Historic Structure Report: Kaymoor Mine, New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

Mueller, Bonita; National Park Service

The historic structure report (HSR) of the four major mine structures at Kaymoor Mine of the New River Gorge National River was authorized by the project agreement of October 1, 1996. The primary purpose of this historic structure report is to provide research, analysis, and evaluation at a "problem-specific" level to recommend a preferred form of stabilization treatment to the coal tipple, the powerhouse, the coke ovens at Kaymoor Bottom, and to the headhouse at the Kaymoor Bench level. The terms coal tipple and processing plant refer to the same building and are used interchangeably throughout this document. The structures at Kaymoor are in varying stages of deterioration. Without treatment, they are in danger of collapsing. These conditions threaten the safety and lives of park visitors and staff and present a liability to the park and the taxpayers. The structures are, thus, studied in this report to ensure that they are properly managed and treated, and that preservation issues are resolved. NPS-28 outlines the research methodology appropriate for these structures' level of significance as "Limited Investigation."1 The project agreement reinforces this policy guideline. The focus on historical data will be minimized due to the technical nature of stabilization treatment and the fact that the historical data are not crucial in the thought process used to develop the preferred form of stabilization. Stabilization, in this case, will be the ultimate treatment for these structures, with the exception of the headhouse, which will inevitably collapse due to extensive degradation, and the inability to approach the hazardous structure safely. The Value Analysis Study used to choose a preferred alternative has determined that to try to stabilize this existing ruin is not economically feasible nor structurally practicable. For the coal tipple, powerhouse and Coke Ovens, moderate stabilization actions will be taken to reinforce the major structural elements and to provide reasonable repair of the building envelope. Only minimal annual maintenance will be made. This approach makes a definitive management decision that significance will ultimately be lost over time. There are real challenges in preserving structures like these. More extensive work has not been justified from a cost/benefit point of view nor from a cultural resources point of view. The value analysis study (appendix A) and the section on integrity detail this point. Appropriate amounts of data have been gathered to fulfill the National Park Service Cultural Resource Guidelines graphic documentation requirements for structures of this category of significance. That information is contained in this report and in the HABS I HAER files. The treatment for other extant structures at the site will not be addressed in detail here, but rather will be discussed in general and recommended for future studies. This report focusses on the treatment of historic resources within a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, important at the state-level of significance for how they contribute to the understanding of bituminous coal mining in West Virginia. This analysis is presented in face of questionable future funding sources and limited future staffing options. The possible future acquisition of the Nuttall Mine property to the NERI holdings may extend the pertinence of treatments proposed herein to a far wider historic resource context. As that acquisition is not yet certain, the proposed treatment has the advantage of placing the buildings of concern in a stable holding pattern while the NPS considers whether the Nuttall site better relates to the park objectives. The immediate concerns are addressed and the wider issue of appropriate industrial heritage preservation may comfortably be considered without undue damage to the historic resources.

Historic Structure Report: Kaymoor Mine, New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

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