Amonate: A Coal Camp Through Time (Part II – a comprehensive inventory)

Abstract

This project documents the past and present of Amonate, Virginia - a former Faraday and Pocahontas Fuel Company coal camp - and identifies actionable pathways for preservation, community revitalization, and rural tourism. Led by a team from Virginia Tech in collaboration with Amonate Always, Inc., the work synthesizes historical research, field documentation, and community engagement into a comprehensive inventory and a set of near and long-term recommendations. The effort was supported through an interdisciplinary team and multiple grants.

Beside key findings related to the historical significance and physical pattern of Amonate, this report presents deliverables and recommendations. As such, this study equips Amonate with the documentation, evidence, and early ideas needed to preserve its coal-camp heritage, build community capacity, and pursue incremental, feasible economic activity aligned with regional tourism patterns. The partnership among Amonate Always, CDAC/Virginia Tech, Mid-Atlantic TAB, and regional/state agencies provides a durable framework to convert momentum into sustained revitalization.