Early History

Before 1900, Cherry Tree Bottoms at the forks of Cherry River in Nicholas County, was as isolated as Cades Cove in the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. The roads leading to this river bottom from the east and west more closely resembled animal paths than wagon roads. Both routes approached along the mountain ridges forming the narrow river valley. To get to the forks, travelers had to cross numerous rivers and small streams. There were no bridges, so travelers had to ford the places where the road crossed shallow water or utilize one of the few river ferries for deep-river crossings.

Cherry Tree Bottoms was at the edge of a virgin wilderness lying to the north and to the east. Land speculators had gobbled up most of the land in the 1880s aware of the potential values of the timber and underground minerals. Commercial logging operations began before 1900 in Nicholas and surrounding counties. Land close to the main rivers was timbered and logs flowed down the streams to mills and markets during time of high water. Sometimes splash dams were built to raise water levels and were then released to float the logs. The timber in the upper reaches of the streams’ water sheds could not be harvested economically because the distance to the streams large enough to float the logs was too great.

In 1900, only three small farms populated by 24 individuals existed in Cherry Tree Bottoms. That same year, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached the forks. In return for this investment, Cherry River Boom & Lumber Company had signed an agreement to construct a band saw mill, which was completed in 1901. The number of individuals living at the forks after the mill started up was sufficient enough to warrant the incorporation of a new town, appropriately named Richwood. The town grew rapidly, boasting a population of 3,061 citizens in 1910. This number would more than double at the town’s population peak in the 1930s.

Harvesting this vast expanse of virgin timber was expedited by a machine, an invention of Ephriam Shay of Lima, Ohio. Shay’s invention was a steam-powered locomotive with a drive-gear mechanism that applied direct traction on the rails from all of the engine’s wheels. The shay engine, as it was called after its inventor, had the power and traction to pull heavy loads along steep grades of up to 14 percent. Cherry River built many miles of railroads from the end of the Baltimore and Ohio main line into its timber holdings. The company bought and leased more timber property, eventually owning more than 200,000 acres of timberland covering portions of five counties.

The vast amount of timber the company owned and its facilities for delivering it to Richwood attracted other industries based on wood processing. In 1901, the Dodge Clothes Pin factory (later called the Steele-Wallace Corporation) constructed in Richwood the largest wooden clothes pin factory in the world. Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company supplied the factory with beech and maple logs for the manufacturer of their clothes pins. Later the factory expanded production to include butter trays. In 1902, the Cherry River Tanning Company (later Mosser Company) built what was, for a period of time, the largest shoe-sole tannery in the world. It utilized large quantities of hemlock bark the lumber company provided to tan its leather. In 1903, the Sherwood Manufacturing Company built a plant to make wagon hubs from birth logs the lumber company furnished. In 1904, the same corporation in Philadelphia that owned the lumber company built a large paper mill to utilize spruce, hemlock pulpwood and slabwood from the lumber mill that would otherwise have been wasted. Finally, in 1913, the J.D. Westcott & Sons Company built a plant to manufacture broom handles, dowels, and chair rounds from the beech and maple supplied by the lumber company.

The large mills and plants and the people they employed spawned a thriving small business community. Main Street, the primary east-west avenue, and Oakford Avenue, the main north-south artery, were humming with activity. Yet the roads leading into town were as bad as ever. Only two passenger trains arriving and departing daily were the town’s connection to the outside world. It was possible to take a train excursion trip to Washington, DC and back in less time than it took to drive to towns in neighboring counties.

This is an excerpt from Images of America RICHWOOD Copyright Luther Baker Published by Arcadia Publishing

Continued History

At the remarkably late date of 1900 the Baltimore and Ohio railroad pushed into Cherry Tree Bottoms and what had previously been a few small farms surrounded by the vast eastern wilderness suddenly blossomed into the thriving town of Richwood.  By 1901, the Cherry River Boom & Lumber Company completed a band sawmill to process the virgin timber holdings of the company’s 200,000 acres. By 1904, Richwood was growing so fast that they were considering converting Richwood into its own county, County Cherry.  The plan was to build all the court buildings on the knoll where Rt. 39 turns out of town east.  

Other major businesses soon followed.  These included the J.B. Dodge Clothespin Factory (largest in the world), William F. Mosser Tanning Company (which used hemlock bark to tan cow hides to make leather), Sherwood Manufacturing Company (which made wagon wheel hubs), J.D. Westcott Handle Factory (which made shovel and broom handles from “waste” wood), and Cherry River Paper Company. 

By 1910 the City’s population was over 3,000. By the 1920’s it had more than doubled to 7,000 people, making Richwood one of the largest cities in the state.  Residents had many needs, and a variety of shops sprang up to serve them. This was Richwood’s heyday.

In the early 20th century, logging and lumber companies built camps for the workers, including blacksmith and cook.  When the job "sawed out", everything and everyone was moved to the company's next job.  The wooden structures were left to rot.

When a timber job was not expected to last for very long and/or the owners of the company did not want to incur the individual expense of constructing the various structures for a lumber camp, they would build "shanty cars". A shanty car resembled a house on twin sets of four wheels and a flatbed from a railroad car. A house structure, having windows and at least one door, floor, roof, and a coal stove was built apart from the flatbed, lifted by crane onto the flatbed and bolted in place.   A locomotive would then move a group of these "cars" to their destination.  There, the "house" was unbolted from the flatbed, lifted, and positioned by crane in its' new "home".  If there was an unused section of the railroad siding, the "house" would be rolled into position and blocked in place. When the job "sawed out", the houses were put back on the axle sets, anchored into place and moved by train to the next location.

In the section of Richwood known as "Hubtown" (lower Johnstown), several of these "shanty cars" still exist.  (This used to be called Sherwood Ave., named after the Sherwood Hub Factory.) They are not easily distinguished to a person unfamiliar to their construction.

The buildings which housed those early shops form the core of today’s federally designated historic district.

Before the City’s 1915 project to pour concrete sidewalks, shopkeepers had to “take up” the wooden sidewalks on weekends.  The heavy foot traffic of lumber workers “wood hicks”) with spiked boots (or “corks”) would shred the boards to pieces. 

Located at the east end of Main Street, the new Cherry River Lumber Company, Richwood’s largest mill, is on the site of the original Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company sawmill, which has been sawing logs into lumber almost continuously, since the early twentieth century. 

The "Powerwheel" of the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company was a steam-driven behemoth that turned every operating machine in the mill. From the central hub, a single drive-shaft extended the entire length of the mill structure.  At right angles to this rapidly rotating shaft were smaller rotating drive shafts that powered equipment such as the band saws, the flooring mill, planing mills, etc. Today, this giant from the past gives no clue as to the work that it has done in Richwood's timber industry.

By the end of World War II most of the independent lumber mills had vanished and only the big mill, The Cherry River Boom & Lumber Company, remained.  CRB & L sold the mill to Mr. Samuel Rudolph in 1958. He continued the mill and sold off most of the mill houses and other real estate. He then sold the mill to W. M. Ritter Lumber Company. Ritter sold to Georgia Pacific a few years later. Georgia Pacific converted from a steam run mill to an electric mill and operated here until 2005. They sold to Collins Companies. Collins operated the mill until 2017. Then, in 2019 Cherry River Lumber Company purchased the facility in Richwood. It is operated by AFP Logs and Lumber to this day.

On the western side of town is another mill that was established in 1970. Following six successive owners, it was purchased in 2002 by Laurel Creek Hardwoods.  Co-owners Bill and Sharon Glasscock have owned the mill the longest of any of the previous owners. 

A Decade of Tragedy

“$450,000 Fire Razes Business Section” was one of the headlines to announce a series of tragic fires and floods during the 1920s. The first fire started on upper Main Street on a windy afternoon on August 15, 1921. It started in the Busy Bee Restaurant, whose proprietors were of Greek descent.

During the two fires, 1921 and 1928, there was limited water due to the low amount of water at the Mill.  The Mill actually supplied the water to the city.  At the time, they had several elevated water towers.  On the weekends people used water that was left in the tanks to wash clothes and for personal bathing. Due to the low supply of water, they weren’t able to effectively put out the fire.   

