Alex B. Mahood
Encyclopedia
Alexander Blount Mahood (March 17, 1888 – December 25, 1970) was a Bluefield, West Virginia
-based architect.
He was born at Lynchburg, Virginia
in 1888 and attended the École des Beaux-Arts
. He came to Bluefield in 1912 and set up business. He was the architect for the West Virginia Hotel (1923) and many of his major residential works are in the South Bluefield area. These included the Country Club and the Country Club Hill section where the Bluefield Club was constructed in 1920. Mahood designed mansions for magnates of the southern coalfields, and embellished Bluefield's residential districts with some of the grandest Georgian Revival houses in the state.
He designed the Women's Dormitory at the West Virginia University
in Morgantown, United States Steel Building in Gary, Skyway Drive-In Theater in Brush Fork, the Deco-Style Mercer County Courthouse
(1930-1931) in Princeton and the Guyan Theater in Logan. He also designed a number of coal company offices and stores in the southern West Virginia region. He may have also designed the McNeer House
(1919) near Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
.
He died in 1970, at Bluefield, West Virginia.
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
-based architect.
He was born at Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
in 1888 and attended the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
. He came to Bluefield in 1912 and set up business. He was the architect for the West Virginia Hotel (1923) and many of his major residential works are in the South Bluefield area. These included the Country Club and the Country Club Hill section where the Bluefield Club was constructed in 1920. Mahood designed mansions for magnates of the southern coalfields, and embellished Bluefield's residential districts with some of the grandest Georgian Revival houses in the state.
He designed the Women's Dormitory at the West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
in Morgantown, United States Steel Building in Gary, Skyway Drive-In Theater in Brush Fork, the Deco-Style Mercer County Courthouse
Mercer County Courthouse (West Virginia)
The Mercer County Courthouse in Princeton, West Virginia was built in 1930-31 in the Art Moderne style. Designed by Alex B. Mahood, it is the most significant example of the style in southern West Virginia. Friezes above the front and rear doors were designed by Mrs. S.L. Mahood, the mother of the...
(1930-1931) in Princeton and the Guyan Theater in Logan. He also designed a number of coal company offices and stores in the southern West Virginia region. He may have also designed the McNeer House
McNeer House
McNeer House is a historic home located near Salt Sulphur Springs, Monroe County, West Virginia. It was built in 1919, and is a 2 1/2 story frame dwelling painted white in the Colonial Revival style. It has a rear service area that features a two-story, "U"-shaped wing with a one-story rear portico...
(1919) near Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Salt Sulphur Springs is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States. Salt Sulphur Springs is located on U.S. Route 219 southwest of Union....
.
He died in 1970, at Bluefield, West Virginia.
Selected works
- 1914: Page Coal and Coke Company StorePage Coal and Coke Company StorePage Coal and Coke Company Store is a historic company store building located at Pageton, McDowell County, West Virginia. It is a two-story brick building on a tall, skillfully-constructed stone foundation. It was designed in 1914 by noted architect Alex B. Mahood, and is in the Classical Revival...
, Pageton, West VirginiaPageton, West VirginiaPageton is an unincorporated census-designated place in McDowell County, West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, its population was 187. Pageton is located on the Tug Fork Branch of the Norfolk and Western Railway, along the Pocahontas seam of rich bituminous coal...
, listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992. - 1917: Pocahontas Fuel Company StorePocahontas Fuel Company Store (Switchback, West Virginia)Pocahontas Fuel Company Store is a historic company store building located at Switchback, McDowell County, West Virginia. It was designed by noted architect Alex B. Mahood, and built in 1917. It is a two-story brick building with a one-story wing that housed the business office. It has a flat...
, Switchback, West VirginiaSwitchback, West VirginiaSwitchback is an unincorporated community in McDowell County, West Virginia, USA. Switchback had its own high school in operation from 1923 to 1953....
