Bramwell,
WV - An old high school will soon
become a refuge for ATV riders and their families.
Hoping to address one of the greatest needs facing the Hatfield-McCoy trail
system, plans are now underway to convert the old Bramwell High School
into a new ATV resort and lodge. The old school was officially purchased by a
group of ATV riders two weeks ago.
"I'm a part of a group of guys-10 of us-who come down and ride the trail system
each year," Eric Dunham, of the Hedgesville community in the state's Eastern
Panhandle, said. "We had the brainstorm to buy (a structure). We came down to
look at some houses and ran across the building."
Dunham said the old school is now being called the Bramwell High School ATV
Lodge.
"We think our first phase will be concentrated around the high school part and
getting some rooms up and ready to go," Dunham said. "It's just going to have
to be done in steps. As I get one room open I'm going to start filling that
room."
Dunham said extensive renovations will need to be made to the old high school.
But he hopes to have rooms ready for occupancy as quickly as possible.
"I would like to have it ready tomorrow, but today is my first day in town,"
Dunham said March 21. "I just don't know the extent until I get an electrician
up to get the power back on. I would like to think I can have something up and
going in two months."
Dunham said his real estate agent told him the old school consists of
approximately 85,000
square feet.
"But that is all four buildings together-the gym, the office building and the
high school together," he said.
The new ATV resort and lodge is urgently needed, Bramwell Mayor Louise Stoker
said.
Although the seven-county trail system has been a significant success story for
southern West Virginia,
its growth has been hampered by a lack of lodging facilities for out-of-town
ATV riders. Stoker said the new ATV lodge will help.
"It will fill a need, and it will be available to people coming here on the
first stop from the south," Stoker said. "This is the first stop on I-77 after Ohio."
Stoker said the old high school last operated as a K-5 school before it was
closed in 2004.
"We are very excited about the new owners of the building," Stoker said.
