This was perhaps the last beehive coke works in America to close down, at least in the mid-1970s, though some sources say possibly in the 1980s (!). (A rectangular style coke works, similar to beehive ovens, operated in Alverton, PA until 1982 or '83.) The coke works was put into operation in 1906. Different operators owned the Bretz coke works over the years, the most well known being Elkins Coal & Coke Company. After it's closure, the site remained one of the most intact examples of a beehive coke yard. Despite it's listing on the National Register of Historic Places, most of the site has been reclaimed and most of the structures demolished, leving Shoaf, PA, 45 minutes to the north, as the finest extant coke works in the nation. This proves that a listing of a site on the Register is no guarantee that it will be preserved.

A 1974 view of the coke yard (Public domain photo by William Barrett, HAER (Historical American Engineering Record)

Today most of the ovens are still extant.

This coke extracting machine has been left on the site. Most of the rails that it rode on have been removed, however.

Here is a picture from 1974 of the extractor pulling coke from an oven and loading it into rail cars. A flume on the machine catches the "dribble." (Public domain photo by William Barrett, HAER (Historical American Engineering Record)

In this photo a larry car riding on rails on top of the ovens charges an oven while the extractor loads coke into a B&O gondola car. (Public domain photo by William Barrett, HAER (Historical American Engineering Record)

The coke must be cooled by spraying water on it to stop the coking action. The structure over the rail car has been demolished.(Public domain photo by William Barrett, HAER (Historical American Engineering Record)

A employee bricks up an oven door to begin coking the next batch of coal. The coking process may last for as long as 48 or 72 hours. Years ago I was suprised to learn that coke ovens don't normally have metal doors on hinges on them. (Public domain photo by William Barrett, HAER (Historical American Engineering Record)

In another 1974 picture the coke yard worker on the right is leveling the charge of coke in the oven. Not long after these photos were shot the coke yard was shut down.

A coke oven that has retained it's two leveling hooks on each side of the door. The leveling bar would be placed in these and the leveler would rest on that. Also note the ladder made out of round bar for climbing to the top of the ovens.

Also remaining on the site are these sealed mine portals with the inscription "Mine No. 2 - 1913."

The coal camp houses at Bretz, WV as the looked in 1974 (Public domain photo by William Barrett, HAER (Historical American Engineering Record)

Another vintage view of the Bretz coal camp. (Public domain photo by William Barrett, HAER (Historical American Engineering Record)

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