West Virginia Photographic Destinations
Let me help you to find a great location in West Virginia for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser known destinations, as well as the famous “Icon Locations” for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to insure a quality guide to great locations for photography in Alabama.
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
West Virginia Photographic Destinations
West Virginia
Thurmond Historic District
Thurmond, West Virginia, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is in the heart of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The Thurmond Depot now operates as a summer visitor center. The Thurmond Historic District comprises the entire town and a small portion of the opposite riverbank. Thurmond was accessible solely by rail until 1921. Today, around 80 percent of Thurmond is owned by the National Park Service.
The visitor center is open daily Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The depot is open on weekends in September and October.
The year 1873 marked the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway mainline. That same year, Captain W. D. Thurmond acquired 73 acres along the railroad. Captain Thurmond saw it as a strategic position for developing a town.
By 1910, Thurmond was the chief railroad center on the C & O Railway mainline. In 1910, the C & O operation at Thurmond was first in revenue receipts. It produced more freight tonnage than Cincinnati, Ohio, and Richmond, Virginia, combined. Freight was not the only key to this town’s success.
At its peak, Thurmond had two hotels and two banks. The downtown area had restaurants, clothing stores, a jewelry store, and dry-good stores. The town even had a movie theater. There were many business offices for the telephone company, lawyers, and more. The town continued to thrive through the early decades of the 20th century.
During the first two decades of the 1900s, Thurmond was a classic boomtown. Huge amounts of coal flowed into Thurmond from the area mines. This made Thurmond the largest revenue generator on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Having many coal barons among its patrons, Thurmond’s banks were the richest in the state. Fifteen passenger trains a day came through town. The depot served as many as 75,000 passengers a year. With so many visitors, the hotels and boarding houses were always overflowing. The town’s stores and saloons did remarkable business. But with the switch to diesel locomotives and the closing of local mines, the town began a steady decline. The many businesses closed down, and most residents moved on.
Today, the town of Thurmond remains untouched by modern development. It is a link to our past, and a town with many stories to tell. Part of the mission of the National Park Service is to preserve our nation’s heritage. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve invites visitors to explore Thurmond. Through it, we can experience the impact of the industrial revolution.
Despite being a Ghost Town and having a population of only 5 people, Thurmond is still an active stop that is served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The Cardinal, which runs three times each week between Chicago, Illinois and New York City, New York, passes by the station three times each week in both directions.
Where it is:
To reach Thurmond, take U.S. Route 19 to the Glen Jean exit, north of Beckley. Follow the signs to Thurmond, seven miles down WV-25 / Thurmond Road.
Thurmond Road is winding and narrow at times. Large vehicles over 25 feet in length and trailers are not recommended.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
37°57’27.798″ N 81°4’45.264″ W
Cost:
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve does not charge an entrance fee.
Hours:
The park is open year-round.
Thurmond Depot Visitor Center is open seasonally Memorial Day through Labor Day from10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Typically open weekends (Saturday and Sunday) for September and October. Closed November through May.
Facilities:
The only public facilities are at the visitor center.
Location Contact Information:
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 246, 104 Main Street
Glen Jean, WV 25846
Phone:
304-465-0508
Thurmond Historic District Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in West Virginia
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
