It was a somewhat typical spring day in southern West Virginia. Maybe a little cooler than normal, with blue skies. Then by mid-afternoon clouds started moving in. That was my signal to grab my camera bag and head to nearby Zenith, a small community at the base of Peter’s Mountain in Monroe County. I had been there with my camera before, in the fall and winter. But, spring called for more pictures, with fresh leaves and green grass.
Zenith is a few miles off the main highway, and therefore quite rural. A narrow paved road is the only way in and out. As I turned on Zenith Road, a startled wild turkey flew across in front of the truck. The old general store, a grist mill, a church and volunteer fire department are the most obvious signs of the once lively community.
There’s a number of older homes in the area, many of which have fallen into disuse and disrepair. Others still in use are quite striking, as the farm below with big white house and fence, at the base of the mountain.
The old mill is the most unusual survivor of the community. McClung’s Mill, with its huge overshot wheel, was moved to it’s present location in the early 1900’s from nearby Craig County, Virginia. It was used continuously for grinding grain through the 1960s.
We were there only a short time before the clouds started to move off in the distance. But, I got what I came for, fresh pictures recording a spring afternoon. I’ll be back to Zenith. It’s a small piece of West Virginia history, and a worthy diversion for the back road photographer or historian.