On December 4, 1924 the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company experienced a catastrophic fire. It took 6 months for the mill to rebuild.  There were two major fires in Richwood. The first fire was in 1921 and the second fire was in 1928. Being a town made from wood led to many fires.   

The hungry fire of 1921 consumed the town’s buildings from the corner of Oakford and Main (where the Boston Bakery Building and Fisher’s Kandy Kitchen were housed) up to the E. E. Buck Tailor Shop (top picture below).  This shop was destroyed by the dynamite used to stop the fire.  The second picture shows how the shock of the blast emptied the shelves of the Harman Department Store.

The Richwood Volunteer Fire Department kept the inferno from passing the tailor shop by using dynamite to create a fire break. On lower Main Street, the Star Theatre and everything east of it, were destroyed.  The fire was stopped at the brick and stone Richwood Banking and Trust building. The intense heat melted a large portion of the window. The blaze spread northward where it engulfed the First Methodist church and several homes along East Walnut Street. In all, 32 structures were lost at the cost of $300,000. This was an era when a postcard could be purchased for a penny and mailed for another. 

Evidence of the rebuilding that followed is shown on the builders plaques of the J. Cerre, Joe Pallone buildings on South Oakford Ave. These buildings are directly east of the Richwood Depot, which was renovated in 2006. 

There were many heroic acts during the fire. Nicholas Republican reporter C. Donee Cook told this story. “Four men were caught between flames in a third-floor room of the Richwood Banking and Trust Company. Had it not been for the catlike climbing of Mr. Percy Peak up the outside of the building to bring them a rope they would have all perished.  All survived to praise his name.”

On June 11, 1922, a cloud burst brought a raging torrent of water rushing down Oakford Ave. towards the Cherry River. The surface of the recently bricked Avenue was literally peeled from the ground and pushed into heaps at the junction of Oakford Ave. and Main Street.

Another early morning fire ravaged the town on April 20, 1928. Ironically, this fire destroyed much of the business district which had survived the previous fire.  The fire’s origin was pinpointed to the Oakford Theater, located where the Richwood Post Office sits today. 

Stiff winds lifted the flames across Main Street on an eastward march through the business district. From the second story windows of their family store, the Harmans watched in horror as the flames leaped to their building.  They had time to grab a few clothes and memories as they escaped to the back alley.

After the fire, Mr. Harman immediately rebuilt his store on the same site (you can still read the roofline plaque dated 1928). However, the two-headed calf which Mr. Harman had displayed to attract shoppers was lost forever. 

Flames ate their way from one building to the next until reaching the Carskadon Funeral Parlor where a large charge of dynamite was set off.  “It blew the huge building into smithereens,” according to reporter L. A. Thomas of The Advance, one of the era’s newspapers. There was no loss of life, but many homes were destroyed. 

Mr. Thomas wrote, “One of the heart-rendering occurrences connected with the fire was the burning of seven horses and a Jersey bull, which were kept in barn near the rear of the burned theater…one horse belonged to Dr. W.E Echols and another to American Express…the three-year-old bull was the property of Pete Cougar.”

Low water pressure was a factor which allowed the fire to spread quickly.  Most of the town’s water pressure was diverted to protect the lumber mill’s huge stack which were within 2oo feet of the fire’s path. 

On the south side of Main Street, the fire was stopped by the metal clad Breckstein building, which was constructed in 1901 and dismantled in 1997. Additional parking was created where it stood. A beautiful mural can be seen in the area once occupied by the Breckstein building depicting local history, regional landmarks, and the Nancy Hart Civil War spy gravesite.  The mural was commissioned by Mayor Jeromy Rose and completed in 1999.

Some residents expressed their feelings that the fires were blessings in disguise, removing unsafe wooden buildings which would be replaced with more modern materials such as brick and stone. 

The Crash 

In 1929, the New York Stock Market crashed. Reverberations of this enormous economic collapse started the “Great Depression” and had a profound impact on the  three financial institutions in Richwood.  Richwood Banking and Trust Company, opened in 1902; First National Bank, opened in 1906; and Citizens Bank, opened in 1916 all eventually collapsed. Fortunes – large and small – were lost by many depositors. The resulting economic ripple ran through all the downtown businesses.

First National Bank reorganized and opened in 1932 as Cherry River National Bank. Before the depression, any designated “National Bank” in the United States could print their own legal currency. The now failed First National Bank had circulated currency with its name and the name of the town.

Economic Revival

Coal mining began replacing jobs lost by the slow retraction of the timber industry. To the town’s good fortune, the Cherry River Boom & umber Company sold 175,000 acres of its holdings to the federal government in 1934 to greatly expand the Monongahela National Forest.

A promotional newspaper from June 9, 1937 boasted that “Richwood, home of the Lumberjacks, was the gateway to the largest national forest in the eastern United States.” With its population of 7,300, Richwood was the largest incorporated city between Charleston, the Capitol of West Virginia, and the great valley of Virginia. 

Although isolated since its birth in 1900, Richwood was the center of a vast area perceived as wilderness. Millions of feed of the world’s finest lumber had been manufactured in the industrial city. Throughout the many decades of Richwood’s “boom”, a ride from the distant hollows, where people lived, to Richwood was the equivalent of a trip to a major metropolitan city.

In 1937, the First Annual Homecoming Spud and Splinter Festival was organized. A featured part of it was the only dry land navy in the world, “The Cherry River Navy.” Conceived by James “Bugs” Teets, Lee Reese and A.B. Campbell, the navy’s original purpose was to promote building a road to connect Richwood and Marlinton. Their slogans “On to Marlinton” and “The Missing Link” were displayed on floats and banners everywhere.

In parades, a giant self-propelled model battleship named “The Clothespin” was the flagship that led the admirals in the purposeful march down Main Street. Their armament shot wooden clothespins up over the heads of the crowd. In later years it was replaced by a newer ship called “The Mopswab” which fired a 12-gauge cannon instead of the clothespins. These admirals carried mop handles and on one end was a yellow ribbon with a tuft of mop which they wore over their shoulder.  

Note: the Steele-Wallace Clothespin Factory in Richwood was the largest clothespin factory in the world and figured into much of Richwood’s history.

Ramp It Up!

In 1938, the first “Feast of the Ramson was hosted by a small group of “dignitaries.” Ramps are a leek-like plant that grows wild in the Richwood hills. They are known for their strong garlic-like odor.  Names such as Glen Facemire, Jr. and Bruce Donaldson have contributed to the growth of this Festival while in the early days people remember the stories of Bato Crites, a premier ramp digger and seller often seen peddling his odoriferous wares along Main Street. 

As of this printing the Ramp Festival has been around for over seven decades. The was Very popular from the start the spring ramp festival has grown to serve more that 1200 dinners annually. 

Around 1950, Jim Comstock, publisher of the News Leader (Richwood newspaper) printed the notorious “ramp edition.” In his autobiography, Seven Decades, published in 1982, Mr. Comstock relates how he got the idea in the first place. After receiving a paper from Beckley that had a smell in it promoting coffee, Comstock said to his co-editor Bronson McClung, “Here’s another paper with a smell ad in it. Now you know what we ought to do…”  “No, let’s not do that. We’ll get into some kind of trouble again.”  “Not do what?”  “Let’s not put the smell of ramps into the ink.” Later, much later, he admitted that Bronson was right. They should not have done it.

Many people think it was truly ramp juice they used to spike the printing ink. Truth is, Mr. Comstock employed the chemical genius of Clayton Myers, a native of Richwood and a chemical engineer at Union Carbide, to concoct an elixir that would mimic the smell of ramps. He sent the vial of this elixir to Comstock and McClung with the warning “to be used exceedingly sparingly”. 

Apparently, they did not—or chose not to—heed that prudent advice. The result was a stern warning from the Postmaster General of the United States to cease and desist from perpetuating further such odoriferous emanations from their paper. In fact, Mr. Comstock used to say that the Postmaster General called him directly from Washington, D. C., and told him in no uncertain terms, “Mr. Comstock, your paper stinks!” to which Mr. Comstock replied, “Yes, I know.”  “The Postmaster General responded, “No, Mr. Comstock. I mean your paper really stinks!”

