James Ellwood Jones House is a historic home located at Switchback,

McDowell County, West Virginia McDowell County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,111. Its county seat is Welch. McDowell County is the southernmost county in the state. It was created in 1858 by the Virginia Genera ...

. It is a two-story, frame dwelling with an irregular plan. It features a classically detailed, pedimented porch, and stained glass windows. Also on the property are a contributing swimming pool dated to the 1920s, a detached covered patio, a circular fountain, terraced garden, and greenhouse. It was built for James Ellwood Jones, an influential leader in southern West Virginia's coal mining industry. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1992.

History

James Ellwood Jones (1874-1932) was born in Trevertown, Pennsylvania. He was the general manager of the

Pocahontas Fuel Company Pocahontas Fuel Company operated mines in the state of Virginia in Boissevain and Amonate, and in West Virginia at Jenkinjones, Bishop, and Itmann. Pocahontas Fuel Company founded the Pocahontas Consolidated Collieries Company in 1907. In 195 ...

which was founded by his father, Jenkin B Jones, the namesake for the

coal town A coal town, also known as a coal camp or patch, is a type of company town or mining community established by the employer, a mining company, which imports workers to the site to work the mineral find. The company develops it and provides residen ...

Jenkinjones, West Virginia Jenkinjones is an unincorporated community and coal town in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. It lies on the western flanks of Stone Ridge near the border with Tazewell County, Virginia. History It is the location of the Pocahont ...

References

Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Houses in McDowell County, West Virginia National Register of Historic Places in McDowell County, West Virginia {{McDowellCountyWV-NRHP-stub