Red Ash Community and Mining Ruins

Red Ash is the remains of a coal-mining community along the Southside Trail near the New River. Stone foundations, retaining walls and chimney stacks mark the old settlement, with a set of coke ovens as its clearest industrial feature. The ovens sit about 30 feet uphill from the trail, beyond a retaining wall. Keep off the old walls and constructed features; walking or climbing on them weakens the structures.

Southside Trail is a seven-mile, one-way riverside route for hikers and bicyclists, and Red Ash is one stop along it. Cunard River Access is the listed trailhead, with auto parking and a vault toilet; those facilities are at the access point, not at the ruins. The first mile from Cunard allows motor vehicles. Choose your starting point and check the route before setting out, since the distance to Red Ash depends on the segment you use.

Red Ash was established in 1891 to house workers for its namesake mine and nearby operations, including Rush Run and Kaymoor. In 1900, an explosion at the Red Ash mine killed 46 workers. The community was abandoned by the 1950s as the mines closed.

The Red Ash ovens have a bread-loaf, or vaulted, profile, unlike the more common beehive design at nearby Brooklyn and Rush Run. Their large openings face the front, and a service and ventilation tunnel runs along the back. Historical records indicate the ovens were no longer in use sometime before 1916; the exact final year is unknown.

Some foundations, retaining walls and chimney stacks along this stretch cannot be confidently assigned to Red Ash or neighboring Rush Run. Enjoy the remains without pinning an unidentified building on one town or the other.