These are all pictures taken in Grundy, Virginia. In many places, it's a ghost town, save for the heart of the town. Once, it was a booming mining town. The large houses lining the main road through the town still reflect that. However, as mines shut down due to the decline in needing coal, and government regulations, many have lost their homes and have had to move elsewhere. As such, there are many old storefronts, houses, and industrial buildings that are now decrepit and dilapidated.
Even the complex where Walmart resides is looking empty, as businesses continually decline in profits and ways to keep doors open. Despite the fact that millions of dollars was spent in sprucing up the 'main' part of town, it's done little to actually bring people to the town. It's the same in almost anywhere in Appalachia that you go. Abandoned places, roads never maintained, and only 'main streets' get any funding for providing more business revenue. The only thing we have going for us anymore is the landscape.
Here are a few pictures from around the town of Grundy, mostly beyond the main confines of the town. I took these as we were passing through in the car!
An abandoned home on a hilltop:
An abandoned storefront:
A long abandoned mining structure:
More abandoned storefronts:
These are just a few of the many abandoned places in this old mining town that I can get a clear picture from the road. Deeper down the hollows and backroads, there are many, many more.
Thanks for looking!