Town of Thurmond seeks legal help to block demolition of historic buildings

Bullock said on Thursday that he felt the chances were good that the town could attract a lawyer to take up the case for free, while observing that the bid for a temporary restraining order “will be an uphill battle to fight.�

That said, “the town can’t do nothing,� according to Bullock. “We had to start somewhere. The demolition of those buildings would cause irreparable harm to Thurmond,� he said, by damaging the historic character of the town and eliminating its potential for economic revitalization through adaptive re-use and heritage tourism.

"Thurmond is one of the best-preserved coal- and railroad-era towns remaining in the United States, and its historic structures, many owned and managed by the National Park Service, represent an irreplaceable piece of Appalachian history," according to a statement from Thurmond Town Council released on Friday. "The town's National Register Historic District designation reflects decades of recognition that these buildings matter not only to our residents, but to the broader story of our region and nation."

The statement went on to say that despite ongoing dialog with the NPS and efforts by area preservation groups, the council "remains deeply concerned that pending demolition plans threaten structures that cannot be replaced once lost. Legal action, difficult as it is, has become necessary to protect this community's heritage while alternative solutions, including leasing, adaptive reuse, and restoration partnerships continue to be pursued in good faith."

The resolution seeking legal help to forestall the demolition of historic buildings does not represent an "adversarial stance" against the National Park Service, according to the statement, but does reflect the council's obligation to "the preservation of a town that has stood for more than a century."

How did we get here

Following a planning and public comment process that began in early 2024, the National Park Service ultimately opted to demolish 17 aging structures — homes, businesses and outbuildings — within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve that had fallen into disrepair, some posing public safety risks, maintaining that it would be too costly to stabilize or repair them. Fourteen of those buildings are located in Thurmond, or just across the New River from it in the former town site of Dun Glen. Most of the buildings in Thurmond scheduled for demolition are located within the Thurmond Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Among the three other buildings the NPS plans to raze is the Prince General Store, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which operated from 1872 to 1984, when it came under National Park Service ownership. The historic store, with major structural defects, is located eight miles upstream from Thurmond alongside W.Va. 41 in the Fayette County community of Prince.

The 17 buildings are tentatively scheduled for demolition sometime this winter.

The large, multi-story former commercial and railroad maintenance buildings fronting the CSX tracks passing through Thurmond are among NPS-owned structures that will continue to be maintained and preserved.

History of Thurmond

Formally incorporated in 1903, Thurmond’s population reached a peak of more than 500 early in the 20th century, when it served as a steam locomotive maintenance station, shipped out four million tons of coal annually, and was visited by up to 15 passenger trains per day. The town fell into steep decline following the C&O Railroad’s transition from steam- to diesel-powered locomotives in 1949.

Thurmond remains an incorporated municipality, although the latest census data now lists its population as six — four of whom make up the town’s government.

Bullock has served on the town council for 19 years, and his mother and father have each served as Thurmond’s mayor.

While Bullock drafted the resolution passed on Aug. 11, he was in England at the time of the vote.