Known by many as the West Edge Factory, this structure was originally built in 1930 by A.F. Thomson Manufacturing and housed production for the stove manufacturing company until the 1960s. A clothing manufacturer, Corbin Limited, purchased the building after A.F. Thompson vacated the building. Corbin operated out of the factory until 2002. Corbin was the last manufacturing company to utilize the building, and it sat vacant until 2014 when Coalfield Development saved the 96,000 square foot factory from demolition with intent to restore the space as a job training and workforce development center, and a hub for local artists.
Today, the space is known as the West Edge Factory and houses multiple businesses including:
-Solar Holler- a solar installation training facility and solar collection operation that is the largest solar power generator in West Virginia.
-Saws Edge Woodshop- a 7,000 square foot woodshop which up-cycles reclaimed materials into furniture and home décor.
-Refresh Appalachia- an organic farming operation that produces vegetables and other fresh foods for sale to local restaurants and institutions, and maintains an indoor mushroom and micro-green growing operation and related washing/food processing facilities.
Future renovations will include a black box theater, artist studios, concert venue, plus a museum and interpretive center honoring the stories of former Corbin Ltd. employees, most of whom were women.
While standing at the cache site you will see the green houses for the farming operation with the factory behind you. BYOP. Log only. Please return as found. FTF claims bragging rights.
Congrats to pcl_el_hefe & bdjuju for a Co-{*FTF*}!!!