PRINCE, WV (SWVO) – A key piece of New River Gorge history is set to be lost as the National Park Service (NPS) moves forward with plans to demolish the Prince Brothers General Store—one of the last remaining structures from the region’s early commercial era.
The decision is part of a broader effort by NPS to remove aging historic buildings in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, citing high maintenance costs and safety concerns.
Built in 1872 by the Prince family, the store stood as a rare independent enterprise in a coalfield economy dominated by company-owned towns and monopolized company stores.
Strategically located near several coal camps and along the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway main line, the store served as a vital supplier of food, clothing, and household goods to miners and families who otherwise had little access to affordable or diverse products.
While coal companies issued workers scrip—currency usable only at the company store—the Prince Store offered a much-needed alternative.
Families willing to make the trip to Prince could buy higher-quality goods, and in some cases, even company stores placed orders with the Prince Store because of its wide selection and fast delivery.
Over the decades, the store became a community hub. The local post office operated within it for much of the 20th century, and under later owner Herman Monk, the store expanded to offer deliveries as far as Backus Mountain.
Locals eventually came to call it “Monk’s Store,” and it remained in operation through various tenants until finally closing in 1984.
Two years later, in recognition of its historic significance, the Prince Brothers General Store was added to the National Register of Historic Places. However, the structure has since remained closed to the public, and deterioration has taken its toll.
Now, despite its deep roots in the region’s labor and economic history, the building is among those the National Park Service plans to raze, part of what officials describe as a difficult but necessary choice driven by the financial burden of upkeep and the need to address aging infrastructure.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society approached the NPS about leasing the structure to turn it into a railway museum but was forced to suspend its efforts due to the large cost.
No firm demolition date has been released, but the decision has sparked concern among historians and local residents who see the Prince Store not just as a building, but as a symbol of community resilience.
The store still stands beside West Virginia Route 41, a silent monument to a bygone chapter of Appalachian life. But unless preservation plans emerge, its days appear numbered.
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