Mullens, WV

Mullens was first settled by A.J. Mullins in the 1890s before the coal and rail industry blossomed in the area. Yes, that is how he spelled his name - with an "i". Mullens became a boom town because the main line of the Virginian ran through it and the railroad decided to put their rail yard and repair shop there. The town is located on the Guyandotte River in Wyoming County, and is still called home by many people, but the boom days are definitely over.

Note: Some of these pictures were taken in February 2001, before the flood of July 8, 2001 devastated Mullens.

Feb. 2001 image by author Downtown Mullens.

Feb. 2001 image by author The Hotel Wyoming.

Feb. 2001 image by author The Bank of Mullens building now houses an insurance agency.

Apr. 2007 image by author The old Virginian locomotive garage. N-S used it for a while, but must have decided that they didn't need a shop in Mullens and Bluefield. It has since been demolished.

Feb. 2001 image by author The lower end of the rail yard (called the "Elmore Yard").

Dec. 2014 image by author A residential section of Mullens shows that there was no room to spare when laying the town out in the steep narrow Guyandotte River valley.

Dec. 2014 image by author This Coal Miners' Memorial in Mullens, W.Va.

Mar. 2020 image by author Mullens streetscape.

Mar. 2020 image by author Unlike some buildings in downtown Mullens this one is still being used. I like the Art-Deco curved corner.

Mar. 2020 image by author Early to mid-20th Century commercial buildings.

Mar. 2020 image by author Another view of these commercial structures.

Mar. 2020 image by author The artist who painted this mural is very talented and did a great job with the project. But these "heritage" murals in dying communities are also a melancholy element, because about all that is left for these towns is reminiscing about the good old days. At least Mullens still has the Hatfield & McCoy Trails connection.

Mar. 2020 image by author Veterans memorial and a mural depicting soldiers returing home from World War I.

Mar. 2020 image by author Industrial structures in Mullens.

Mar. 2020 image by author Detail of ghost sign..

Mar. 2020 image by author Weirdness in a storefront window. And this photo was taken in March of the year.

Mar. 2020 image by author

Mar. 2020 image by author

Mar. 2020 image by author

Mar. 2020 image by author Virginian Railway - gone but not forgotten. At least by a small, dwindling group of people.