Glen Ferris, West Virginia
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Glen Ferris is an unincorporated village on the western bank of the Kanawha River in Fayette County, West Virginia. It is situated approximately one mile south of the town of Gauley Bridge. The sole highway linking Glen Ferris to the area is U.S. Route 60, known also as the Midland Trail. The village has a population (estimated) of 200, with an estimated 40 homes. The village is roughly a mile and a half in length. Glen Ferris is home to two churches, one Apostolic and one Methodist. A railway owned by Norfolk Southern runs parallel to US Route 60 through the village.
The first permanent building to be constructed in Glen Ferris was the Glen Ferris Inn (originally a private residence) which was built in 1810. It served as a private home from 1810 until 1839 when it began operation as a hotel[1]. After falling into disrepair, it was renovated and an addition was built in the 1960's (date uncertain). A further addition of a dining hall was completed in the 1980's (date uncertain). In 1996, the Inn was purchased from Elkem Metals by a local family. The new proprietors added a glass walled Dining Room that overlooks the Kanawha Falls. It continues to operate as a hotel. The Glen Ferris Inn overlooks the Kanawha Falls. On the east bank of the river, across from the inn, lay the remnants of Camp Reynolds, a Union Army camp and gun embankment used in the Civil War.
After the Civil War, the area began growing as coal production escalated in the state of West Virginia. Union Carbide operated the nearby mine, and constructed most of the older homes in Glen Ferris. A vast majority of the homes in Glen Ferris were originally built as coal camp houses that were leased to miners and their families. In the 1970's, several homes were constructed on the mountainside above Glen Ferris, these would be Glen Ferris' largest homes and lead to its continued development as a place people choose to live, in contrast to much of the surrounding towns and areas. In recent years, more larger homes have been built on the northern edge of Glen Ferris.
On the southern edge of Glen Ferris lies the Kanawha Falls public access fishing area that provides the best ground-level view of the Kanawha Falls on the west side of the river. Immediately to the north of the fishing area is the Glen Ferris Hydroelectric station, which formerly produced the electricity to power the village and the coal mine.
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[edit] References
- Midland Trail Scenic Highway Association Glen Ferris, Kanawha Falls. Accessed October 11, 2007
