Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company

The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company was a company founded in 1890 in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The company focused on development, settlement, and manufacturing. The subdivision developed by the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Company is now recognized as the Boomtown Historic District and the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District. Background In the early 1890's, the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company bought hundreds of acres on the south side of Martinsburg for residential and industrial use. Running along the eastern edge, the area saw service from the Martinsburg Street Railway which started operations on October 30, 1891. The company's Park Elkins was also served by the street railway. The residential area opened up for sale to the general public in 1891 on October 30 and 31 as a subdivision with 3,000 lots and 42 new streets. Businessmen from Chicago, New York, and other areas bought lots. The sale was successful with good advertisement. The Abell-Kilbourn House was located in the residential area. The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company recruited Textile mills. These mills were located in an industrial area at the intersection of King Street and the Winchester Turnpike. By 1873, the area was served by the Chesapeake and Ohio and Cumberland Valley Railroad. The area was established by the Crawford Woolen Company, Interwoven Mills, Shenandoah Pants Company, and Southern Merchant Tailoring Company in 1891. These mills made Martinsburg a leader in manufacturing. In the following fifteen years after 1891, the industrial area was populated by the Heiston Construction Company, the Purdy Picture Frame Company, the H. P. Thorn Lumber Company, and other large stores and corporations. These mills and textile industries were lost in the next forty years and were replaced with new businesses. Interwoven Mill The Interwoven Mill was the largest manufacturing factory in the Eastern panhandle of West Virginia, the factory was a boom for Martinsburg. In 1893, Charles Kilbourn took over operations at the Middlesex Mill, which was owned and operated by Colonel R.J. Hickman. Charles implemented the knitting machine, which was invented by his father. In 1899, Charles's father started Kilbourne Knitting Machine Company in New Jersey, Charles acted as vice president. After a fire, the Kilbourne Knitting Machine Company relocated to the Interwoven Mill. Both mills were expanded and renamed to the Interwoven Mill after Hickman's death. The Interwoven Mill expanded to nearly triple it's 1897 size by 1922. In 2018, the Interwoven Mill was up for sale as adaptive reuse. The Interwoven Mill became the Interwoven Lots, an approximately 400 unit residential apartment and 5,500 square foot commercial space. The project consists of 3 phases and has a planned cost of $80 million dollars. Boomtown Historic District The Boomtown Historic District is a streetcar suburb boomtown consisting of the western and southern portions of Martinsburg, West Virginia, generally along the alignments of West King Street and Winchester Avenue. It was developed by the Martinsburg, Mining Manufacturing and Improvement Company and it includes a former industrial section of the town, home to a number of textile mills, as well as the housing that was built for mill workers. Boomtown's central core is along Virginia, West Virginia and Faulkner Avenues, centering on the fountain at Virginia and Faulkner. This area consists of primarily middle-class Victorian-style houses, in contrast to the more modest working-class houses on the opposite side of Winchester Avenue. Industrial buildings include the former homes of the Shenandoah Pants Company, Brooklyn Brass Works, and Kilbourn Knitting Machine Company. The area was designated a historic district in 1980. Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District is a national historic district located in Martinsburg's city limits, bordering the Boomtown Historic District to its southeast. The Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Co. Historic District encompasses 289 contributing buildings located within 19 city blocks. It includes a residential area developed by the Martinsburg Mining, Manufacturing & Improvement Company as worker housing. They are one to 2+1⁄2-story, single family, detached, semi-detached, and multi-unit housing built in wood frame, brick or brick veneer, and concrete block. Also located in the district is the Gothic Revival-style St. Luke's United Methodist Church. It includes examples of vernacular interpretations of popular architectural styles including Queen Anne, American Four Square, and Bungalow styles. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. References Notes