Part of a historic town owned by the National Park Service is set for demolition, and residents are not going quietly. Construction and building removal crews are scheduled to begin work in late November in the Prince, Thurmond and Brookside areas of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, with temporary closures beginning November 30 and expected to continue into spring 2027.
The town at the center of the dispute is Thurmond, a once-booming railroad community now largely owned by the federal government inside the national park, according to NPR. The National Park Service approved a modified demolition plan in 2025 after environmental and historic-preservation reviews and a public comment period, according to West Virginia Explorer. Residents oppose the demolition move, per NPR's reporting.
Why the Park Service Says Buildings Have to Come Down
The agency has pointed to structural deterioration, safety concerns, maintenance costs, and the need to focus resources on higher-priority buildings and facilities as the reasoning behind the plan, the same West Virginia Explorer report notes. That reasoning runs counter to an earlier assessment: a 2022 survey recommended maintenance or stabilization rather than removal for many of Thurmond's contributing structures, according to the outlet.
The scope of the work extends beyond a single site. Construction is scheduled to begin in late November across the Prince, Thurmond and Brookside areas, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting. The projects will receive approximately $36 million from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, the station reports.
Restoration and a Future Leasing Program
Not everything in Thurmond is slated for the wrecking ball. The Park Service plans restoration work for five named historic houses — the Fatty Lipscomb, McClung, McGuffin, Marilyn Brown and Erskine Pugh houses — along with buildings on the town's historic Commercial Row, according to Lootpress. The agency is also developing a program to offer improved and enhanced structures as potential public leasing opportunities through a request for proposals, per the station's report.
Key details about that leasing plan remain undecided. The agency has not provided a date for when the requests for proposals will be released, nor identified which buildings will ultimately be available for lease, according to Lootpress.
Preservationists Prepare to Push Back
Opposition to the demolition has been building for months. Plans to demolish historic buildings in Thurmond have generated public opposition and preservation concerns, Lootpress reports. Earlier reporting from West Virginia Explorer, dated September 5, 2026, described Thurmond town council representatives preparing for a legal fight over the demolitions, noting that the law firm Bailey & Glasser LLP had agreed to represent the town council pro bono.
For now, the timeline points toward crews arriving this month and closures stretching well into next year, even as the fight over Thurmond's future plays out alongside the bulldozers.