Another major flood

On Sunday, July 18, 1954, Richwood experienced another major flood.  Lower Oakford Ave. became a virtual lake with water ringing nearly to the Main Street traffic light.  Monumental road and bridge damage was sustained by the neighborhoods abutting the Cherry River. 

On the lighter side, a high number of citizens reported the loss of false teeth during the flood. And… a pig was observed swimming up to the stairs of the Oakford Hotel where it eventually joined the hotel staff who sought refuge on the balcony. This incident appeared in WSAZ’s television news coverage. As a result of this massive flood, the Cherry River was dredged and channeled.

In 2003, the Cherry River spilled over its banks, reaching up to the Middle and High Schools and damaging many houses in Richwood.  

 Then, in 2016, nine straight hours of torrential rain caused a deluge down the mountainsides, flooding culverts and creeks and causing the river to rise significantly in Richwood once again.  Called a “1000-year flood,” the disaster caused catastrophic damage to Richwood Middle School, Cherry River Plaza and dozens of homes in its wake. Seven years later, the city is bouncing back with new FEMA funded school construction, remodeled park and recreation facilities, infrastructure improvements and over 30 new businesses. 

The “Past 80” Party

In 1956, Richwood hosted the first “Past Eighty” party which was organized by Jim Comstock and Bronson McClung out of the News Leader building on Main Street. It was described by Mr. Comstock as “the only place this side of heaven where you will find so many octogenarians gathered together under one roof.” The purpose of this party was to allow the older folks to associate with fellow octogenarians who were quite rare and often isolated from their peers.

Activities included Bible quizzes and prizes for the oldest, most grandchildren, longest distance traveled, etc. A King and Queen of the party are chosen and crowned. A turkey dinner is shared by all. Gifts and flowers are given to the octogenarians who attend. The Past 80 Party continues to be celebrated seven decades later.

When Coal Was King

Starting in the late 1930s and growing throughout the 1950s, coal employment increased in the region. During the period between 1960 and 1980 approximately 4,000 coal miners lived nearby.  These miners and their families shopped regularly in Richwood. Shoppers came from Summersville, Webster Springs, Rainelle, Marlinton, Hillsboro, and many surrounding communities. 

Automation of coal extraction techniques and other economic factors resulted in the sudden substantial decline in the number of local mining jobs in the 1980s. 

“RICHWOOD”

The August 11, 1971, issue of the New Leader had this lead headline: RICHWOOD: THE CITY THAT WOULDN’T DIE REACHES 50TH YEAR.” The story began with an old, reprinted quote. “Build it to born or rot after it’s abandoned but build it fast. This was the order of the day given to carpenters and contractors who built Richwood. Twenty years at the outset was as long as there would be need for a town.” Clearly, Richwood had exceeded its builders’ expectations!

The town began its 2nd century by making strenuous efforts towards revitalization. These efforts continue to this day. Infrastructure projects have included new sidewalks, lighting, and extended water systems to include Hinkle Mountain and Little Laurel. 

Small businesses are returning to Main Street throughout the country, and Richwood is no exception. Since the 2016 flood about forty new businesses have successfully launched including many award winning locally owned restaurants, Airbnb and a variety of tourism focused businesses. 

Additional projects have occurred that make Richwood a more appealing place to live, work and recreate.  Among them are the renovation of the form National Guard Armory into the Richwood Community Center, a major pool renovation, expanded hiking and biking trails, and several pocket parks. One of the pocket parks, the Sculpture Garden, is a venue for concerts and community events. The other, Helios Park, is a unique solar park that generates energy which is fed into the grid and provides a positive return to the Richwood Chamber. The panels are mounted on a solar trellis and constructed of white oak representing the trees of the area. There is a native vegetation rain garden, and a colorful human sundial which enables visitors to determine the time of day. 

Holding true to its roots, Richwood’s industrial hardwood heritage has continued to be a strong part of the community for well over a century with the new Cherry River Lumber Company and an additional lumber mill that has been in business since the 1970’s, Laurel Creek Hardwood.

Richwood’s dedicated volunteers have maintained a full schedule of quality annual events. Among them are The Ramp Festival (over eight decades), The Cherry River Festival (over eight decades), the Past 80 Party (over seven decades), the Triathlon (nearly four decades and now a State Championship race), and Hometown Holiday Marketplace (nearly one decade).

A LITTLE MORE HISTORY…  Buildings numbered on the map located east of Oakford Avenue, are in the Historic District with the exception of the News Leader and the West Virginia Hillbilly which are west of the current Mountaineer Mart (#46 on the map).  

There are also several buildings on lower Oakford on the eastern side that are currently occupied by businesses.  These include the succession of several local diners, beginning with Prelaz’s Restaurant, followed by C & S Restaurant, and most recently, The Oakford Diner. There are also two pool halls.

Country Hardware is located in the former Hewitt Building which was also Nugen Motor Co. (Chevrolet dealer), and then became Hewitt Motors. 

Further down Oakford was the home of the Moose Lodge (before it moved to White Ave.) which later became the American Legion.  A & P Grocery store and two car dealers (Mansfield Motors/Abe Khuri’s Dodge/Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. flanked both sides of the bridge. On the other side was Lowery’s Grocery and D’Ambrosio’s Grocery was on the other side below Holy Family Catholic Church (built in 1901) and Sacred Heart Hospital.

RC Cola operated since the 1970’s at the end of Main Street. When it closed, Lyle Spencer remodeled it into a Subway sandwich business and later, several pizza places opened there. Hole in the Wall is the current restaurant in this location.

There were many more historic buildings and businesses that could provide subject matter for future editions.

The Yew Pine Inn was THE place to stay at the end of a long train ride. Three stories tall, it hosted many formal dances and salesmen conferences. The Garage is the only building left standing of the once majestic establishment. For the New Year’s Day dance, patrons had to sign up for the dance in which they wished to participate. Inside this dance card are the names of John Marshall Wolverton and Laura Herold of Richwood.

Mike’s Knob Fire Tower

In 1980, the Forest Service had Mike’s Knob Fire Tower, which was located on top of a mountain which overlooked the third bridge east of Richwood, and another Fire Tower for sale.  John Greer bid $534 and acquired the bid to Mike’s Knob Fire Tower.  He and the Fire Department volunteers spent two weeks tearing it down.  They originally planned to use it as a training tower, so they dismantled it piece by piece and then rebuilt it in Richwood.  It became too expensive to renovate until recently through a 2022 Try This West Virginia grant, matching money from various sources and volunteer help.  Mike Spencer, who was there when they dismantled and rebuilt it, completed most of the renovations on the tower. 

Sacred Heart Hospital was built behind Holy Family Catholic Church in 1913 by the Catholic order of the Pallotine Sisters. It served rural Nicholas, Pocahontas, Greenbrier, and Webster Counties until 1954 when they built and operated the new hospital, located in the Hospital bottoms of Avenues A and B. 

Over the years it changed hands and became Richwood Area Community Hospital. The community came together and purchased the hospital with the help of the governor and an FHA loan. RACH served the community as a community hospital for at least another decade until it closed. They partnered with and brought in the Richwood Starting Points and provided community care for area schools. A helipad project also expanded additional emergency care to major hospitals in the state in 2002. The hospital in its prime was one of the best outfitted facilities in eastern West Virginia. In spite of valiant efforts to save the hospital, it deteriorated, sustained water damage when pipes burst, and was torn down. 

The Bell at the corner of White and Main Street: This bell is a curfew bell that rang as recently as 1965 to remind the young children to get home.  If the police had to take them home, they would fine the parents.  This bell was on top of the Old City Hall on Main Street, located at #6.  

The bell located to the right of the Fire House is the bell that was on top of the original Fire House, Dyer Hose company, when it was located on Upper Main (in the area of #41 & #42 on the map). The Fire House was relocated a second time to Lower Main Street at the old City Hall Building. (#6 on the map)

As the city continues to face its future, the key to renewed growth will be found in its name – Rich Wood – and its hardwood heritage. It is in …”Richwood: The Town That Still Won’t Die!”

