Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State: The Haunted History of Coalfield Manor

Coalfield Manor
McGraw-Worrell Building (Mullens, WV)

Coalfield Manor is southern West Virginia's newest paranormal investigation destination! Located in the McGraw-Worrell Building at 102 Moran Avenue in downtown Mullens, Coalfield Manor dates back to 1918 and has functioned as a department store and most recently....a funeral home! Please see Coalfield Manor on Facebook for more information on this fascinating location and for updates on how YOU can explore its mysteries for yourself.

At the confluence of the Guyandotte River and Slab Fork Creek in Wyoming County, WV sits the town of Mullens. Mullens was named after A.J. Mullins, who owned quite a bit of land where the town now sits and built his first cabin around the area of First Street and the (former) Guyandotte Avenue (now Moran Avenue) around 1898. On September 17, 1912, the town was officially incorporated as Mullens---someone forgot to dot the 'i' in Mullins, and it was interpreted as being an 'e'. In February of 1929, Mullens was upgraded to city status. Along the way, the Virginian Railway completed a terminal in Mullens (1909), and the timber and coal industries popped up and thrived in the surrounding areas. Mullens became a bustling place of business and residence in the southern WV coalfields.

Unfortunately, Mullens was no stranger to tragedy. While the town thrived overall for quite a number of years, it was forced to persevere through some tough times. On Tuesday December 11, 1917, a massive fire completely destroyed Mullens business district. The fire began around noon in the apartment of the Jackson family, located above the 5 and 10 Store. This store was located extremely close to where Coalfield Manor now sits. Coalfield Manor is attached to the Bank of Mullens building, which is on the corner of First Street and Moran Avenue (formerly Guyandotte Avenue, and the approximate location of the Mullins cabin. The 5 and 10 Store was located halfway between the Bank of Mullens and the Dunman Hotel, putting it right around the corner from the current Coalfield Manor.

Mullens ca 1914
The two-story building to the right of the corner building
is where Coalfield Manor now sits.
Source: WV History on View

This fire caused an estimated $500,000-$750,000 in damages and left 75 families (most of whom lived in apartments above the storefronts) homeless. It also resulted in the loss of one life. The 6-month-old son of Bertha Jackson, who was living above the 5 and 10 Store with her parents, was killed in the fire. According to one newspaper, the baby's body was completely cremated in the fire, leaving no remains behind. However, another newspaper article claimed the baby died of exposure---which is possible as 6 inches of snow fell that evening, complicating efforts to fight the fire.

Before the fire, there was a building on the site, which some sources list as possibly being a pharmacy/drug store. That building, which was also a wooden frame structure, was destroyed in the fire and replaced between 1918 and 1919 with the current McGraw-Worrell Building. Presumably built as a department store, the McGraw-Worrell Building was named for land developer, H.G. McGraw and attorney, Grover Worrell.

1922 Sanborn Fire Map Detail
The McGraw-Worrell Building is the attached
pink structure pictured above the brown bank building.

The McGraw-Worrell building makes up a huge chunk of what is now the home of Coalfield Manor. However, the property is a mash-up of several buildings, constructed and renovated several times over the years. Additional fires and flooding have destroyed historical records, and the moving and renaming of several businesses and streets around town have made it a little unclear as to a complete history of the property at this time (don't worry---I'm still working on it!). We do know, however, that beginning in 1961, the property was used as the Sam Foglesong Funeral Home. The company did extensive renovations to the property, adding in the chapel, music room, operating room, etc. At one point, a third-floor apartment was also added to the property.

Following the Foglesong Funeral Home, the Tankersley Funeral Home would take up operations at the property, closing in May of 2024. Luckily for the paranormal community, the property would not sit abandoned for too long. While on a quest to find a rather spooky location, Heather Wheeler came across the listing for this former funeral home. At first, her husband Bob didn't seem super interested in the property, but after looking at several other options and weighing the benefits of the Mullens property, the couple decided to come to WV to take a look at it. Although their primary residence is out of state, the couple were familiar with the area and its potential. On a trip over Thanksgiving break, they toured the property and put in a bid. By January of 2025, they were the proud owners of a former funeral home, with plans on incorporating the building both as a future residence upon retirement, and as a hub of southern West Virginia tourism---including our state's spooky tourism!

