Loree Colliery

 
The Loree Colliery was located along Nesbitt Street in Larksville. Today, the large culm piles are the biggest reminder of the colliery. Other items, like the Dorr Thickener tanks, power plant floor and basement, culm screening building, electrical sub-station, an oil and grease storage building, a slope entrance, the capped off No. 2 Shaft, the filled in No. 1 Shaft, a foundation and tunnel I believe to off been the boiler house, and what I believe to be the remains of the wash house. Many smaller items also lay around such as timbers and sheet metal pieces. The Loree was built to replace the old No. 5 that burned down. In 1919, the Loree opened and began operation, it was named after L. F. Loree, the president of the D&H Railroad. The breaker closed sometime in the 1960s but was used as a fine coal recovery plant into the 1970s before being closed for good. In the fall of 1993 the breaker was torn down. Some of the other buildings stood until recently and the No. 2 Shaft was just recently capped off in 2008. .

A look at the No. 1 Shaft.

The above photo was taken from where Pete Broody Tires stands at today. Shawnee Concrete can be seen in the near distances, which they are still in business and in that same location.

Looking at the foundation wall to the No. 1 Shaft as it looks today.

The No. 2 Shaft is up on the hill behind Shawnee Concrete. That was capped off in 2008 but before that, it just had some pieces of metal covering it.

A look at the No. 2 Shaft that Steve Kondrad took. I was given permission to use this photo.

A look down the No. 2 Shaft that Steve Kondrad took and gave me permission to use.

This old photo shows a lokie at the site of the Loree with what I believe to be the No. 2 Shaft in view.

What looks to be the No. 2 Shaft

The No. 2 Shaft looks different today.

The capped off No. 2 with a fence and large No Trespassing signs.

I can understand the reasoning on why it's fence off because these concrete caps have failed in the past. Back near Nesbitt Street is where the power plant once stood.

This floor is about all that remains of the power plant.

While walking on the floor of the former power plant, I took notice of several openings filled with bricks. Getting down to get a better look, I found it those are the openings into the basement. I didn't bother going down because it's flooded but I did get this photo.

A look inside reveals the water, pipes, and lights hanging from the ceiling. Your typical mold can be seen hanging as well.

Just down a little bit is the only portion of the power plant that stands.

A doorway and some electrical panels.

Just a little way from the power plant are the remains to another building.

The wood that lays there used to stand up and was part of the structure.

On the area of the structure is a small opening that drops down to the under of the building, where it's like a tunnel.

A bit down the tunnel. All that dirt leads to the outside. It appears they filled the entrance into this, don't see why though.

Up the hill from this is a sheet metal building the screen for coal in the culm banks then sent that coal to the breaker to be processed.

 

The inside of the building is rather open but had to be because of all the dust that would of been floating around when the screener was on.

Coal would of dropped to this conveyor where it would of went to the breaker.

The machine that did the screening is located on the second floor.

The screening machine and the second floor.

Right near this building is a solid brick building that was the electrical sub-station.

This building is surrounded by trees, which makes it hard to photograph.

The inside of it has a small repairing station and most of the electrical panels.

The front of the electrical panel.

The back portion of the electrical panel.

Behind this building is the oil and grease storage building.

This building is even harder to photograph because of all the stuff growing around it.

The inside of the building doesn't have much except the old storage containers and an old ladder.

A look inside the building.

The only other building that stands was converted into an auto body shop.

An old water tower and the auto body shop as seen from Broadway Street.

Further down Nesbitt Street are the remains to the Dorr Thickener tanks. When the building to it were torn down, the rubble was just pushed into the small tank. I need to get better photos of the smaller tank so perhaps in an update I'll have them up. These photos are of the larger tank.

The large concrete Dorr tank as seen from up the hill

Inside the tank looking at the center piece.

A look at where water from the tank dumped into the creek.

These last few pictures are just of other, smaller, items on the lands.

A small wall and rubble lay about. I suspect this to of been the wash house based on the pulley parts I found laying around on the rubble.

An abundment with the year 1919 engraved into it.

A large piece of concrete with May 1?, the last number is damaged, 1917 engraved onto it.

A slope entrance with 1920 engraved on it. It's filled inside however.

A warning sign on a tree along Nesbitt Street. Since this was taken in 2010, the sign was ripped down, it was only paper.

Two nice size insulators with their posts still screwed in and the thick copper wire connecting them. These now make a nice entry into my collection. Besides, someone else would of most likely just smashed them to get the wire off of them so I'm glad I found them first.

These last to photos are old ones that I just couldn't find a spot anywhere else on here for.

A Loree shaft that isn't labeled. It kind of looks like the No. 2 but I am not sure at all.

A winter shot of the breaker.

I'd like to thank Steve Kondrad for allowing me to use his photos of the No. 2 Shaft before it got capped and for sending me all of the old photos of the colliery since I couldn't find them anywhere.