby Virginia continue to expand off-road trail systems that network throughout the mountains, visiting towns such as Bramwell and former industrial sites. Three sections of the Hatfield-McCoys Trail System converge nearby—the Indian Ridge, Pocahontas, and Pinnacle Creek networks.

Photo courtesy of the WV Division of Tourism

The region’s largest communities are Bluefield and Princeton in West Virginia and Bluefield in Virginia. Bluefield is the principal city of the Bluefield micropolitan area and supports a population of more than 9,500. Adjacent Bluefield, Virginia, supports 5,000. Nearby Princeton is the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, and its population was 5,872 in 2020.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Students in Bramwell may attend Bluewell Elementary, a four-mile drive, Montcalm High School, a seven-mile drive, and Mercer County Career & Technical Center, a 15-mile drive.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Bramwell is within an hour’s drive of Concord University, Bluefield State College, Southern West Virginia Community College, and New River Community and Technical College.

HEALTHCARE

Bramwell is a 20-minute drive from Princeton Community Hospital, a fully accredited, 203-bed acute care multispecialty medical facility managed by West Virginia University. Other nearby hospitals include Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital, a 40-minute drive. Two Veterans Administration Medical Centers are also located in the region at Beckley, an hour’s drive, and Salem, Va., a two-hour drive.

AIR TRAVEL

Mercer County Airport near Bluefield, a 15-minute drive, is a general aviation facility with a 4,743-foot asphalt runway. Raleigh County Memorial Airport near Beckley is an hour’s drive, accommodates some passenger service, and includes two runways, 5,000 feet and 6,750 feet. The nearest international airport, Charlotte Douglas, in Charlotte, N.C., is a 3-hour drive.

AREA ATTRACTIONS

The following attractions play a lead role in Bramwell’s growth and sustenance. The Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, notably, attracts tens of thousands of tourists to the region every year. Hiking and biking trails and heritage tourism attractions are being developed throughout the region.

Photo courtesy of the WV Division of Tourism – The Hatfield and McCoy Trail System

Hatfield-McCoy Trail System

More than 45,000 off-road vehicle enthusiasts annually tour the Hatfield-McCoy Trail network near Bramwell, a chief driver of development in the region. Officials with the trail authority, which oversees more than 1,500 miles of off-road routes, emphasize the need for private investors to develop more lodging and services for users. A new trailhead is being developed at Bramwell.

Pinnacle Rock State Park

A state-managed park renowned for its namesake sandstone tower, Pinnacle Rock attracts thousands of sight-seers annually. Most come to walk the staircase to its summit, but an increasing number are hiking the six miles of trail that lead through its forests to other rock formations and a fishing lake. A one-mile trail linking the park and historic district is in the planning stages.

Bluestone National Scenic River

The National Park Service manages the lower Bluestone River downstream of Bramwell. Only a handful of hiking trails lead through the 10-mile section of rocky gorge through which the lower river descends between Bluestone State Park to Pipestem Resort State Park. Mercer County officials have discussed extending a trail system between Bramwell and the national park area.

Bluestone Lake

Bluestone Lake is West Virginia’s second-largest lake and ranks among its best warm-water fisheries. A reservoir of more than 2,000 acres (in summer pool), it impounds the lower New River upstream of its gorge. Along with the Bluestone and Greenbrier Rivers, it’s one of the chief fishing destination areas in the state. The lake is an hour’s drive from Bramwell.

Bluestone State Park

More than 2,000 acres at the mouth of the Bluestone River at Bluestone Lake have been developed as a vacation park ideally suited to accommodating kayaking and boating. The park provides a marina with boat rentals, a swimming pool, 26 cabins, and 77 campsites. The park is an hour’s drive from Bramwell.

Bluestone Wildlife Management Area

The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources manages more than 18,000 acres surrounding Bluestone Lake for hunting, trapping, and fishing. The preserve is renowned for its whitetail deer, turkey, and fox. Several primitive campgrounds are located around the lake. The management area is an hour’s drive from Bramwell.

Camp Creek State Park

A forested park that adjoins a state forest, Camp Creek protects a vast area of forested land that protects more than 6,000 acres and includes 35 miles of trails and seven miles of seasonally stocked trout streams. The park offers cabins and camping for overnight guests. Hunting is permitted in some areas in season. The park is a 34-minute drive from Bramwell.

George Washington & Jefferson National Forests

This national forest protects more than 1.8 million acres in Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia and extends to within six miles of Bramwell. The forest is a favorite destination for hiking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail courses through the forest within an hour’s drive of Bramwell.

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

The centerpiece of one of the nation’s newest national parks, the 72,000-acre New River Gorge attracts more than three million visitors annually to southern West Virginia. Its best-known attractions are hiking, biking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting. The nearest reach of the park is just more than an hour’s drive from Bramwell.

Twin Falls Resort State Park

A state-managed vacation park renowned for its namesake waterfalls, Twin Falls attracts more than 40,000 visitors annually and includes a 47-guest-room lodge, a 50-site campground, and 14 cottages. An 18-hole golf course, 10 miles of biking trail, and more than 50 miles of hiking trail are principal park attractions. The park is an hour’s drive from Bramwell.

Winterplace Ski Resort

More than a million skiers and snowboarders annually visit Winterplace Ski Resort on Flat Top Mountain, a 45-minute drive from Bramwell. Billed as “Where the South learns to ski!”, its popularity is partly due to its accessibility; on I-77, it’s an easy half-day drive from many southeastern U.S. cities, including Raleigh, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem.

ESTIMATED DRIVE TIMES

Hatfield-McCoy Trails — 1 minute
Pinnacle Rock State Park — 4 minutes
Bluewell, WV — 7 minutes
Bluefield, WV — 15 minutes
Princeton, WV — 20 minutes
Northfork, WV — 20 minutes
Camp Creek State Park — 35 minutes
Welch, WV — 40 minutes
Winterplace Ski Resort — 45 minutes
Pipestem Resort State Park — 45 minutes
Bluestone State Park — 50 minutes
Bluestone National Scenic River — 55 minutes
Wytheville, VA — 55 minutes
Bluestone Lake — 1 hour
Winterplace Ski Resort — 1 hour
New River Gorge National Park — 1.5 hours
Abingdon, VA — 1.5 hours
Blacksburg, VA — 1.5 hours
Charleston, WV — 2 hours
Roanoke, VA — 2 hours
Winston-Salem, NC— 2.5 hours
Charlotte, NC — 3 hours
Ashville, NC— 3.5 hours
Knoxville, TN — 3.5 hours
Richmond, VA — 4.5 hours
Columbus, OH — 4.5 hours
Lexington, KY — 4 hours
Raleigh, NC — 4.5 hours
Pittsburgh, PA — 4.5 hours
Richmond, VA — 4.5 hours
Washington, DC — 5 hours
Cleveland, OH — 5.5 hours
Nashville, TN — 6 hours
Atlanta, GA — 6.5 hours
New York City —  9 hours