Quinwood, West Virginia

Quinwood, West Virginia (WV), a community in western Greenbrier County, was platted in 1921, incorporated in 1947, and named in honor of Quin Morton and Walter Wood, coal operators in the southern Allegheny Mountains. The population was 220 at the 2020 census.

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The Wilderness Road

The town was established along a pass in the Allegheny Mountains, traversed in the late 1700s by the Wilderness Road, which connected the valleys of the Meadow River to the south and the Gauley River to the north. The route is now shadowed by WV-20.

The Miner’s Memorial

The Miner’s Memorial in Quinwood—also called the Coal Miners Memorial and Heritage Park—sits on the site of the town’s old company store and serves as a place of remembrance for the community’s coal mining past.

The memorial features six stone monuments, each engraved on both sides with the names of miners who lost their lives in local mining accidents and disasters, including the 1968 Hominy Falls Mine Disaster.

The Hominy Falls Mine Disaster

The Hominy Falls Mine Disaster was a tragic coal mining accident that occurred on March 8, 1968, about six miles north of Quinwood. A crew of 25 miners was working in the Gauley Coal Seam when a continuous miner accidentally cut into an abandoned mine filled with water. The sudden inrush of water flooded the tunnels, trapping the miners underground.

Rescue teams worked for days under dangerous conditions, pumping out millions of gallons of water in an attempt to reach the men. Four miners drowned, while the remaining 21 were stranded in various parts of the mine. The disaster drew national attention and highlighted the dangers of mining in water-prone seams. It also led to changes in mine safety practices, especially concerning water surveys and flood precautions in underground mines.

Climate

At an elevation of roughly 3,000 feet above sea level, Quinwood is known for its pleasant summer weather, although it can experience heavy snows in winter. The town is surrounded by highlands exceeding 4,000 feet above sea level.

Allegheny Mountains

Quinwood is situated in the Allegheny Mountains region of West Virginia and borders a vast highland forest, much of which is located within the Monongahela National Forest. An estimated 600,000 acres of forest extend into the mountains behind the town. Greenbrier County is part of the 10-county Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area.

Location

Quinwood is located on highway WV-20, approximately five miles north of highway US-60, twenty-five miles southwest of Richwood, West Virginia, and eight miles north of Rainelle, West Virginia, and Rupert, West Virginia.

Map of Quinwood, West Virginia

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Regional Information

Quinwood is situated in the Greenbrier Valley Region of eastern West Virginia near the New River Gorge Region and the southern Allegheny Highlands Region.