Richwood’s Historical Walking Tour

Originally written by Bob Henry Baber and Allen Barker
Updated by the Richwood Heritage Center

1. Richwood Banking & Trust 

A three-story Romanesque Revival building, this building was constructed on the former Dyer Opera House site in 1911. The opera house served as a theater of culture for plays and programs that were produced by local and traveling talent groups. Following the closure of the bank, it served for a time as the Palace Restaurant and later as Weitzel Drug Store, noted for its ice cream confections. The basement space was used in the past by the Richwood News Leader, and later by the Chamber of Commerce. It has a curved entrance and other stylized architectural features. In earlier years it was the location of a barber shop that had a wood floor. A groove had been worn into the floor. This was created over time as the barber walked around his patron while cutting his hair. It is currently owned by Kevin and Carma Lawrenson of Florida.

While the building was constructed in 1911 and the stone masons were troweling the mortar into place citizens dropped coins, including silver dollars, into the mix. (Story found in the 1971 supplement to the News Leader.)

2. & 3. Main Street Photography

The western building hosted a large variety of businesses including Main Street Photography in the 1990s. In the 1960s the McCroskeys operated a restaurant where the best chili dogs ever served in Richwood were made (a claim made by many of the past restaurants in town!).  In 2020, Spillman’s Mountain Farm Products opened here selling locally sourced beef.  In 2022 they moved across the street to (#43) opening in the Spring.  In addition to locally sourced meats, they provided some regular groceries.  There is an Air BnB located above the store.  The eastern building once housed a smaller version of Nicholas Hardware & Furniture Company and was later occupied by Coburn Jewelry.  In 2019 Ben’s Friends Toy Store sold educational toys at great prices but closed in 2020.  When they left, AC’s lounge opened in this location.

4. Western Auto Store

Early in 1915, Charlie Holt ran the Star Theater. Groups came in to perform in the theater. He booked a group that was headed by Miss Vera LaRue. They were a dance group. This was in the days when the feminine ankle was not to be exposed.  They said there was more of her leg visible than what wasn’t!  After she left, the people ridiculed Charlie Holt and children were told to look the other way when he passed so as to not be influenced by the evil of the dance group.  Six months later a Chautauqua* came to town (1915) with the purpose of enlightenment.  The people raised money for the presenters. When Charlie Holt was picking up film at the station, Miss Vera LaRue stepped off the train, as part of this group preaching on temperance and the good life.     

*Chautauqua was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the 19th & early 20th centuries.  They brought entertainment and culture of the whole community. Christian instruction, preaching, and worship were a strong part of the Chautauqua experience. 

For many years (during 1960s – 1980s) the Western Auto Store sold sporting goods, toys, guns, bicycles, motorcycles and other sports-oriented goods. It took over what was previously the well-known New Star Theatre, which showed Saturday matinee specials and double features. This theatre was built soon after the original Star Theatre burned in 1921. Both theatres were operated by members of the Holt family. The Lobby Shop was on the left and John White owned and operated the Jewel Box in this location before moving to their location (#37). After the Western Auto a Dollar General opened. When it closed local store owner Paul Vitello opened Little Lots there that sold bargain items.  

5. The G.C. Murphy Building

Children entering the G.C. Murphy 5 & 10 Cent Store experienced an assault on their senses - an overwhelming mixture of delicious aromas. Chocolate, roasted peanuts, popcorn, pistachios and a myriad of candies filled your nose. Of course, the store also carried the basic required household items including affordable clothing. Nicholas Hardware and Furniture Company occupied the same space from 1916 until moving into smaller quarters (2 & 3 above). G. C. Murphy’s closed its doors in 1985 after the opening of Cherry River Plaza and Heck’s store. The building’s blonde brick facade is trimmed with brown brick details and marble kick panels.  The building became a technology center with various technology initiatives including Fenwick Technologies, which brought the first T1 internet lines into Richwood, offered web hosting, web development services, local Internet, held contracts with federal agencies and private companies, and provided tech support for these services. This was followed by Power-up Computers and computer repairs available through Norville Clark and Lee Kyer.  There was also a lot of interest by many small businesses there as well. Richwood Scientific currently owns this building and is looking for investors.

6. 1915 City Hall

The lower Main Street City Hall building was built and dedicated in 1915 while Dr. W.D. McClung was mayor. It was built here after the fire in 1921 that destroyed the Fire Department across the street!)  Its architect and builder was J.A. Tincher, the primary contractor in Richwood. At alley level was the dreaded city jail where many non-conforming people were held to “cool their heels.” (A plaque displaying the original jail keys is in Richwood Public Library.) Municipal offices, court and council chambers were on the street level. The one and only fire truck that the town owned was garaged in the center section of the building at ground level. Upstairs was a center of public entertainment, called the Alpine Theater, where a sloped theatre with a balcony looked down on a stage where local, regional and national performances took place. When the theater closed and the theater seats were removed, young men used to target practice with bow and arrow on the stage. (You can follow the slope of the theater floor in the exterior side wall of the former Murphy’s building.) 

Walter Rose was in the theater after it was vacated and discovered that early actors had scrawled their names on the wall of the stage. He cut out a rectangular piece of plaster with the original signature of John Barrymore on it.  He returned later but by that time the wall was being painted over.  

The New City Hall and the Water Department were built in 1979 on White Avenue, next door to the library (previously built in 1976.) The original Water Department was located beside the Lumber Mill and people paid their water bills at the old mill office.  

Plans are for this space to be redeveloped into a parking lot.

7. Spencer Building / Women’s and Men’s Shops 

These buildings were taken out when City Hall was demolished

Mrs. Ollie Deem and her husband once operated twin businesses here. Respectively known as The Women’s Shop and The Men’s Shop, they offered ready-to-wear apparel to the citizens of Richwood. Later Agnes D’Ambroiso Coles owned Aggie’s Attic, a clothing consignment and gift shop.

8. Smithson’s Jewelry Shop

Mr. V.L. Smithson owned and operated one of Richwood’s longest-lived jewelry stores. He was a licensed inspector for all railroad engineer pocket watches. In later years, Mrs. Violet Smithson was well known for her hobby of collecting antique pocket watches. In 1985 the jewelry store moved east down Main Street to the former Richwood Newsstand building. It closed in 2003. In later years it became the Sonya and Raymond Chapman Resource for Hope before it moved up the street to the former Rexall Drug Store.

9. Rexall Drug Store

Previously known as the Main Street Drug Store. Rexall Drug Store was last owned and operated by Tom Meadows. He moved the operation to the Depot building which had been occupied by First Community Bank.

Gwinn’s Smith and Gun, owned by Sam Gwinn had a shop there.  Martha Phillips opened an art shop where she taught painting. Later, local artist Charles Erkman stored his vast book collection and artwork in this building, dressing up the front windows with works of art.

10. United States Post Office from 1936

Built in 1936 on the site where the Oakford Theatre stood before burning in 1928, the Post Office continues to serve the public. The Colonial Revival detailing is shown in the building’s central cupola, heavily dentiled cornice, 12/12 double hung sash windows and most clearly, its arched entrance surrounded with Doric pilasters. Each year a pictorial commemorative stamp cancellation of a cluster of ramps (designed by local ramp specialist, Glen Facemire) can be used during the week of the Ramp Feed. 

This is also the location of an Atomic Fallout Shelter, built in the sixties and designed to hold 300 people.   

11. Richwood Cleaners

Way in the back of the vacant lot adjoining the Post Office was Richwood Cleaners, a business operated by Ed Judy. Their street sign (and slogan) simply said, “Over Yonder.”  The boardwalk access ran from the city sidewalk to the building.  At the right was an elevated bench adjacent to the sidewalk, where local men would sit and watch traffic, wait for the post office to open, and chat.  

12. People’s Garage

Last operated by Bruce Cutlip, the business sold Gulf Oil products. There are apartments upstairs, and the garage was also used for parking and vehicle storage on the street level. 

12 b. A mural painted on the outer wall during the mayoral term of Jeromy Rose depicts Richwood’s coal mining heritage. An anagram was included in the design during the painting of the mural. 

