On December 13, 1933 fire destroyed a large part of the school. A new school building was completed in 1935. That year Mr. Dwight W. McCormick became the school's new principal. Mr. McCormick came to Bramwell School as a Social Studies teacher in 1935, becoming principal later that same year. He took over with a practically new two-building institution, and largely because of his fine custodianship, those buildings remain in excellent condition today. Mr. McCormick remained principal for 33 years his retiring in 1968. Under his excellent leadership the school provided thousands of students with a superior education. His teaching staff included such well known and respected educators as Miss Ada B. Whitmore, Mr. Herbert Miller, Mr. David Richardson, Miss Maude Smith and many others. These excellent educators provided outstanding teaching and guidance in subjects from english, math and music.

In 1949 the "Bramwell Millionaire" Marching and Concert Band was formed under the direction of Mr. David Richardson. This addition to the school enriched hundreds of students and parents lives. Bramwell High has also excelled in sports; winning the Class A State Basketball Championship in 1967,1971, and 1988.

By 1953 the enrollment of the school had grown to 926 students. This growth called for construction of a new gym and cafeteria, thus making room for extensive renovations to the entire school that began in 1962. Bramwell's last class of seniors graduated in May 1991. After another 13 years accomdating only grade school students the school was permanently closed in June 2004. This closing ending the 108 year operations of the Bramwell Grade and High Schools.

To anyone who ever attended Bramwell School, taught there or had children who attended during the first century, know the value of the education and guidance received at this outstanding institution. The indomitable spirit and pride, inherited from the Bramwell School educational environment, has enhanced the lives of thousands of Bramwell High School graduates.

*Captain Isaiah A. Welch was a surveyor for Pocohantas Mines and died in Bramwell about. 1902. Isaiah is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery. He was the brother Ms. Jemima Welch. The town of Welch in McDowell Co., WV was named after him.

Settled in the 1800s, the town of Bramwell, West Virginia is located eight miles north of Bluefield,West Virginia, adjacent to Route 52. Bramwell is seated 2300 feet above sea level in Mercer County, West Virginia. The Bluestone River surrounds the town in a horseshoe bend fashion and it was first known as Horse Shoe Bend in the early 1800s. The Town's namesake, J.H. Bramwell who arrived in Bramwell in 1883 was a New York civil engineer. As first postmaster of a post office that needed a legal label, he said, "Every little baby has a name, and this little town must have the same. I therefore name it Bramwell." Joseph H. became first president of the famed Bank of Bramwell, and a big-time real estate investor. After getting rich on real estate sales in Bramwell he left the town for Switzerland where he died in the 1890s. The town of Bramwell was incorporated in 1888 under a special charter granted by the Circuit Court of Mercer County with John D. Hewitt, Senior named as the first mayor. By 1885, C.H. Durhing, a coal company engineer, finished mapping lots for homes and businesses in Bramwell that was located the Bluestone River's horseshoe bend. C. H. Durhing is credited with designing the two major brick streets to form a cross in the town. In 1873 the extensive West Virginia coal fields started in Bramwell and extended over forty miles. Bramwell's wealth was supported by the Pocahontas coalfields, which employed 100,000 miners. At one time, the Norfolk & Western railroad had 14 trains a day stopping in Bramwell. The Historic Bank of Bramwell was the financial center of southern West Virginia. It was thought to be the wealthiest bank per capita in the country. The bank's janitor regularly transported leather bags filled with money by wheelbarrow down the brick paved streets to the nearby train depot. The depression of 1933 brought an end to the Bramwell Bank. Bramwell is best known for having the largest number of millionaires per capita of any town in America in the late 1800s. Bramwell once had as many as thirteen millionaires living there at one time in the early 20th century. The magnificent homes that remain there today testify to this wealth.

A detailed history of this historic town can be found in a book authored by Martha Jane (Williams) Becker in 1988. This book "Bramwell -The Diary of a Millionaire Coal Town" is based on material written and published from time to time by Dwight W. McCormick . The book draws from research by Mr. McCormick and his Bramwell High School Student American Government Classes for over thirty years. This excellent research material accurately depicts the "first one hundred years" history of Bramwell, West Virginia. Here is a little known fact - Bramwell was at one time the only town of it's size in the U.S. to have three post offices within the town limits (Bramwell, Freeman, Cooper). The Office of the Postmasters' General in Washington D. C. records show that the first postmaster in Bramwell was Joseph H. Bramwell and he started this job when the Bramwell Post Office opened on August 14, 1883. When the famed Bank of Bramwell was incorporated in 1889 Joseph H. Bramwell was then installed as the bank's first president on May 1, 1889. Bramwell's namesake, Joseph H. Bramwell accompanied Captain I. A. Welch on his 1873 survey of the Pocahontas Coalfields. Bramwell later worked as general manager of the Crozier Coal and Coke Company. Official Post Office records record that Joseph H. Bramwell was the first postmaster in Bramwell, serving from August 14, 1883 until May 1886.

Helen Jo Saul Gilliam (1934 - 2006

Helen Jo Saul Gilliam of Bluewell, WV died on 25 April 2006. Helen was a member of the Bramwell High School Class '53 and attended the Class '53 fiftieth reunion held on 12 September 2003. She also attended the most recent BHS Class '53 picnic in August 2005. Helen was loved by all her classmates and our memories of her will always be cherished.

Edna Jo Heindl age 91 of Kettering, passed away Sunday, May 7, 2006 at Crestview Manor Nursing Home. Edna was born September 29, 1914, the daughter of Joseph and Verna Forlines. She was a Registered Nurse for 50 years working for Miami Valley Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, Montgomery County Nursing Home and Stillwater Health Center. She was an active member of New Lebanon Brethren Church. She also served in various organizations including the Women's Missionary Society and the Retiring Nurses Committee. Edna is survived by her children, Dan and Mary Lou Gordon of Kettering, David and Linda Gordon of Peoria, AZ and Linda and Bob Wise of Edge Water, FL; sisters, June Eaton of Lebanon, OH, Barbara Cordier of West Carrollton, OH, Eleanor Dinsmore of Tipp City, OH, and (Dolly Murphy of Barberton, OH; )brother, David and Joyce Forlines of Canal Fulton, OH; 11 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren and 3 more on the way; and a host of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Chester H. Gordon (1952); second husband, John W. Heindl (1988); siblings, Joe Forlines, II, Marjorie Burks, Patricia McAlpin, Lena Schelcher and Don Forlines. Family will receive friends 5:00-8:00 p.m. Thursday, May 11, 2006 at Newcomer Funeral Home, 3940 Kettering Blvd. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Bearcreek Cemetery. The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dorothy Jeffries and Kathy Schamel for their unconditional love and support.



Edna Jo Forlines Heindl was a Bramwell High School Class 1933 graduate and will be fondly remembered by her  fellow BHS alumni. Photograph is from the BHS Class of '51's dinner at The Oaks Supper Club in Pipestem, WV on June 27, 2001.  (Photo by Shirley Jarrett , BHS Class '51)