WELCH, W. Va. -An old 76 gas and service station has been restored by the City of Welch, who turned it into an ice cream shop with the hope of capitalizing on the rise in ATV tourism in the city. The name of this new business is the ‘Coal Town Creamery,’ with a mining theming inside to match.
“McDowell County is known for its coal heritage. People are intrigued by it, so we want to showcase it. We want everybody to know we’re very proud of our heritage; we’re very proud of our coal miners; and it’s a very admirable job…” says Harold McBride, the mayor of Welch.
The switch from gas to ice cream has been a hit with many in the community, including the younger crowd.
“Five-star rating. This is the best ice cream…” says Jack Fink, who got a cone of the ‘Superman’ ice cream flavor, “…if any of you… don’t know what Superman flavor is, try and come to Welch now and try and try it.”
“A one-thousand-star rating,” adds Victor Fink, who had a vanilla ice cream.
Mayor McBride says it’s been a rocky road restoring the building, with the roof being completely replaced. However, this building means a lot more than the sum of its parts to many of the Welch community, including the mayor himself.
The service station was run by World War 2 veteran and two-time purple heart recipient, Ed Shepard. Shepard’s legacy has been memorialized with the entry room of the shop, letting future generations learn more about this local hero.
“Everyone knew this station knew Mr. Ed, so we just… couldn’t restore the building without including him in it because he was just a fixture here for so long, and everybody knew him and loved him,” says Mayor McBride.
He adds that it’s an honor to have Ed Shepard look over the new ice cream shop and hopes the room dedicated to him will show respect to other veterans who stop by.
If you would like to stop by the Coal Town Creamery, Mayor McBride says it is open Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm, but he hopes to have it open longer in the future and hopes to have it become a stop on a Welch trolley tour.
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