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. - 1917: Pocahontas Fuel Company Store and Office BuildingsPocahontas Fuel Company Store and Office BuildingsPocahontas Fuel Company Store and Office Buildings are a historic company store and an office building located at Jenkinjones, McDowell County, West Virginia. Both buildings were designed by noted architect Alex B. Mahood and built in 1917. The two-story brick company store sits on a stone...
, Jenkinjones, West VirginiaJenkinjones, West VirginiaJenkinjones is an unincorporated community in McDowell County, West Virginia, USA. It lies on the western flanks of Stone Ridge near the border with Tazewell County, Virginia....
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. - 1919: Easley HouseEasley HouseEasley House, also known as "The Breezes," is a historic home located at Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia. It was designed by noted architect Alex B. Mahood, and built between 1919 and 1922. It is a stone, 2 1/2-story, Tudor Revival-style dwelling with a one-story conservatory wing. It has...
, Bluefield, West Virginia, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. - 1921: Peerless Coal Company StorePeerless Coal Company StorePeerless Coal Company Store is a historic company store building located at Vivian, McDowell County, West Virginia. It was designed by noted architect Alex B. Mahood and built in 1921, and the main block of the brick store building is two-stories with one-story flanking wings. It has a concrete...
, Vivian, West VirginiaVivian, West VirginiaVivian is an unincorporated census-designated place in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. Vivian is located along U.S. Route 52 southeast of Kimball. As of the 2010 census, its population was 82....
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. - 1923-1925: Itmann Company Store and OfficeItmann Company Store and OfficeItmann Company Store and Office is a historic commercial building located at Itmann, Wyoming County, West Virginia. It was designed by noted architect Alex B. Mahood and built in 1923-1925. It is a Classical Revival style complex built of native sandstone. It consists of four sections laid out...
, Itmann, West VirginiaItmann, West VirginiaItmann is an unincorporated census-designated place and former mining town located in Wyoming County, West Virginia, United States, between Pineville and Mullens off of West Virginia Route 16...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. - 1930-1931: Mercer County CourthouseMercer County Courthouse (West Virginia)The Mercer County Courthouse in Princeton, West Virginia was built in 1930-31 in the Art Moderne style. Designed by Alex B. Mahood, it is the most significant example of the style in southern West Virginia. Friezes above the front and rear doors were designed by Mrs. S.L. Mahood, the mother of the...
, Courthouse Sq. Princeton, West VirginiaPrinceton, West VirginiaPrinceton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 111,586. It is the county seat of Mercer County...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
- He also designed properties in the Beckley Courthouse Square Historic DistrictBeckley Courthouse Square Historic DistrictThe Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District is a historic district in Beckley, West Virginia that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994....
, Bluefield Downtown Commercial Historic DistrictBluefield Downtown Commercial Historic DistrictBluefield Downtown Commercial Historic District is a national historic district located at Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia. The district includes 73 contributing buildings in Bluefield's central business district. The buildings are primarily three and four story masonry commercial...
, Country Club Hill Historic DistrictCountry Club Hill Historic DistrictCountry Club Hill Historic District is a national historic district located at Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia. The district includes 51 contributing buildings in a residential area of South Bluefield. The buildings are primarily large single family residences with generous front and rear...
, Jefferson Street Historic DistrictJefferson Street Historic District (Bluefield, West Virginia)Jefferson Street Historic District is a national historic district located at Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia. The district includes 63 contributing buildings in a residential area of Bluefield known as Oakland Addition, originally platted in 1910...
, South Bluefield Historic DistrictSouth Bluefield Historic DistrictSouth Bluefield Historic District is a national historic district located at Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia. The district includes 84 contributing buildings in a residential area of Bluefield known as South Bluefield. The buildings are primarily large single family residences with broad...
, and Upper Oakhurst Historic DistrictUpper Oakhurst Historic DistrictUpper Oakhurst Historic District is a national historic district located at Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia. The district includes 37 contributing buildings in a residential area adjacent to South Bluefield. The buildings are primarily large single-family residences on large lots...
.