13. Richwood Newsstand

Opened in 1955 and operated by Bob and Edith Smith, the Newsstand served as a social gathering point for Richwood’s youth and other citizens for the next 30 years. In the mornings, the “Coffee Club” men gathered to discuss current events or enjoy Meadow Gold sundaes, milk shakes and Coca-Cola drinks. As Christmastime approached, the Smith’s opened their basement area, which residents called “Toyland.” Children descended the stairs to a fantastic universe with operating train sets, dolls, model kits, chemistry sets and other fascinating toys.

Smithson’s Jewelry Store opened in 1985. They moved from their previous location (#8) to this location and stayed open until 2003. The Knick Knack Nook opened there for a short period of time after that.

14. Vitello’s Furniture

Closed in 2005, Paul Vitello’s Furniture Company served as the town’s primary home furnishing center for many decades. Prior to the 1928 fire, a Chinese laundry was located on or near this site.  

At 36 East Main was Richwood Furniture Store begun by Duke Lawson.  It had various owners until the Vitello family rented the building in 1972. They sold appliances, TV’s and furniture. The Cope Center operated for a short time there followed by Sandy’s Coffee Shop and Nifty Thrifty. Nifty Thrifty and a toy store has since opened in another part of the building.

The middle building was originally separated from the others and was rented by the Monongahela Power Co. until the Vitello family purchased this section.  Here they sold appliances, and this store has continued to be a variety store where you can buy anything from furniture, hot tubs, Knick knacks and odds and ends. Currently, Nifty Thrifty, a variety store and resale shop, is located here.   

The addition to the building on the right was built in the vacant lot there in 1980. This lot was originally the parking lot for the New Northern Hotel across the street.  The Vitello family consolidated all three buildings as one and expanded their business with a furniture section and a Honda Motorcycle shop. The Vitello family came to Richwood from Ponza, Italy in 1901 (a little island off the coast of Naples.)  They originally opened several businesses in the lot across from Richwood City Park, including Joe P. Vitello’s Grocery store and a restaurant, which later became Alice’s Restaurant. (Alice was Joe’s sister.)

15. J.C. Penney Catalog Store 

Constructed in 1925, the Art Deco building features a stepped parapet and paired 6/1 second floor windows. Earlier business included the Firestone Store, Ferguson Tires and Kessler Tire Company. In the 1920s the Hotel Central occupied this space. Prior to the 1920s, a clothier business called “Schatz” did “call the shots” on high end fashionable apparel.

It was last owned and operated by Frank Dawson, where it served as a receiving center for catalog merchandise and was closed in 2005.

In 2022, Cornerstone Family Pharmacy opened its doors, owned and operated by Ian Gladwell.

16. Breckstein’s Department Store

Started in 1901, Breckstein’s served the upper echelons of Richwood society with elegant clothing, shoes, hats, jewelry and accessories. This store survived the 1928 fire and was thus one of the longest running family businesses in town. In its later years, Jim Comstock’s Hillbilly Bookshop occupied the building. In the 1980’s, Bill Oliver operated a laundromat and newsstand for several years, until the building was damaged by fire. In 1997 it was dismantled to make way for widening White Avenue and the creation of additional parking.

17. O’Dell’s Meat Market

Once the site of O’Dell’s Meat Market. White Avenue was named for businessman Mansel White who donated the land. Interestingly, the first meetings of the Faith Methodist Church were held in the upstairs rooms of the meat market building. It sat East of the Breckstein building and was torn down.  Later, White Avenue was installed.  It was not named White Avenue until the late 1950s.  This road connected Main Street to the downtown area.

18. First National Bank

The “movers and shakers” of the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company became the number one client of First National Bank built in 1904. Jim Comstock, in his book Seven Decades cites Windy Grose’s comment, “Richwood is so quiet, on some days you can actually hear the First National Bank drawing interest.”  First National Bank reorganized as the Cherry River National Bank. The original mini-bank, right beside the bank, was not engineered for newer cars so they took it out and built a new one in the Cherry River Plaza.  In 1983, First Community Bank bought Cherry River National Bank and later, in 1993, purchased People’s Bank. First Community Bank then relocated to the site of the former People’s Bank. The Cherry River National Bank building remained empty until 2018 when it was purchased by Nicholas County Empowerment Corporation which provides day care, childcare, parenting workshops, and social services.   

19. Richwood Store Company

This building was once the imposing edifice of the Richwood Store Company, owned and operated by the mill. It was what is known throughout Appalachia as a “company store,” although it was associated with wood industry instead of coal. The store issued its own currency called “scrip”. The store was the only place scrip could be used and prices were inflated compared to other local merchants. The store closed in the early 1960s, but the use of the scrip vanished much earlier.  The building housed several mining offices for years and at one time Jim Chapman opened a Convenient Food Market with a Deli/Bakery. Cherry River National Bank purchased this property in 1984 to provide offices for the Bank. Currently this building is also part of the Nicholas County Empowerment Company.

20. Presbyterian Church

A short walk past some residences will bring you to the beautiful, former Presbyterian Church. The original structure was built in 1901 and was rebuilt in 1909 by J.A. Tincher after a fire, with additions of the corner square entrance and bell tower. The building is sided with wood shingles and has round-headed stained-glass windows. It’s a striking sight in winter when huge icicles hang from its roof.  In 2019, Cherry River Southern Baptist Church purchased the church.  

The two houses to the right have an interesting history. The owner of the first house (with a tower) was the local dentist and the person who built the house to the right was the owner of the hardware store. When the hardware man approached the dentist about building his house in the adjoining property on the right the dentist told him he wanted to buy the property for himself. The hardware man then informed the dentist that he already purchased the property. To further spite the dentist he built the house on the right so that the drip edge of the roof was within 1 inch of his property line! 

21. Mountaineer Hotel

Crossing to the north side of Main Street and heading toward the traffic light, one notices a wide-open space stretching up the hill with a series of cement steps for pedestrians to access the downtown area. Believe it or not, this right-of-way was once Virginia Street. The first historic structure along this path is the Mountaineer Hotel constructed by Dr. Jim McClung as the town’s first hospital, the McClung Hospital. Doc McClung also owned a drug store leading some to quip that he had the medical business in Richwood “pretty well sewed up.” The hospital was eventually moved to Oakford Avenue. Building 21 was converted to be used as the Virginia Hotel. The hotel’s name was later changed to Mountaineer Hotel. For a short while, it was operated as a Bed and Breakfast, then converted into apartment buildings before it was sold to a private owner.  

22. Richwood Banking & Trust - 1st location / The Richwood Community House / Richwood Flowers

On the current site of the Richwood Laundromat once stood the first structure of the Richwood Banking and Trust Company. It was built in 1902 but moved to the southeast corner of Main Street and Oakford in 1911. After the move the building found a new purpose. It became the Richwood Community House and served as a meeting space for various causes and concerns. Still later it became Richwood Flowers operated by Bill and Ann Harris. The flower shop was relocated to 29 East Main Street in 2000 and a laundromat opened shortly after.  

23. Finley Taylor’s Art Studio / Richwood Tax Company

This space was the Finley Taylor Photography Shop which was commonly called the “Art Studio.” Mr. Taylor was a renowned photographer who chronicled much of Richwood’s logging, commercial and industrial past. He also did family and individual portraiture as well as senior yearbook pictures. Many of Mr. Taylor’s historic photos can be seen in several locally published books found in the library and around town. Mansel White had an office in this building in the late 1970s and 1980s before retiring. This building also housed Irene Greer’s beauty shop and several apartments upstairs. After a tax company vacated in 2006, this building was operated by various small businesses, including Greenwick Candles operated by Donna Green in 2005.

24. E. E. Buck’s Tailor Shop/Richwood Public Library 

E. E. (Efriam Elmer Ellsworth) Buck was a tailor from Pennsylvania who followed the loggers here to make suits for the loggers and provided the townspeople with his tailoring skills He had a successful tailor shop in this location until 1928 when the decision was made to dynamite this building to stop the fire that destroyed half of Main Street.  He later rebuilt the building to house living quarters upstairs. In 1934, the downstairs housed the town’s public library and the upstairs provided living quarters for his son Ed Buck (Edward Theodore Buck), the naturalist, fireman, and rattlesnake wrangler (the snakes were milked for anti-venom) and his family.

