While traveling through and photographing the many old coal towns in Southern West Virginia we stumbled across Mullens. Mullens is one of the more interesting town that we came across, so we decided to explore on foot. This old building looked to have a store at street level and apartment above. By the looks of the inside, it appeared that the tenants just decided to get up and leave one day, leaving all of their belongings behind. Many of the rooms were still fully furnished with old vintage furniture and appliances. Many personal belonging and artifacts were also left in many of the rooms including photos. The building looks like it may have been a retirement home, assisted living , or low-income housing of some sort. Such beauty left to decay and rot away. Sad sight to see.
See more photos from my West Virginia Project here.
Through the creative lens of Travis Dewitz; he demonstrates time and time again how much splendor can be extracted from the interplay of the industrial world around us. In the most unusual and unexpected places Dewitz showcases images that embody the forgotten beauty of railways, factory floors, the rolling smoke of steel mills, and the cities that are built around them. He brings a certain magic as he invokes the very souls of these once-glorious industrial areas; his captures overflow with inspirational energy. Click here to view his personal series.
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Sharon Wylee Scheel
The fingerprints in the dust near the silver horse, nice touch. (bad pun included, no charge)
Jannah Fernando
I’ve been collecting vintage items for almost for years now. I would love to come and visit this apartment. I would love to but these vintage items that are not used anymore. -http://www.empirefurniturerental.com/
Hazall
Just leaving Beckley WV where we enoyjed a fireworks show and our first internet connection since Sunday morning! We’ve had our daily challenges and opportunities to serve homeowners at ASP and get to know our fellow volunteers and staffers at Mullens ASP Center. Everyone is working very hard each day and getting the needed spiritual sustenance and rest. Every Princeton UMC volunteer is doing a great job and we look forward to seeing each of you on Sunday morning to share pictures and stories of this amazing week!In Christ,Princeton UMC ASP
Denise Reed Chapman
Nice pics that captured those moments in time…so sad though!
graduate degree online
I’m not quite sure how to say this; you made it extremely easy for me!
Carol Jones
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ALLT THOSE WONDERFUL ITEMS…LOVED THIS STORY AND PHOTOS,,,I WAS RAISED JUST OUTSIDE OF MULLENS AT BLACKEAGLE.
Joyce Babineau
Much of my family lived in this building during the 50s and 60s. I can remember taking a bath in that bathtub as a tot. That was when my grandmother was living there.
Barbara Stefancic Durham
In the 50s and 60s, I also lived right down the street from this building. I remember they use to hold auctions in the store front, and there was a small used furniture store there. Above, apartment. I also assure that the flood caused abandonment. I use to walk that hill to the Methodist Church. Brings back a lot of memories.
Sherry Lynn England
Who owns this building now what is going to be done with all that vintage furniture. Some still looks to be in fairly decent shape.
Looks like the building is in need of some serious repair as well.
Gene Lester
Brings back memories of when I lived there in Mullens a long time ago.
Ruth Rhodes
I believe this is the old hospital building, going up the hill pass the Old Ben Dumman School, It also had been turned into apartments..
Rexanna Richardson Smith
I’m sure you have already heard this, but the entire town of Mullens suffered horrific floods a while back and most of the buildings were left because of those floods. A lot of the buildings aren’t safe to enter and I’m sure people just walked away. This was the second flood – where damage was already extensive. This is near the ancestral home of my mother – proud people to be sure, but at some point, it just has to be walked away from. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/10/us/west-virginia-is-beset-by-record-floods-and-mudslides.html
Marie Rinehart Terry
My mind races with memories of walking up that sidewalk, past the Methodist Church, past Ben Dunman Middle School, the Baptist Church, and finally winding around the hill to my home on Farley Avenue………….if the walls of that building could talk……..thanks for my walk down memory lane…….
Joyce Babineau
Much of my family lived in this building during the 50s and 60s. I remember taking a bath in that bathtub when my grandmother lived there.
Lu Wright
Was born and raised in Mullens, which was a really nice little town. After leaving for college, I taught a year at Mullens Grade School. Married and left in 1961. When I was in Ben Dunman Grade School around the curve at the top of that hill, the building shown had apartments and the store was a drugstore. Hard to believe that Mullens had three drugstores thanks for the pictures!
Phil Kirk
This was an old hospital at one time. There was a furniture store on the bottom floor. My grandfather managed the apartments back in the 50s. I have one of the receipt books from that time. My parents and grandparents both lived there at that time. I would be curious as to how you got accessed to it.
Phil Kirk
This was an old hospital at one time. There was a furniture store on the bottom floor. My grandfather managed the apartments back in the 50s. I have one of the receipt books from that time. My parents and grandparents both lived there at that time. I would be curious as to how you got accessed to it.
Susie Morgan
My great-aunt lived here in the ’50s–maybe earlier. I remember going to her apartment and looking out those big windows on the front of the building down at the town, but as I was very young, I’m not sure which floor she lived on. It must have been the top or next to the top floor. She had parakeets–or some small birds that she let fly around in the apartment which was so fascinating to a young child. Thanks for posting these–very interesting photos of a place that once was very beautiful.
Martha- Nathan Foster
Hasn’t Mullins been flooded several times over the years?
George Fordham
This building was built by Ward Wylie and was known as the Wylie Hospital back in the day. I understand the top floor was where they had the operating room, hence the large window to let in as much light as possible. Interesting that it still stands while the hospital building that replaced it (Wyoming General) has been torn down.
james
This was miss Webster building wright up above it was a church and the old ben diamond school walk up. And down that hill for 20 years she owned the old hotel that was beside Kirk cafee full of stuff to. She taught school for a very long time and lived in that building for a long time and moved up on the hill. She passed away a few years ago had a very loud voice but you heard her. Her son now ownes Them or the town does not to sure
Larry Webb
I was born in Mullens in 1961. My Great Aunt lived in this building…. I remember visiting there….
Amy
My grandparents, the Thomas’s, owned several businesses in Mullen’s back in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s. They raised 11 children there. We vacationed there every summer to see our aunts, uncles, and cousins. The last business they owned was called Thomas Snack Shop, which was totally destroyed by the flood.
Most businesses were abandoned after the last flood.