Bank of Mullens with Coalfield Manor to the Right

After a winter and spring full of cleaning, renovating, and furnishing the property, Coalfield Manor opened to the public for paranormal investigation. Offering both public and private options, the Wheelers have cultivated a fantastic opportunity for the paranormal community---which is already yielding some spooky results! According to a psychic friend of the owners who visited, the location has a few regular ghosties that hang out...but the property is also full of transient spirits who seem to stop by, make themselves known, then move on for whatever reason. As Mullens was a railroad town, this seems to fit in with its history of people constantly coming and going, with lives lived and lives ended. With so many fires, coal/timber tragedies, train-related incidents, floods, buildings being torn down and destroyed, and a HUGE number of traffic accidents in the area, it's easy to see where Coalfield Manor could easily become a place of gathering for those on their journey into the unknown. In many ways, the property has stayed the same for over 100 years, but at the same time, has seen so much change. Further, Coalfield Manor is surrounded on three sides by either water or train tracks, causing almost a 'trapping' effect.

And, with over 60 years as being a funeral home, the property WAS a gathering place for the town. It was a place where they came together to celebrate the lives and mourn the loss of friends and loved ones. That type of emotion is sure to leave an imprint on a location. There may even be a ghost or two attached not to the property, but an object within it. There were many items from the funeral home left on the property, including embalming equipment and caskets. In order to pay homage to that history, the owners have brought in additional funerary antiques to furnish the space. There's even a casket that visitors can 'test drive' for themselves while there! So, with that all in mind, this place has all the makings of being a haunted hot spot. But what type of activity has actually been reported?

Battery drain and equipment malfunction, especially in the area of the main viewing room is common. Members of Appalachian Ghost Tours experienced our own issues with batteries dying prematurely in the embalming area.

The main viewing area. This room is known for
battery drainage and equipment malfunction.

Apparitions have also been seen...mostly. Earlier this year, a visitor to the property was on her phone, sitting in the main foyer when what appeared to be a man walked by. She scooted over a bit to let him by and looked up to realize that she couldn't see anything above his waist. All she saw was the man's shoes and slacks. In an odd addendum to this experience, the next day, an elderly visitor was in the same area when suddenly she pointed straight ahead and said she saw a man. When asked about his shoes and pants (to see if he was the same guy seen on the previous day) she stated that she could only see him from the waist UP. Why this guy chose to reveal his top half to one woman and his bottom half to another is one of those mysteries that keep me in this field!

Unfortunately, I didn't see either half of this dude during AGT's preliminary investigation, but I DID see what I thought was a woman's white skirt on the staircase a few times, as if she was at the top of the stairs, watching us. And it does seem that there is a female entity on the property as well. This female entity seems to connect with mothers, or those with a maternal instinct and we certainly got a ton of spirit box communication mentioning various aspects of motherhood.

This woman may or may not be named Evelyn, a name that has come across for the owners and visitors several times, although always in a male voice. Aside from that clue, and a few other names that tend to pop up with varying degrees of frequency, we're not really sure the identity of any of the resident spirits quite yet. Hopefully, as the building is researched and investigated more, these answers will become clearer.

Christy 'test drives' the embalming table.
We experienced equipment malfunction and battery
drain in this room. Christy was also touched on the neck.

As stated before, there are a variety of investigation opportunities available during the summer months at Coalfield Manor. Private overnights are available from either 6p-12a, or 6p-8a. There are also various public events which are shorter, but come with the education and guidance of experienced paranormal investigators to lead you through your experience. And, if you're reading this before August 23, 2025:

Appalachian Ghost Tours will be leading an investigation from 7pm to 12am on Saturday, August 23rd! Come join us for an exciting evening of food, fun, and hopefully ghosts! The price of admission gets you a fabulous potluck-style dinner in addition to your investigation. Bring your own equipment or borrow ours---we'll teach you how to use it, guide you through the process, and give you plenty of time to check out the behind-the-scenes areas of a former funeral home. A portion of the proceeds directly goes to benefit Coalfield Manor and to hopefully keep it flourishing as one of West Virginia's newest paranormal tourism destinations. Come hang out with AGT and help support this cool location owned by two of the coolest, nicest, most dedicated people you'll meet. (Facebook Event Page for more info!)

Sources and Further Reading:

Coalfield Manor (Web Site) (Facebook) (YouTube)

Paranormal Musings Podcast with Heather Wheeler of Coalfield Manor (YouTube)

WOAY TV Interview with Heather Wheeler (YouTube)

History of Mullens (Abandoned Online)

Mullens Historic District (National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form)