Exploring Small Coal Mining Town Gypsy, WV: Camp Houses, Abandoned Homes, Old Church & Post Office

Описание: July 2, 2024

I was driving down highway 19 and saw a street labeled "main street" on the outside of Shinnston, West Virginia. I thought there might be a little community and decided to blindly explore the area. It turned out to be the town of Gypsy, West Virginia, an old coal mining community. Gypsy has had a post office since 1900 and was named after the Romani people. They were called "gypsies" and they camped near the area by the West Fork River.

Also, I found one article (see below) that says Gypsy, WV served as a WWII prisoner camp.

If anyone has any historical information they would like to add, please comment below.

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..."Gypsy was also a prison camp during World War II. Most of the prisoners there were German. I can remember passing the camp as a kid, seeing the tall fence, the guards in their high towers with big guns.

Some of the original buildings are still standing but a lot was lost to time. When I pass the camp now I still think of the high fence and the guards. I don't think I'll ever forget it.".....
https://www.asturianus.org/forum/view...

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Also, a different story on where the town's name "Gypsy" came from:
..."Gypsy was possibly named after Mrs. Gypsy Ward, a relative of coal baron James Watson. Gypsy not only featured a coal mine and company town, but also beehive coke ovens."...
https://www.coalcampusa.com/nowv/fair...

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https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articl...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy,_...



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