BROOKLYN
One of the last mining camps to be developed in the New River Gorge, Brooklyn was opened by the Brookly Coal Co. in the 1890s. It was later operated by the
Scotia Coal & Coke Co. The mine, in the Sewell seam, closed in the 1950s.
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.
A few people still call Brooklyn camp home, but many of the houses are gone. Note the hearse.
Vault remaining from the company store.
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.
The bunched up button line.
Ancient picture of a Jeffrey button line conveyor.
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.
Inside the abandoned Brooklyn deep mine.
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."
May 2002 image by author
May 2002 image by author
NPS image
May 2002 image by author
May 2002 image by author
Image source forgotten
May 2002 image by author
May 2002 image by author
Circa 2019 image by Richard McClelland