The National Park Service has approved $6.88 million in federal funds for the New River Gorge National River to stabilize and preserve the historic Nuttall Mine structures and make the Nuttallburg Mining Complex and Town Historic District in Fayette County ready for visitors, Rep. Nick Rahall announced Friday.

Rahall, D-W.Va., said the funds will put West Virginians to work, boost tourism and economic opportunities around the New River and help tell the story of southern West Virginia’s rich cultural heritage.

“I am a firm believer that tourism is one of the keys to economic prosperity in our region,” said Rahall, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the NPS. “Millions of Americans visit West Virginia each year to get a glimpse of God’s handiwork, and these job-creating federal investments will ensure that tourism dollars flow into our communities.”

The Nuttall Mine structure dates back to 1873 when the mine was started by John Nuttall to mine coal and coke. In 1920, Henry Ford purchased the mine from Nuttall to mine materials for his Ford River Rouge complex in Dearborn, Mich.

The mine is nationally significant, said Debbie Darden, deputy superintendent for the New River Gorge National River, because the structures Ford built were engineering marvels at the time.

The structure featured a 1,385-foot conveyor that stretched two-thirds down the gorge and carried coal to the rail lines at the bottom. The conveyor was self-powered due to the weight of the coal and moved 125 tons of coal an hour at 80 mph. It’s the only example of a rope-and-button conveyor in Appalachia.

“The whole thing is still there,” Darden said. “It’s really amazing. It’s a very rare survival. Nowhere can you see that whole operation.”

The funding will go toward making the Nuttall Mine structures the focal point for the interpretation of coal mining in southern West Virginia.

Along with the conveyor, the headhouse and tipple will also be preserved. Parking lots, restroom facilities, trail access and interpretive waysides will be built.

Visitors will see the entire process of coal production, from the mine portal to loading the coal into railroad cars — an experience not provided elsewhere in the area.

It’s projected to be open for visitors in 18 months, Darden said.

She said this will be huge for the area.

“It’s important for people to come here and see and understand the coal story in the gorge,” she said. “They’ll get the whole story of how coal is processed and can learn about life in a company town.”

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