Westvaco Covington Mill

Dominating the bottomlands of the Jackson River adjacent to the City of Covington, this is one of the industry's most technologically advanced bleached board manufacturing facilities. It is also intimately linked with the development and physical character of Covington and Alleghany County. A papermaking mill began operations on the site in 1899 under the auspices of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, a parent company of the Westvaco Corporation. The plant was built on lands formerly part of Rose Dale (AL14) plantation, portions of which adjoin the plant property across Dunlap Creek. Erected along the river to take advantage of water-generated power, the plant's 1890s three-story brick mill, which features recessed brick panels, stone sills and lintels, and numerous windows, has been incorporated into the much larger modern plant complex. The original structure can still be seen from the high vantage point of Covington's Alleghany Avenue, and the distinctive paper mill smell occasionally wafts through an even larger area.