The Craft Memorial Library was built in 1923 in a confident Beaux-Arts manner — limestone columns, pedimented entry, fan-lit windows — and remains one of downtown Bluefield's handsomest buildings. It still functions as the main public library for Mercer County and is open to walk-in visitors.
The upstairs Eastern Regional Coal Archives is the reason to stop. The reading room holds an unmatched collection of photographs, company papers, family records and oral histories from the Pocahontas Coalfield, and the volunteer staff are happy to dig things out for visiting researchers or simply curious travellers. Open Monday to Saturday, free.