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    Open house set at historic confectionary in southern W.Va.

    MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. — The public is invited to tour an old-fashioned hardware store and with a vintage during a historical open house on July 29 at Mount Hope in southern West Virginia.

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    A parade passes in front of the Bon-Bon in the 1950s. (Photo courtesy Thomas Brown)

    The free public event at the Bon-Bon Hardware & Confectionary will feature exhibits and presenters speaking on the store's history and that of coal mining in the New River Gorge region, now home to the nation's newest national park.

    From noon until 5 p.m., visitors are welcome to explore the surrounding  and the Bon-Bon buildings, which have served as prominent commercial properties since 1912.

    The three storefronts of buff-colored brick were long home to hardware and general merchandise stores and a confectionary shop and restaurant through much of the 20th century when they were owned and operated by the Bonifacio family.

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    At 1 p.m., Dean Bonifacio, whose grandfather, an Italian shoemaker, established a shop in the buildings in 1920, will speak about the property's history. Other speakers are scheduled to follow.

    Long-time mayor Floyd Bonifacio operated the store through the latter 1900s.

    Brothers Dean and Doug Bonifacio extended the life of the Bon-Bon for exactly a century, maintaining soda machines on the sidewalk outside the building for more than a year after they closed the shops.

    "We wanted to say that we were in business and selling something on this corner for a hundred years," Dean Bonifacio said.

    The Bon-Bon was among the best-known of several mercantiles that served the residents of the surrounding New River coalfields, which boomed through the early 1900s. "At one time, there were so many customers coming into the store that they would have to lock the doors," Bonifacio said.

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    The Bon-Bon Buildings are prominent on Main Street in Mount Hope, West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Foxfire Realty)

    The Bon-Bon was also famous for its candy, ice cream, and hot dogs, which appealed to the children who attended school across Main Street.

    The television show in 2012, attracting national attention to the buildings. The Bonifacio's auctioned the many antiques that filled the building in 2022. Now emptied of many of its treasures, the buildings serve as an ideal gathering space.

    The event is being co-sponsored by Foxfire Realty, which the Bonifacio's have engaged to broker the , and the non-profit community development group , unveiling 48 streetlamp historical signs to be placed throughout the historic district in August.

    Foxfire real estate agent David Sibray, a consultant and the publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine, says he's excited to be listing the historic buildings, given their proximity to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

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    Farmers drive cattle up Main Street before the Bon-Bon was built, possibly before 2020. (Photo courtesy Thomas Brown)

    "The national park is now attracting millions of visitors, and that's making the economic viability of historic downtowns in the region all the more promising," Sibray said.

    "Investors are coming into the New River region now in great numbers, and Mount Hope has an excellent chance to make it big as a historic destination."

    At 2 p.m., Sibray will speak about the benefits of the city's historic district and answer questions about grants and tax credits available to owners of historic property in Mount Hope.

    The National Coal Heritage Area, which is opening a visitor center in the town, will also provide mining history exhibits for the event.

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    Taken from the site of the Bon-Bon, Main Street wanders east to toward Fayetteville, West Virginia, before 1912. (Photo courtesy Thomas Brown)

    Historian Scott Worley will conduct guided tours of the district by appointment and evening ghost tours of the town at $10 per person. For more information on the tours, call 304-575-7390.

    Accommodations will be provided for visitors in wheelchairs. Restrooms will not be available during the event. For more information about the free event, contact David Sibray at 304-575-7390.


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    Clyde Craig
    Clyde Craighttp://wvexplorer.com
    Clyde Craig is a writer for West Virginia Explorer. Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, he traveled with his family across the globe with the U.S. Army before returning to the Mountain State in 2011.

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