Only two miles from the building, the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve attracts more than three million visitors annually to the area, according to recent travel bureau estimates. Hiking, biking, angling, hunting, kayaking, and camping are popular throughout the park, though it may best be known as a destination for rock climbing and whitewater rafting. The New River Gorge Bridge, the national parks best-known attraction, is a drive of approximately 10 minutes away.

HIGHLIGHTS

Large, open-plan anchor property

More than 20,000 square feet

Front and rear primary access areas

Near municipal parking lots

Two miles from the national park

Easy access to the US-19 expressway

Central to a 30,000-resident market area

Central to 1.7-million annual tourist travel area

Walking distance from city parks, rail trails

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.97356303669606, -81.14735068833474

Address: 124 Main Street, Oak Hill, West Virginia 25901

Elevation Range: approximately 2,020 to 2,010 feet above sea level

ABOUT THE BUILDING

The building is the largest commercial structure in downtown Oak Hill, boasting more than 20,000 square feet of interior space on three levels. Operating first as an automotive dealership, it was built to accommodate weight, and for much of its history, it had been the home of the regions largest department store, F.W. Woolworths. In more recent years, it has been a florists and has accommodated medical office space, an apartment, and storage.

The buildings principal storefront opens onto Main Street in downtown Oak Hill, a small commercial district that serves the larger Oak Hill market area, which also includes nearby Fayetteville and the Summit Bechtel Reserve. More than 30,000 residents are estimated to live in the larger Oak Hill market area, including more than 8,000 in Oak Hill itself.

The property is accessible by the US-19 expressway, the chief north-south route through southern West Virginia and is central to a 3,000,000 annual tourist travel area. The four-lane road provides access to more than 20,000 vehicles daily, according to 2016 estimates, though traffic has increased since the establishment of the new national park. More than 7,000 vehicles pass the building daily, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Main Street Level

The buildings primary storefront opens onto Main Street and consists principally of two windowed display bays and a central vestibule topped by a building-wide transom signboard. Two sets of double doors open into the buildings large main room, which extends approximately 150 feet toward the rear of the property and along the width of the building, approximately 60 feet. The front quarter of the room, including more than 2,090 square feet, has been subdivided by a counter space into a street-front showroom. The latter two-thirds, including more than 5,600 square feet, function as a florists workshop. A decorative tin ceiling of more than 7,000 square feet and suspended 12 feet about the floor extends the length and width of the room.

Toward the rear of the building, more than 4,000 additional square feet accommodate storage, restrooms, and offices and are accessible from the flanking side. These bonus areas extend above a lower rear level as a second story when the building is approached from its rear entrance.

Upper Level

A second story at the front facade of the building includes a six-room apartment of more than 1,000 square feet accessible by an interior stairway from the street front. The apartment includes four principal rooms of more than 200 square feet, each with large windows overlooking Main Street and the Allegheny Mountains to the east. A second upper-level section of the building is located toward the rear and includes more than 1,700 square feet divided into storage rooms and a restroom.

Lower Rear Level

The rear of the building boasts a secondary storefront, accessible on Lewis Street, and an interior space of more than 5,500 square feet used most recently as an office and medical records facility. The level includes a concrete wheelchair-accessible ramp on the street front. The level had recently been inundated after a runoff event during heavy rain and may require repair.

Architects Concept Plan

The Mills Group, in 2021, presented a concept for the building, providing floor plans that are included among the illustrations for this listing. The Morgantown, W.Va.-based firm expanded on the open-plan theme, building out large, simplified tenant spaces and adding a coffee-house and meeting room at the storefront.

Construction

The building was built in the 1930s of brick, block, and concrete with steel reinforcement.

Roof

The roof, which was installed 10 years ago, shows no signs evidence of moisture intrusion. The current owner has been in the building for two years.

Windows

Main Street storefront display windows reach nearly floor to ceiling and consist of large panels of glass. Four large apartment windows above the storefront consist of pairs of insulated one-over-one sashes. Seven large sets of casement windows open out of the rear Main Street level, flooding the larger rear rooms with light. A combination of smaller casement and insulated windows admit light into the rear main and lower level