This building housed the Richwood Public Library on the first floor until the new one was built in 1976 near the new City Hall. Charter Communications was located here for a short while.  Alternatives, a miniature newsstand and community information center was also set here. It became the headquarters for Channel 2, which provided the community with local events scrolling across their television screens in their homes. It was also a location to pay utility bills.   

25. Richwood Maytag / Faulkner’s TV 

Operated by Ted Thomas, this store provided Richwood with household appliances and related equipment. Edgel Faulkner followed with a television repair shop. Next, Helen’s Treasures occupied this spot, selling antiques and glassware. There was a clothing store and in 1999 Kathy’s Country Corner where she sold high quality men’s and women’s clothing and set up glamour shots for people in the community.

26. Barber and Dunn Law Offices     

For decades the partnership of James Barber and Ralph Dunn offered a range of legal services for Richwood and regional clients. In 2005 the office, along with the office next door (see #27) was purchased and remodeled for the High Rocks Girls Academy which provided mentoring and activities for Richwood teens.

27. Dr. Eddie Prendergast - Optometrist

For the latter part of the 20th century Dr. E.L. Prendergast provided friendly and personalized optometry services to a loyal base of customers. This building is currently leased by High Rocks, providing enrichment activities and volunteer experiences for young people.

28. Richwood Bakery / Peg ‘n Tuffs

Originally it was owned by Mr. Purtz, whose name is associated with the building.  Later the bakery was owned and operated by the Tom Hicks family. Merle White, who was Tom Hicks’ brother-in-law, and who later became a multi-term Richwood mayor, spent many years of his life baking there. The bakery was well known for its windows filled with delectable cakes, pies, pastries, doughnuts, breads and other tasty selections. After the bakery closed in the late 1960s, Peg and Tuffs’ fancy women’s clothing shop followed. Later, Charlie Meadows had an antique shop there. Then, Jurgen Lorenzen opened Cranberry Color Labs with the help of Jarrett Rader. After Cranberry Color Labs moved to Summersville, Lori Prendergast opened Fork Mountain Pottery. Shortly after operating here, she moved to building #30. The business located there now is Whistle Punk Grill and Taphouse which opened in 2018.

29. Commercial Hotel / Northern Hotel / Sterling Spencer Sculpture Garden

Named for Sterling Spencer, one of Richwood’s most charming people and an expert wood carver, the sculpture garden is built on the site of a hotel first called the Commercial Hotel, and then called the Northern Hotel. Serving traveling salesmen, loggers, musicians, vacationers and other travelers for decades, the hotel had sweeping wooden staircases from the lobby to the upstairs rooms. Some records were even recorded there. After years of disuse, it was removed in the 1990s and the space became the property of the City of Richwood. Under the Jeromy Rose administration, grant funds were secured and the Sterling Spencer Sculpture Garden was created featuring a mural which represents the stories of Mr. Spencer’s life through pictures. The man in the mural represents Mr. Spencer telling stories of his adventures in hunting and fishing. The fictional constellations represent the subjects of his stories. 

A second mural spells out the word Richwood reminiscent of a vintage postcard ad with depictions of current themes and events throughout the year in different seasons. 

The space also features a fishpond, benches and picnic tables for outdoor dining. As a gift to the city, in 2005, Len and So, two visitors to the Rainbow Gathering, lingered long enough to create a stone sculpture for the garden. Richwood Garden Club maintains the flowers on a volunteer basis. Free concerts occur here on Fridays throughout the summer. 

30. The Pimstein Building/Nicholas Republican/State Farm/Richwood Scientific

   The Pimstein Building was destroyed by the 1928 fire. Thereafter the Nicholas Republican Office recouped a new edifice which was constructed in its place. The newspaper merged with the News Leader in 1963. Soon thereafter, Eugene Deitz opened his State Farm Insurance Agency, which was run in later years by his niece, Maria Dooley, before she moved to the Harman building.  Lori Doolittle, noted Richwood potter who exhibited her work at Tamarack, created and sold her wares in this space. Currently it is home to Richwood Scientific, owner (Chuck Toussieng) Cherry River Roasting Company and Small Batch Joe (both coffee roasting companies).  When Mr. Toussieng needed to expand the store, he tore down a wall only to find a whole printing press and printing paraphernalia walled in there.  

31. Richwood Flowers

Two mortuaries were housed here. The earlier one, the Homer Stanley Funeral Home also operated an ambulance service to facilitate the “capturing of the trade.” In 1963, the Simons family, who succeeded the Stanley’s ownership of the business, sold it to the Coleman family who combined the well-known name and reputation of the Simons with their own. The Coleman family continued to run the funeral home on Main Street until the new location on Railroad Avenue was completed in 1968.) They vacated the building on Main Street in 1968 and then the H&P Chain Store, managed by Arnold Comer, took its place. For a time, Suzi’s Sassy Scissors had her first Main Street location in this building. In 2000, Richwood’s oldest independently owned business, Richwood Flowers, moved to this location. It had been operated by Bill and Ann Harris since 1959 at location #22. They moved into the building until retirement around 2015. The Richwood Lumberjack Band Boosters have been using the building for Band events and support.

32. Lodge / Country Lane Florist / Rosewood Florist & Coffeehouse

Since 1908, one of Richwood’s fraternal organizations, the Moose Lodge, met regularly in the upstairs of this building until it was destroyed in the 1928 fire. (The new Moose building was constructed in 1929 on the lower end of Oakford Ave. It relocated again into the building on White Avenue, formerly Robert’s Restaurant, in 2001). Walter and Yvonne Rose owned the building and operated Country Lane Florist from 1993 until their retirement. Currently it is a floral, gift, and coffee shop owned by Jeromy and Christy Rose.  

33. Nettles Building

Toon Brooks and his wife Myrtle started a furniture company in this building after the 1928 fire and operated it until the Nettles family purchased the company in 1978. They closed their business in the early 1990s and sold the property to the Roses.

34. Harman Store “Yellow Brick” Complex

This triad building has housed many businesses including Hinkle’s Barber Shop, Whitman’s Jewelry, Union Finance Company, the Star Shoe Shop, Patrick’s Pizza, Richwood Electronics and Video Rental, Suzi’s Sassy Scissors, Pat Copley’s Jewelry Store, Deborah Dorland’s Rainbow Weaver Art and Portrait Gallery, and others. Since 1985 State Farm Insurance occupied the space for several years. One of the most notable of the occupants was C. Donee Cook who coined the phrase “The City Merry on the Banks of the Cherry.” His business was a printery and bookshop. Mr. Cook was a strong supporter of the temperance movement. In the early days he created a card which he presented to the inebriated. Neatly inscribed on both sides of this card was a poem he himself coined, “If it makes you sick - if it makes you ill - just remember it’s the product of a West Virginia still.”  The Harman Building was sold to the Chris Mondreas’ family who in turn donated the building to the Building Commission in 2017 to be renovated into three storefronts to be used as a business generator.  One building houses Vibes Yoga Studio, operated by Mark and Amy Dinaldo, who are also local owners of Silver Spoon Catering. The middle storefront houses Mill Whistle Arts & Richwood Heritage Center, owned by the Building Commission and operated by the Chamber.  Local artisans sell their art and crafts with proceeds benefitting the Heritage Center/Museum.  The Heritage Center was funded in part by the Collins Foundation, Columbia Forest Products of WV, the West Virginia Humanities Council, and many others. It contains many exhibits featuring the history of Richwood and surrounding areas. Currently the third building is a tattoo parlor called Rusted Soul Studio.

35. Deans Variety Store

The first store to occupy this space was E.E. Buck Tailoring Shop which was dynamited in 1921 to stop the first major fire, which destroyed many other businesses. The force of the explosions broke out most of the windows in the business district. A new building constructed on this site in 1925 was home to many business including the now defunct but famous A&P Store (Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company food chain). The red brick facade has a recessed storefront with a metal canopy. Later Clay Coe’s Sport Shop offered fishing supplies, guns and camping equipment. Then Dean’s Variety Shop became the new “coffee club” after the Newsstand closed.  This shop is currently closed.

