Spring Tour of Homes

The Spring Tour of Homes begins here.

Organized in 1890 by fourteen residents, the congregation first met in a structure where the Bramwell Fire Station is located today. The building was used by several congregations, and by 1903, I.T. Mann decided to build a church specifically for its members. The church is patterned after a small cathedral in Wales.  Italian masons cut the stone on site, as the Bluestone was quarried from the mountain across the river above the Thomas House.

Edward Singleton Baker arrived in Bramwell in 1894 and quickly became one of the town’s most influential civic leaders. A lifelong educator, banker, and public servant, he helped establish the Bramwell Public Grade School in 1896 and served as its first principal. Baker later represented Mercer County on the Board of Education for 25 years and went on to serve in both the West Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate. He and his wife, Mary, were devoted members of the Bramwell Presbyterian Church and active participants in the civic and cultural life of the community.

William Thomas became one of Bramwell’s prominent coal operators after settling in the region in the late 1800s. He married Annie Cooper, daughter of coal operator John Cooper, and went on to own several coal companies while also serving as a banker, church deacon, and delegate to the 1916 National Republican Convention.

Completed in 1905, the family’s 17-room English Revival Tudor mansion, Bryn Avon, overlooks Bramwell and the Bluestone River. The home features remarkable craftsmanship, stained glass, ornate woodwork, and many modern conveniences far ahead of its time, with locally quarried Bluestone used throughout the estate.

The Romanesque Revival-style Masonic Temple, commonly known as The Lodge, has been a Bramwell landmark since 1893. Over the years, it has housed the Masons, the Pocahontas Company offices, and the Bramwell Post Office. Today, the upstairs remains home to the Masons, while the auditorium serves as a vibrant venue for community events.

Tour patrons are invited to visit the Lodge for refreshments and to browse locally crafted goods from area artisans.

Built in 1903 by coal operator Jairus Collins, the wood-framed, eight-room house has a cross-gable roof and is of the Vernacular Style, with German lathe siding.  The 3,000 square-foot home has been the residence of various physicians over the years. Mr. Collins built a larger home on S. River Street for his residence in 1911 and kept this house as an investment rental property.  

Born in Kentucky in 1865, Simeon Joseph “Doc” Bryant came to Bramwell in 1892 and established the Bryant Company pharmacy with fellow pharmacist J.C. Newbold. Following the 1910 fire that destroyed much of Main Street, the business was rebuilt at its present corner location. Today’s Corner Shop still retains elements of the original pharmacy, including a marble soda fountain, cherry cabinetry, and Tiffany-style-stained glass.

The Corner Shop is Bramwell's most celebrated landmark eatery. Hand-patted half-pound burgers with creative homemade toppings, homemade ice cream, and penny candy round out a menu that's as nostalgic as the décor. It has been designated by the Food Network as one of the Best Classic Diners in the United States, and its milkshakes rated #1 in West Virginia by USA Today.

Rail came to Bramwell in 1884 and in the Golden Years, 14 Norfolk & Western passenger trains arrived daily with passengers and luxury goods from all over the world.  Passengers arrived on the west side of town with Main Street laid out before them, and the majority of residential buildings on the east side.  The last train arrived in Bramwell in 1952. The present building officially opened in 2003 and was rebuilt using state and federal funding. The Town of Bramwell helped to develop a facsimile of the original station, donating its original blueprints to the project. Today it is the home of the Southern Interpretive Center for the Coal Heritage Highway Area Authority.

Bramwell Town Hall stands as a lasting reminder of the town’s coal-era prosperity and civic history. For generations — and still today — the building has served as the center of local government and community affairs. Tucked behind the main offices is the original jail cell, an unusual surviving feature that speaks to the more raucous realities of life in a booming coal town.