Description

In the picturesque Bramwell National Historic District, the Collins Building on Main Street includes five storefronts and four second-floor apartments. Built in 1922, the income-earning property was designed by architect Alex Mahood to accommodate the town's affluent visitors. At the turn of the 20th century, tiny Bramwell boasted the greatest number of resident millionaires per capita in the U.S. -- HIGHLIGHTS AND AMENITIES-- On National Register of Historic Places Grants and tax credits available for renovation Four tenant-occupied storefronts Four apartments used as short-term rentals Adjoins high-impact ATV tourism region 300 feet from Bramwell Visitor Center Approximately 3, 900 square feet of private parking On horseshoe bend in scenic Bluestone River 7 miles from Bluefield, West Virginia 17 miles from I-77 at Princeton, West Virginia -- LOCATION -- Google Coordinates: 37.3251517091041, -81.31214467463694 -- Address -- 135, 137, 143, 147, 151 Main Street, Bramwell, West Virginia Elevation: approximately 2, 180 feet above sea level -- OVERVIEW-- The Collins Building is an anchor property in Bramwell and fronts Main Street, the most trafficked thoroughfare in its historic district. Many visitors exploring the district walk past the building between the visitor center and the residential section, which includes many of its most elaborate structures. An estimated 50, 000 visitors tour the district annually. Many are off-road adventurers traveling the adjacent trail systems, while others are attracted chiefly by Bramwell's remarkable history and architecture. More than 400 vehicles travel past the building daily. The property includes five street-level storefronts and four upstairs apartments. Approximately 3, 900 square feet of private parking adjoins the building at the rear on River Road, while public parking is also available along Main Street and in a lot 130 feet away at the west end of the block. Four of the five storefronts are occupied-by Blue Moon Antiques, Honeycomb Cafe, and the U.S. Post Office. A fourth storefront and a smaller fifth are partly occupied. Four store sections are approximately 21 feet wide by 65 feet deep and enclose approximately 1, 365 square feet, though dimensions vary slightly from one to another. The fifth is 10 feet wide by 30 feet deep. It encloses approximately 300 square feet and has traditionally been entered from the adjacent store rather than the street. Each of the store sections is heated and cooled with a heat pump. Each of the four upstairs apartments includes a foyer, living room, dining area, an eat-in kitchen, two bedrooms, and a full bath. All feature two entrances leading off a central lobby. The second entrance to each may have been designed for servants attending to guests. Dimensions vary, though each apartment is approximately 1, 300 square feet. They open into a skylit central lobby accessed by stairs that lead to the street levels at the front and rear of the building. Each of the apartments is heated with electric and propane units. -- HISTORY OF THE BUILDING -- The Collins Building was built in 1922 by Jairus Collins, one of the most influential developers in the surrounding Pocahontas Coalfield. Born in 1859 and raised in the lignite-mining fields of Alabama, he moved to Bramwell in 1896 when he became general manager of the Louisville Coal and Coke Co., and in 1902, opened mines of his own in Mercer and nearby McDowell counties. He was a founding member of the Pocahontas Operator's Association and was the brother of Justus Collins, who helped develop the New River Coalfield some 50 miles to the north. The Collins building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 when the U.S. Department of the Interior established the district.

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Listed by: Randy Burdette