Barrelville (sometimes called Pamosa) is located north of Frostburg, just a short distance from the Maryland - Pennsylvania state line (aka Mason-Dixon Line). Coal mining at this location dates back Samuel Barrell's mines in the 1840's. These small operations evolved into the Barrellville Mining Co., and also the Parker Vein Coal Co. (Somewhere along the way one of the "L's" has been dropped from Barrelville.) Parker Vein even operated a few coke ovens there in the mid-19th Century. By the early 20th Century the Cumberland Basin Coal Co. had the Bond Mine and Parker Mine near Barrelville, as did the McMullen Brothers with their Partridge Mine. It is unclear whether or not these last two companies owned any of the Barrelville company housing, which may have even been sold to individuals by then.
The coal mines in the Barrelville were the closest to Eastern Seabord tidewater than any other bituminous coal mines in the Appalachian coal basin.
Jan. 1982 image by David Dorsey, Maryland State ArchivesOther styles of company housing at Barrelville. The different styles of houses in the town may have been built at different times by different coal companies.July 2003 image by authorMost former mining towns in the Georges Creek Coalfield have lost much of their historical integrity, but this row of company houses at Barrelville looks just like a typical Appalachian coal company town.2018 image by authorPossibly the mine superintendent's house.2018 image by authorThese "Honor Rolls" of local veterans are a common feature of Pennsylvania coal mining towns. Since Barrellville is only about two miles from the Pennsylvania state line it is no suprise to find this one here.2018 image by authorThis row of coal miner's houses up the creek from Barrelville may have been associated with the Cumberland Company's McCoy Mine, which was located behind these homes.2018 image by authorFarther up the creek past the McCoy mine was the Bond mine. This is how the Bond mine coal camp looks now.2018 image by authorSome of the Bond mine housing consisted of these barracks style structures.2018 image by authorAnother view of the coal company-built barracks.2018 image by authorIn the woods nearby are these remains of the Bond Mine.2018 image by authorProbably ruins of the Bond coal tipple.
Source(s):
Michael Korns, Sr. Genealogy Home Page, 1 May 2018, korns.org.
