Recipient Organization
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
886 CHESTNUT RIDGE RD RM 202
MORGANTOWN,WV 26505-2742
Performing Department
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
Non Technical Summary
Because coal camps were intended to last for the duration of time it took to mine the coal often times the construction was not designed to endure. Consequently, over time coal camps and the evidence of how the inhabitants lived have deteriorated and been destroyed. Many of the structures in coal communities have already vanished. Since economic, geographic, technological, social and political influences are embodied in the built environments of a culture. The problem is to chronicle and preserve the history and personality of built environments, both exterior and interior, in the coal camps of southern West Virginia through descriptive drawings. Traditions, mores, philosophies, and daily activities of an era are often reflected in the design, arrangement, and character of the built environments. The purpose of this pilot study is to capture this ethos on paper at the intersection of natural resources and environment; economics and commerce; and families and
communities. These descriptive drawings can be used for study and also for exhibit to encourage heritage tourism in West Virginia.
Animal Health Component
33%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
32%
Applied
33%
Developmental
35%
Goals / Objectives
The intent is to Chronicle the history and personality of built environments in coal camps in southern West Virginia through descriptive drawings. The drawings would then be used for study and exhibit. One goal is to make available a tool which could be used to stimulate the economy of the rural communities by encouraging heritage tourism in our state. Secondly the visual records will serve as a means for comparing differences among mine workers', superintendents', and owners residences. The economy of towns called coal camps was controlled by the coal companies and the wealth generated for the owners of coal companies during this period of time created divergent house styles. There were also diferences in living arrangements dictated by the type of job the mine worker held (Greene, 1990). These differences will be recorded and categorized in order to make comparisons among the various echelons defined by job descriptions involved in coal production (mining) within
this time frame. Another intent is to produce drawings that narrate and preserve architectural and interior design history in the state of West Virginia.
Project Methods
In order to select communities, a literature search will be done to determine preceeding research. Site visits will be made to determine what physical examples still exist and the condition of these. Once prototypical communities have been selected from coal camps in southern WV, photographs and measuremnets of plans and exteriors will be collected in order to form the groundwork for locating patterns of customary spatial arrangements, architectural details, facades, and interiors. Drawings will be categorized and comparisons will be made between square footages, number and purpose of rooms, customary spatial arrangements architectural details and materials across the three categories. One example for comparison: Differences should emerge based on arrangements and design of spaces for accomplishing simple daily tasks such as bathing, cooking, and sleeping. From the differences in design a quality of life may be implied from the strategies necessary to complete these
and other daily rituals and tasks. Descriptive statistics and percentages will be used for comparisons which are quantifiable.