The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company was a company founded in 1890 in Martinsburg, West Virginia.[1][2] The company focused on development, settlement, and manufacturing.[3] The subdivision developed by the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Company is divided between the Boomtown Historic District and the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District.
Background
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In the early 1890's, the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company bought hundreds of acres on the south side of Martinsburg for residential and industrial use.[1][2][4] The area saw service from the Martinsburg Street Railway which started operations on October 30, 1891.[1][5]: 31, 38 The company's Park Elkins[a] was also served by the street railway.[1] The railway ran along the area's east border.[8]: 13 Many historic sites, houses, and districts in Martinsburg are being identified, preserved, and promoted.[1][9]: 6
The residential area opened up for sale to the general public in 1891 on October 30 and 31 as a subdivision with 3,000 lots and 42 new streets.[10][1][5]: 31, 38 Businessmen from Chicago, New York, and other areas bought lots. The sale was successful with good advertisement.[1][5]: 31, 38 The Abell-Kilbourn House was located in the residential area.[8]: 13
The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company recruited Textile mills.[4][2][10] These mills were located in an industrial area at the intersection of King Street and the Winchester Turnpike. By 1873, the area was served by the Chesapeake and Ohio and Cumberland Valley Railroad.[5]: 14 The area was established by the Crawford Woolen Company, Interwoven Mills, Shenandoah Pants Company, and Southern Merchant Tailoring Company in 1891.[1][4] These mills made Martinsburg a leader in manufacturing.[3][4] Owned by Charles Kilbourn, the Interwoven Mills was the largest manufacturing factory in the eastern panhandle. The factory was a boom for Martinsburg, it increased the city's population.[8]: 14–15 In the following fifteen years after 1891, the Heiston Construction Company, Purdy Picture Frame Company, H. P. Thorn Lumber Company, and other large stores and corporations came to the industrial area. The mills and textile industries were lost in the next forty years and were replaced with new businesses.[1] In 2018, the Interwoven Mills was up for sale as adaptive reuse.[9]: 39 The Interwoven Mills became the "Interwoven Lots", an approximately 400 unit residential apartment and 5,500 square foot commercial space. The project consisted of 3 phases and costed approximately $80 million dollars.[11][12][13][14]
Boomtown Historic District
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Boomtown Historic District | |
   | |
| Location | Roughly along Winchester Ave. to Arden Rd., W. King St. to Red Hill Rd., W. Stephen, W. Addition St, and Raleigh Sts., Martinsburg, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°27′6″N 77°58′44″W / 39.45167°N 77.97889°W |
| Area | 142 acres (57 ha)[5]: 40 |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Shingle Style |
| MPS | Berkeley County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80004414 |
| Added to NRHP | December 10, 1980[15] |
The Boomtown Historic District is a streetcar suburb consisting of the western and southern portions of Martinsburg, West Virginia, generally along the alignments of West King Street and Winchester Avenue. The historic district was served by streetcars and was developed by the Martinsburg, Mining Manufacturing and Improvement Company. It includes a former industrial section of the town, home to a number of textile mills, as well as the housing that was built for mill workers.[5]: 38–39
Boomtown's central core is along Virginia, West Virginia and Faulkner Avenues, centering on the fountain at Virginia and Faulkner. This area consists of primarily middle-class Victorian-style houses, in contrast to the more modest working-class houses on the opposite side of Winchester Avenue.[5]: 38
Industrial buildings include the former homes of the Shenandoah Pants Company, Brooklyn Brass Works, and Kilbourn Knitting Machine Company.[5]: 38
The area was designated a historic district in 1980.[15]
Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District
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Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District | |
| Location | New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Florida, and Faulkner Avenues, Martinsburg, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°26′59″N 77°58′26″W / 39.44972°N 77.97389°W |
| Area | 64 acres (26 ha) |
| Built | 1891-1952 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001519 |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 2002[16] |
The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District is a national historic district located in Martinsburg's city limits, bordering the Boomtown Historic District to its southeast. The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District encompasses 289 contributing buildings located within 19 city blocks. It includes a residential area developed by the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Company as worker housing. They are one to 2+1⁄2-story, single family, detached, semi-detached, and multi-unit housing built in wood frame, brick or brick veneer, and concrete block. Also located in the district is the Gothic Revival-style St. Luke's United Methodist Church. It includes examples of vernacular interpretations of popular architectural styles including Queen Anne, American Four Square, and Bungalow styles.[17]
The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.[16]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Downtown Martinsburg Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service (published March 2023). November 1, 1979. pp. 92–93. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Sullivan, Ken (2006). The West Virginia Encyclopedia. West Virginia Humanities Council. p. 457. ISBN 978-0-9778498-0-2.
- 1 2 United States Investor and Promoter of American Enterprises. Vol. 3–4. Investor Publishing Company. December 23, 1893. p. 6.
- 1 2 3 4 "Experiences". cityofmartinsburg.com. April 11, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Boom Town Historic Districts" (PDF). National Park Service. 1980. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
- ↑ "County History". www.historicberkeley.org. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Dec 21, 1895, page 3 - Martinsburg Independent". Newspapers.com. Martinsburg Independent. December 21, 1895. p. 3. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Gioulis, Michael; Wood, Don C. (June 1, 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Abell-Kilbourn House" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
- 1 2 "Martinsburg, West Virginia Comprehensive Plan - 2018" (PDF). wvu.edu. December 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 An Italian Buys a Wife and Gets Left–Martinsburg Notes. The Morning Herald. April 12, 1891. p. 2. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Jenkins, Jeff (October 28, 2021). "Martinsburg officials hope mill conversion project will boost King Street's future". WV MetroNews. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ Lockhart, P. R. (November 21, 2023). "Eastern Panhandle faces affordable housing shortage". Mountain State Spotlight. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ Keefer, Emily (November 5, 2021). "Monument Companies explains plans, hopeful timeline for Interwoven Mill and Perfection Garment Company sites". The Journal. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "The Interwoven Lofts Apartments in Martinsburg, WV [advertisement]". www.interwovenlofts.com. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ↑ Geoffrey B. Henry and Jared N. Tuk (April 2002). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District" (PDF). wvculture.org. State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. pp. 7–8. Retrieved June 2, 2011.