The Whipple Company Store

1
The Whipple Company Store!
By Michelle Waugh
2
In The Beginning
The Whipple Company Store was constructed by the
Phillip Snyder Construction Company and was
designed by coal operator Justin Collins.
3
Justin Collins built three other building in the
exact same Unique design. In the year 1901, The
Whipple Company Store was opened for business.
4
In the year 1905, The building became the
property of the newly formed New River Fuel
Company and it officially became New River Store
Number 4.
The community continued to expand and by the year
1919, Whipple had grown to over 500 residents.
5
Later On.....
The Whipple Company Store served all major
merchandise needs, not only to residents of
Whipple, but all the families in neighboring
communities that were employed at the Whipple
Mine.
6
The Whipple Store housed the company payroll
office where the mine employees went to pick up
their paychecks or to be issued scrip. The store
served as the town post office and the town
doctor also had his office there.
7
Architectural Features
The building has three floors and each floor is
approximately 5,000 square feet. Other
interesting features include Circular
merchandise room with wood floors, three dormer
style rooms on the top floor, two walk in safes,
a freight elevator, and a balcony office.
8
Hello I'm Madge!
In 1957, The Whipple Company Store closed its
doors. It was later purchased by a woman named
Madge Cummings. It then became the home of
Madges Trading Post.
9
The Whipple Comapny Store 2001
10
The Company Store Today..
Today the current Owner Of the Company Store is
67 year old Richard Hunt. AKA Doc. Mr. Hunt is
in the process of restoring the old store, but
feels he cannot finish the job because he is
approaching 70 years old. He has decided to sell
Whipple Company Store. Mr. Hunt has put the price
of 175,000 on the building with the hope that
someone will buy it and finish his dream of
complete restoration.
11
Company Store Features.
Today, The Whipple Company Store is actually many
different things all in one building. It is the
Black Gold Restaurant a small offers home cooked
meals at a good price, it has several bed and
breakfast rooms decorated as they would have
looked when the store first opened, and last but
not least, the store serves as a little community
Theater. They have local actors and actresses who
put on several different plays a year. One of the
most famous is a play called the Coal Miners
Christmas.
12
Doc's Long Term Goals
Here are a few things Doc would like to see
done in the future to the company
store Commercial Print Shop
Drive Thru Hot Dog Stand Modern Railroad
Center Antique Amusement Games Artist
Studio Community Theater Internet Ice Cream
Parlor
13
THE END!
14
Pictures and Information provided by
Richard Hunt and his web site www.realcorpinc.com
/whipple.html
Special Thanks To
Richard "DOC" Hunt