BROOKLYN

One of the last mining camps to be developed in the New River Gorge, Brooklyn was opened by the Brooklyn Coal Co. in the 1890s. It was later operated by the Scotia Coal & Coke Co. The mine, in the Sewell seam, closed in 1953. At times, the name of the post office was Finlow.

NPS image Vault remaining from the company store.
May 2002 image by author The camp itself is located at the top of the gorge, as was the man portal to the mine. There is actually a ridge between here and the river portal/headhouse/tipple.
May 2002 image by author A few people still call Brooklyn camp home, but many of the houses are gone. Note the hearse.
May 2002 image by author Mine ruins near the upper coal camp.
May 2002 image by author Foundations for the Sciota Coal Company tipple down in the New River Gorge.
May 2002 image by author Detail of the button line conveyor running up the mountainside. There are also many concrete piers and some of the wooden structure that composed the button line.
May 2002 image by author The bunched up button line.
Image source forgotten Ancient picture of a Jeffrey button line conveyor.
May 2002 image by author The headhouse at the top of the button line. A wooden mine car trestle comes out of the side of the headhouse, but is rotten and collapsing.
May 2002 image by author Inside the abandoned Brooklyn deep mine.
Circa 2019 image by Richard McClelland Richard submitted this photo of the Brooklyn coke oven ruins. He wrote, "My father was born in old Brooklyn in 1914 and Grandfather killed in the mine in 1925. Your map shows dots for two Brooklyns, one on the river (old) and one at the top of the gorge (new). New Brooklyn is inhabited and all of your pictures are in new Brooklyn. Old Brooklyn is more interesting. There is now a campsite at the bottom of the gorge easily assessable by car and apparently at the old mining town. Only foundations remain. A hiking trail follows the rail trunk to the tipple. Along the way are beautifully preserved (naturally) beehive coke ovens. Where the rail ends the base of the tipple is apparent. Next trip I will follow it uphill. The hiking trail continues on. We met lots of hikers and bikers along the way. Being very close to the river, it is obvious why. Easy, level and lovely hike. In Grandpas days it was a full service town with store. He ran the store and paid the miners for all Mr Caperton s mines."