U.S. Coal and Coke Company Store
The U.S. Coal and Coke Company Store was a two-story brick building with a square design built around 1910 in Ream, West Virginia. Its arched windows and straightforward construction reflected practical commercial architecture suited to serving mining community residents.
The building was constructed around 1910 and operated as part of the U.S. Coal and Coke Company, which supplied smokeless coal to steel mills and factories. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, but was demolished between 2004 and 2006.
The store served as a gathering place where coal workers and their families came together for daily purchases and social contact. It stood at the heart of Ream's community life and economic activity.
Since the building no longer stands, visitors interested in this history must explore the site through historic records, photographs, and nearby remnants of the coal industry. Other structures and mining sites in the area provide visual context for understanding how these communities operated.
Workers bought supplies on credit from the store, and their earnings were largely consumed by what they owed to the company in return. This debt cycle kept miners and their families economically tied to the employer for generations.
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