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Coal House Burns, Sun Rises In East

October 13, 2010

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

People who keep their valuables in a coal house shouldn’t be surprised if they burn up.

We can’t really explain why a fire in a house made of coal is more newsworthy than a fire in a house made of similarly combustible wood. And there’s something about learning that a fire gutted The Coal House in Williamson, West Virginia, that makes you wonder how it stayed clear of flames for as long as it did (almost 80 years).

Local news reports suggest that the House itself, made of 65 tons of coal, escaped critical damage. Its interior, however, was gutted; a significant loss. The House was used by Mingo County as its museum, and the fire destroyed artifacts relating to the Hatfields and McCoys, and perhaps other colorful West Virginia treasures as well. It was a coal house, Mingo County….

The upside to the story is that West Virginia has plenty of building material on hand to patch up The Coal House, which Williamson’s civic leaders have vowed to reopen as quickly as possible. And if the fiery fate of The Coal House makes people at the Straw House or Paper House more careful, well, that’s okay, too.

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