Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/19/1997
NRHP Listing Date 10/12/1994
NHL Listing Date 10/12/1994
NRHP Reference Number 94001651
The coal industry has had a profound impact on Virginia’s economy, especially that of Tazewell County and the rest of Southwest Virginia. A leading symbol of this enterprise is the Pocahontas Mine No. 1, the first mine to tap the great Pocahontas-Flat Top Coal Field of 1882. The high quality of the coal in this huge seam created a demand for Pocahontas coal, and ushered in a long period of regional prosperity. A rail spur linked the mine with the Norfolk and Western railroad by March 1883, and the shipyards and commercial areas of Norfolk and Newport News grew from coal exporting. At the same time, the town of Pocahontas grew up near the mine and became a regional commercial center as well as a “company town” housing the coal miners. The Pocahontas Mine No. 1 closed in 1955 after producing forty-four million tons, and has since been made a public attraction.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: July 19, 2022