36. Fraley’s Fashions/Pat Copley’s Fine Jewelry/Bloomfield Richwood  

Murray’s Drug Store opened just one week before the 1921 fire. After the 1928 fire, Jake Juergens opened a drug store at this site, which was open for 37 years. It was here that Juergens’ famous peanut butter fudge was first concocted. In 1970 Gale and Mary Fraley purchased the building from Jiggs McKenzie and Ardela Spencer for their Fraley’s Fashions store, then sold it to Bud and Pat Copley in 1980 where Pat Copley’s Fine Jewelry opened. After the jewelry shop closed, the building sat vacant for several years, until it was purchased by David Ward and Cecil Ybanez. They renovated the space in 2020 with the upstairs being an upscale Airbnb space called La Bonita and the downstairs housing Bloomfield Richwood art gallery.

37. The Jewel Box     

The Jewel Box was a well-known and reputable dealership, where many Richwood couples purchased their wedding rings. It closed in the mid-1960’s and was followed by another jewelry store in the seventies. Later an ice cream parlor opened in its place. Over time the building fell into disrepair and was demolished. In 2022, it was purchased by Bloomfield Richwood art gallery as an outdoor extension of the gallery space and is used for receptions. 

38. Dale’s Barber Shop  

Bus Bailes and Coeburn O’Dell started the first barber business on this site in 1936. Bud Wilson also cut hair there. Part of the Deitz Shoe Store, Dale’s Barber Shop, opened in 1969. This shop is currently owned by Chuck Nesselrotte.  

39. Deitz Shoe Store

The Deitz Shoe Store complemented the larger Deitz Spencer building directly to the west. Open in 1949 and operated by Howard Deitz, the store carried Florsheim, Ball Brand, Outdoorsman, Dr. Scholl’s, Hushpuppies and Red Goose Shoes. The store had two slogans: “Where Fit is First” and “X-ray Fit.”  In their quest for the perfect fit, they used an x-ray machine to take pictures of their customer’s feet.  Further proof of their commitment is the discovery in 2002 of shoe boxes full of customer names and sizes which were meticulously recorded.  

40. Deitz-Spencer Clothes Store    

The Deitz-Spencer Store moved to this building with two recessed storefronts in 1924 and was the largest department store in the county. It was incorporated in 1925 with officers Huling Spencer, George and Martha Spencer and Millard Hinkle. Millard worked as the bookkeeper until he retired at the age of 96! In the late 1920s they held give-away drawings for cash prizes awarded in gold coins. In the 1930s the store was partially consumed by fire, prompting the only real “fire sale” in its history. Bob Spencer, who also served as mayor, took over management in 1963. In 1965 the Deitz and Spencer families separated their interests with the Deitz family taking the shoe store and the Spencers taking the clothing store. The doors closed in 1996, leaving the building vacant for a time. In 2002 Habitat for Humanity had an office in the building where they sold local crafts and handcrafted Cherry Valley Furniture, made in Richwood. The large building features a stamped tin ceiling and hardwood floors.

41. Dysard’s 5 & 25 Cent Store / Lloyd Adkins Dentistry  

P.L. Dysard was the owner of Dysard’s 5 & 25 Cent Store whose slogan was, “Run Right to Dysard’s.” The Dysard building was destroyed in the 1921 fire. Mr. Dysard also bought and sold real estate and life insurance and was co-owner of the original Star Theatre with the Holt Brothers. From 1960 to 1975 Straley’s “Q” and “P” stood for quality and price. In the late 1970s, Pic ‘n Save operated here. Currently it is occupied by Dr. Lloyd Adkin’s dental office.

The original Fire Department was formed as Dyer Hose Company, named after J.M. Dick Dyer, on Main Street in the area of buildings 41 and 42.  A. A. Williams was the first chief.  The bell from the Fire Department was cast and founded by a company in Pennsylvania in 1904.  They renamed this company as Dyer Hose Company #1 because they anticipated growth in Richwood and the need for 4-5 fire companies within the city. (Engine, Hose, and Ladder companies).  

42. Sportsmen’s Pool Room/Pic-n-Save

There is little information on Hotel Justice but it was located in this building. The Sportsmen Pool Room operated for a half century in this location, through the 1980s and was owned and operated by Gordon Umbarger, The building was then a Pic-n-Save discount store. It has been owned since 2005 by Argil and Beverly Rose. 

43. Wilkinson’s Men’s Store / Morrison’s IGA / S&S Creations / Spillman’s Market

Wilkinson’s Men’s Store was another casualty of the 1921 fire at the cost of $20,000. (Today it would be a loss of over $268,000.)  The owner, Frank Wilkinson, didn’t have insurance. His store was a men’s and boy’s clothier. After the fire, the building was resurrected as a series of grocery stores. The Morrison Brother’s IGA, operated by Victor, Tom, and Otto Morrison, opened in 1926 and closed in 1955. At that time Tom Morrison left the business and started his own store on Edgewood Avenue. The IGA was sold to the Coe Family who moved here from Dain Avenue. In the 1970’s the store became part of Pic-n-Save discount store complex. In 2000, S&S Creations was opened by Carlyn Scarber and Mary Louise Skinner (the owner of the building.)  In 2022 the Cochrans, owners of Spillman’s Mountain Farm Products, purchased the building to expand their market, selling locally sourced beef and some regular groceries.  They have an Air BnB located above the store. 

44. Hotel Justice / Richwood Area Chamber of Commerce 

The Hotel Justice was the first business to stand at the corner of Oakford Avenue and Main Street in an Art Deco building. It was followed by the joint occupation of Fisher’s Candy Kitchen and the Boston Bakery, which were there during the 1921 fire. Lewis’ Department Store occupied the space during the 1930s. From 1930s on, the building was occupied by various sporting goods stores, craft stores, cable companies, and other businesses.  In the early 2000s the Richwood Area Chamber of Commerce used the building as headquarters to back events including the Ramp Feed, the Scenic Mountain Triathlon, the Mountain Color Art Festival, the Cherry River Festival and provide economic development leadership and support for local businesses. The Chamber is now in the former Depot building. For the past few years, a variety of small businesses have occupied this space, including Riverside Pawn Shop. 

The 1921 fire started in the Busy Bee Restaurant in this area and spread east and west. The west end, which consumed the Masonic Hall (site of the Mountaineer IGA), was stopped by ladies who used water hoses to put it out.  

45. First United Methodist Church and Parsonage

The First United Methodist Church and Parsonage are just up the steeply inclined Oakford Avenue. Both burned to the ground in 1921 and were rebuilt the next year. The Romanesque Revival Church and Parsonage were designed by Levi J. Dean, a Huntington architect. The church building features a hexagonal corner tower with a stepped parapet.   It features a wraparound porch with square brick columns and tripartite windows on the second floor.

46. Richwood News Company / Mountaineer Mart/ Tommy Chinese Restaurant / Par Mar

The original building on the northwest corner of Main Street and Oakford Avenue was owned by Wheeler Green and held business space that was shared by the Richwood News Company, the Masonic Hall and several law offices. The entire building burned down in 1945. In 1949, Pure Oil Company built the station in this location which was operated by Orville Coffman until 1976 when Union 76 took over. The former office of the Pure Oil station served as a kitchen for Mountaineer Mart and housed several businesses including a TV repair shop and an arcade and took over the gas station and convenience store in the late 1970’s. In 2005 Tommy Chinese Restaurant opened its doors serving Asian cuisine. After it closed, Mountaineer Mart expanded into this space and in 2022 included a Par Mar market.

The Pallotto building, which later housed the West Virginia Hillbilly, was to the West and is the current location of the parking lot for Mountaineer Mart.  Other buildings to the west were other buildings such as the News Leader and the DiGregorio building.  

