Landgraff (sometimes Landgraaf) is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
McDowell County,
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
, United States. It is located along
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...
and
Elkhorn Creek, approximately east of the county seat of
Welch.
History
Landgraff is one of many historical
coal camps in the famed
Pocahontas coalfield
Pocahontas Coalfield, which is also known as the Flat Top-Pocahontas Coalfield, is located in Mercer County/ McDowell County, West Virginia and Tazewell County, Virginia. The earliest mining of coal in the coalfield was in Pocahontas, Virginia ...
. The town is named after Constance Landgraff Andrews, the wife of a coal company executive.
Landgraff today
In 2001 and 2002, a pair of devastating floods along Elkhorn Creek destroyed much of the town. Today, the only surviving historic building in Landgraff is the former Empire Coal & Coke Company "Miner's Clubhouse", which now serves as an historic inn
bed-and-breakfast
Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...
, the Elkhorn Inn and Theatre, which has a small "Museum Room" devoted to the area's history of coal mining and railroading. Coal trains continue to rumble through the heart of the area on
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
's (former
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...
) Pocahontas Division. Area attractions which draw tourists from across the US and overseas include "railfanning" (train photography), fly-fishing for 24"-32" record-breaking trout on Elkhorn Creek, ATVing, golf, hiking, and historic sites connected to the Mine Wars.
Landgraff was the boyhood home of
John Ellison
John Ellison (born 11 August 1941) is an American/Canadian musician, best known for writing the song "Some Kind of Wonderful (Soul Brothers Six song), Some Kind of Wonderful." He was born in Montgomery, West Virginia, and was raised in Landgraf ...
, singer, musician and composer, most famous for composing and first performing the song "Some Kind of Wonderful". In July 2013 a lamp house once used by Empire Coal and Coke Co. and the land around it were cleared as part of a 2013 Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree service project. John Ellison and others plan to build a replica of his boyhood home at the site and utilize it and the existing lamp house as a museum facility to preserve the history of coal camp life in southern West Virginia and John Ellison's musical career.
See also
* In
the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
there is also a city called
Landgraaf
Landgraaf (; li, Lankgraaf ) is a municipality in southeastern Limburg, Netherlands, forming part of the Parkstad Limburg agglomeration. ''Snow World'' is the largest indoor ski piste in Europe.
Population centres
*Nieuwenhagen
*Schaesberg
*Ub ...
References
External links
Elkhorn Inn and Theatre- surviving structure in town
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in McDowell County, West Virginia
Unincorporated communities in West Virginia