The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

April 9, 2009

RAIL works to preserve church

Mary Catherine Brooks

Now sitting in disrepair among the encroaching weeds and brush, Wyco Church was built by Wyoming Coal Co. in 1917 for the white miners and their families in the little coal community. The church has been placed on this year’s Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s endangered properties list, according to Karen Carper, executive director.

Coal baron Maj. W.T. Tams built Wyco in 1914, including a coal camp, superintendent’s house and two churches — one for white miners and families, another for African-American miners and their families.

That came after he had built Tams coal camp in Raleigh County, according to historians.

The second Wyco church, known today as Mount Grove Baptist Church, was built for African-American miners and their families, according to historians. The church is still active today.

Sometime in the 1990s, Wyco Church, near Mullens, was abandoned.

Since that time, the roof has become compromised and water intrusion has led to ongoing deterioration of the structure, according to Dewey Houck, director of the Rural Appalachian Improvement League.

In 2003, ownership of the church was transferred to RAIL.

Currently, RAIL is seeking assistance in it efforts to stabilize and eventually restore the historic church.

“Our best product is our historic structures,” Houck said. “Some of our buildings are gone; I hated to see that.

“Our mission is to clean up the city and create a tourist attraction,” he explained.

Walking trails, complete with brochures and markers, have been mapped through Mullens, showcasing the historic structures. New parks and gardens have been created and existing parks improved.

Houck hopes to save historic structures in the surrounding areas, such as Wyco, as well.

The historic church is part of this year’s diverse endangered properties.

“We have a church, a school, two historic hotels, a theater, a bridge, a private home and a historic homeless shelter,” Carper said.

Other properties include Hinton’s McCreery Hotel, Capitol Theatre of Wheeling, First Ward School of Elkins, Tyler County Home, Glenville Bridge and the Waldo Hotel of Clarksburg.

All properties are listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and meet other criteria such as historic significance, geographic location, preservation emergency and resources available to resolve the endangerment.

A $75,000 National Trust for Historic Preservation Partners in the Field challenge grant will support services to these and other endangered West Virginia properties.

The grant will fund one new staff person at Preservation Alliance. The field services representative will work to provide on-site assistance to properties, help with redevelopment and sustainability plans and identify funding sources for preservation projects.

— E-mail:

mcbrooks@register-herald.com

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