47. Citizen’s Bank / West Virginia State Store / Main Street USA Antiques

A three-story red brick building with a curved corner entrance stands on the southwest corner of Oakford Avenue and Main Street. It is one of the largest buildings in the downtown area and was the location of the Citizen’s Bank.  It organized in 1916. This bank suffered bankruptcy during the Great Depression. It was Richwood’s outlet for the state-run ABC liquor distribution. When the state privatized liquor sales, the store closed. For many years the second story housed the examination rooms of the highly successful dentist Dr. M.M. Milroy. The third floor was home of the Richwood Chapter of the I.O.O.F. (Oddfellows). In the mid-2000s, an antique shop, Main Street USA, operated by Ray and Nancy Kinser opened on the ground floor.  Over the years this location housed the Lighthouse Café, a video rental store, and Richwood Sports. It is currently the site of Lucy Butterfly, an antiques and gift shop. Dan Snyder is the owner of the building. The lower level housed a barber shop. Years ago, in addition to a shave you could also stop in and get a bath!

48. Snyder Building / Juergens Hardware / Country Hardware / Helios Park

D.A. and M.E. Snyder, husband and wife, were partners in Snyder’s Hardware. This is likely the longest running single-purpose establishment in Richwood, operating for more than 100 years. Jake Juergens took over the store in 1950 and changed the name to Juergens Hardware. One of the family members developed a recipe for peanut butter fudge which was patented in the late 1940s. The famous recipe was passed to Jake’s son Jim along with the rest of the company in 1967. For years the only place to purchase this famous fudge, made by Jim’s wife Gerry, was at the hardware store. Dave’s Hardware operated it for several years, later selling to Country Hardware.  Country Hardware moved further down Oakford Ave. into the former Hewitt Building.  Presently, Dave’s World of Weird and Synergy Springs occupy this location.

The Clothesmen Ltd. (a high-end clothing store for men), a dry cleaner, and an antiques shop occupied a building to the left of the Snyder Building and was consumed by fire and destroyed in 2013, almost taking out the entire block. This location has since been replaced by Helios Park, a solar pocket park. The only one of its kind in the world, Helios Park is a community project that had a variety of funders and facilitators, and which ultimately resulted in the creation of a completely unique pocket park space in Richwood. The park hosts solar panels donated by Create West Virginia.  The panels are mounted on solar trellis designed by WV architect Thom Worlledge and constructed of white oak donated by local Laurel Creek Hardwoods. The park body was designed by WV landscape architect Todd Schoolcraft and includes a pervious concrete walkway (enhances drainage), a native vegetation rain garden, and a colorful human sundial which enables visitors to determine the time of day. The solar energy is fed into the grid via a “Net-meter” which provides a positive return to the Chamber. 

49. Richwood B&O Railroad Depot / The Richwood Area Chamber of Commerce

In Richwood’s heyday, the Depot was the last stepping-off place for train passengers. Rail spurs for cargo accessed the mill, the tannery and the clothespin factory. The tracks were laid in 1900 opening Richwood’s period of industrial growth. The last train order to come through the Depot was on March 7, 1978. The Depot closed on March 8 but the lumber mill and Richwood Wholesale continued receiving supplies through the late 1980s.  For a period late in the 20th century, People’s Bank had a drive through facility at the Depot. In the early 1990s, Richwood Pharmacy called the building home. Then, in 2006, the building underwent an extensive restoration project to accommodate the Depot’s use as headquarters for the Richwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and the Magistrate’s Office. Sometime after 2018, the Magistrate’s Office closed. In 2023, the CVB was closed and consolidated with Nicholas County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The Chamber, along with the Rail Trail, currently occupies the Depot and provides a Visitor Center for Richwood and surrounding areas.

50. McClung Hospital/Dr. Chang’s Office– The McClung Hospital operated here from 1949 until it closed. Dr. Chang purchased the building and cared for patients here until 2011 when Dr. Joseph Dawson took over the practice. Various rooms contained antique medical implements, signs, and furniture. 

51.  Conti’s Confectionary / The Oakford Apartments – John Conti’s confectionary was a sweet shop that sold candies, ice cream and various sweets. Sometime after it closed, the building was converted into the Oakford Apartments.

52.  Yew Pine Inn & Garage– Richwood was the last stop on the train and many people came to Richwood to shop. It was also common to see a Salesman’s Day at the Yew Pine Inn. Salesmen set up their wares and sold to people’s businesses. There was also a large ballroom in this building where they held formal dances and other events. There were several dances each evening and people signed their names and the name of their dance partners on a card to reserve a space for the dance. Names such as Congressman Wolverton and his fiancée Laura Herold are among those listed on historical memorabilia. The Yew Pine Inn was demolished in the 1960’s but the Yew Pine Garage remains and is owned by Mullens Trucking. Hick’s Service Station and other gas stations occupied this space for many years.

53.  Mike’s Knob Fire Tower (White Ave.) This tower was donated for Fire training for the Fire Department.  Charles Dobson is pictured in the tower, using the Osborne Fire Finder to spot smoke in April of 1946.  (USDA Forest Service Photo). In 2023, it was renovated as a tourist attraction and is part of Richwood’s Historical Walking Tour.

54. Joe P. Vitello’s Grocery and Furniture Store – Located in the empty lot across from City Park, this was the location of Joe P. Vitello’s Grocery store and restaurant among other businesses in 1901. Later they settled on Main Street.  The restaurant was known as Alice’s Restaurant and was owned by Joe’s sister Alice.  These have since been demolished and only the back wall remains.  

55.  Richwood City Park, Pool & Richwood Community Center –In the late 1950’s there was a game show on TV called the Big Payoff. Contestants were selected from men who mailed in letters explaining why the women in their lives deserved prizes. The men were asked four questions (delivered on a silver tray) in order to win prizes like a mink coat or a vacation. Joe and Marian McQuade were winners on the show. Joe took some of the winnings in order to purchase the land for the park and facilitated the building of Richwood City Pool in 1960. They also won a trip to Europe and Marian won a mink coat. (Note: Marian McQuade was the founder of Grandparents Day. She and her husband lived in Richwood where they raised their 15 children.)

Murals:

56. The Coal Mining Mural painted on the wall to the left of the Richwood Post Office in Richwood is a historic representation of early coal mining in the Richwood area. It depicts a stylized coal tipple, B&O coal train cars, and three coal miners. The miners are dressed in vintage-style, coal mining attire. The mural was designed and painted by Michael Brown.

57. The Wildlife Constellation Mural in the Sterling Spencer Sculpture Garden on Main Street shows a starry night made up of fantasy constellations representing local wildlife. There are also silhouettes of two children with Sterling Spencer for whom the sculpture garden is named. The mural represented Sterling’s love for the outdoors. The mural was designed and painted by Michael Brown.

58. The Richwood Post Card Style Mural in the Sterling Spencer Sculpture Garden showcases attractions and activities that represent modern day Richwood. Each letter has a different subject (Monongahela National Forest, Richwood High School Lumberjacks, High Technology (coding, high speed internet, and creating a space for technology jobs), Wild Ramps, Coal and Wind Power, Cross Country Skiing, Trout Fishing, and Mountain Biking.) The mural was designed and painted by Michael Brown.

59. The Richwood History Mural painted on the east wall (eastern side) of White Avenue is a collage of actual historic photos and includes a regional map. The three vintage photos depict the Cherry River Navy, Civil War Era Spy, Nancy Hart, and the timber industry. The map is at the center of the mural and highlights many local attractions within our section of the Monongahela National Forest, including the location Nancy Hart’s grave. The mural was designed and painted by Michael Brown and is located west of White Avenue on the side of the building.

60. The Our Children Are Special Mural painted on the west wall (western side) of White Ave is a tribute to the children of Richwood. It depicts the wealth of outdoor activities available to our children. The mural was designed and painted by Cindy Callahan.

61. The Building Community Through Partnerships Mural painted in the dining room of the Richwood Community Center is dedicated to the people and organizations who made the renovation of this former armory into the much-needed Richwood Community Center possible. Local citizens purchased tiles which made up the frame to pay homage to loved ones. The mural was designed and painted by Cindy Callahan.

62. The Make Waves at the Richwood City Pool Mural is a tribute to the pool bathhouse which underwent renovations and repairs in 2023. The original pool and bathhouse were built in 1960. The mural, designed and painted by Cindy Callahan, marks the new entrance to the pool.