A Brief History Of The Glen Jean School In West Virginia

Near the New River Gorge National River is the town of Glen Jean. Like many towns in the area, Glen Jean was once a thriving community, based on a coal economy. During that time, the Glen Jean School was built and remained a school until 1997, when it then became an office building. Between 2006 and 2017, ghost hunters, abandoned-building seekers, and preservationists all grew fascinated by the school.

Building the school

In 1880, industrialist Thomas McKell purchased land in the New River Gorge area, knowing that the region was rich in coal. He leased the coal-mining rights to the Collins Colliery Company and set out to develop the area to capitalize on the industry. McKell built a railroad line that connected one of the towns he founded, Glen Jean, with nearby Thurmond. Then, he constructed a hotel, gambling hall, and houses for the workers. Finally, in 1924, they got around to building a proper school that would serve children from around the community. The first school burned and was replaced with the brick structure still standing today in 1926. This building is the last one standing constructed by the McKell family.

From school to ghost house

Restoring and rebuilding

The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia—the organization that focuses on the historic preservation of buildings in the Mountain State—listed the Glen Jean School as an endangered property in 2014. For enthusiasts of abandoned buildings, the next bit of information will be bad news, and for preservation enthusiasts, it will be good news. In 2017, a faith-based nonprofit purchased the school and started the process of restoring it as a community center.

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