Images from life in West Virginia

Beckley, West Virginia

Marcus was born and raised in Beckley, West Virginia. The city has been severely impacted by the diminishing coal industry. Despite these challenges, several organizations are working hard to improve the economic opportunities in Beckley. These are images of the neighborhoods and communities in Beckley, West Virginia.

New River Park - Beckley, West Virginia

These shots were taken within the Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley's New River Park. The coal mine closed as an enterprise in the middle of the 20th century and has been used to educate children and provide a view of what life was like as a coal miner during the 1940s and 1950s.

Coalwood High - Coalwood, West Virginia

Coalwood High was built in the 1920s and closed its doors in 1986. Rather than tear the abandoned building down, Coalwood High was left to be overgrown and forgotten.