Kempton, Maryland

Kempton is located on the North Branch Potomac River,[3] which feeds the larger Potomac River.[4] Runoff from human activity at Kempton feeds the wetlands at Laurel Run.[3] Kempton contains a vast mining complex, much of which has been reforested.[5] Mining at Kempton takes up more than 7,680 acres of land.[4] Kempton is partially located in Tucker County, West Virginia, close to Thomas.[2] The location of the town is nearby to several notable natural sites, such as Blackwater Falls State Park and the Dolly Sods Wilderness.[2]

Dwellings at Kempton, ca. 1939

Kempton was founded in 1913 as a company town of the coal industry.[6] Kempton was founded by the Davis Coal and Coke Company.[7] In 1915, mining operations began at Kempton Mine Company, a subsidiary of Davis C&C Company.[8] By the 1930s, Kempton's population had grown to approximately 900 residents.[6] In 1950, the main mine, Mine No.42,[9] closed unexpectedly.[6]

After the mining industry dried up during the 1950s following unexpected mine closures, the population of Kempton declined sharply.[6] As of 2003, a small number of residents remain in old company housing at Kempton.[10] Over the years, mining at Kempton has put significant strain on the local watershed.[3] The mining complexes at Kempton are the most significant contributor to acid mine drainage (AMD) on the North Branch, which used to house thriving trout and bass industries.[4] After the closure of Mine No.42 in 1950, lack of maintenance on the abandoned mines caused large amounts of AMD into surrounding waterways.[9] In 1977, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act was passed to help regulate the environmental impacts of both active and abandoned coal mines.[11] By this time, many of the mines were abandoned and Kempton had already been a ghost town for several years.[11]

• List of ghost towns in Maryland