Overview
Bramwell is a town of 426 people (as of 2000) in the Bluefield micropolitan area of West Virginia. Incorporated in 1888, Bramwell became known as the "Home of Millionaires" because it contained more millionaires per capita around the turn of the 20th century (up to 13, mostly wealthy coal barons) than any other town in the US; today, their Victorian and Tudor style mansions can still be viewed. The town was named for New York civil engineer J. H. Bramwell, who became the town's first postmaster and president of the Bank of Bramwell, and incorporated in 1888. Bramwell was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
2 sights · 2 things to do · 1 places to eat · 5 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Bramwell
Pinnacle Rock State Park
US-52 southeast of Bramwell. 400 acres of parkland, trout-stocked Jimmy Lewis Lake, 2-mile hiking trail, and a 3,100-foot sandstone formation with overlook.
Highwall Park
US-52. Bluegrass music every second Saturday from May through October.
Historic Bramwell House Tour
Held on the second Saturday in May and the second Saturday in December. Covers 21 house and building exteriors in the historic district.
Bramwell Oktoberfest
Held in early October since 1996. Brewpub and homebrew competitions, beer tastings, artisan's market, local tours, live entertainment. $12 in advance, $15 at the door.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 79°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Wettest: Sep and Jun. (climate data from nearby Boone)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BKW Raleigh County Memorial Airport, Beaver — 34 mi away. Directions
- LWB Greenbrier Valley Airport, Lewisburg — 62 mi away. Directions
- GSO Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro — 114 mi away (major hub). Directions
Bramwell is located just off US-52, between Bluefield and Welch.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Pinnacle Rock State Park, Highwall Park
- Lunch Sadie's Place
- Afternoon Historic Bramwell House Tour, Bramwell Oktoberfest
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
Bramwell is located just off US-52, between Bluefield and Welch.
Bramwell is also a stop on the Bluefield-Welch line of Bluefield Area Transit; buses pass by 5 times a day going in each direction.
See
- A tour of Bramwell's many historic homes, 304-248-7114 or 304-248-7252 or 866-248-TOUR. the 1895 Goodwill House (with a ballroom), the 1902 Perry House (with Victorian furnishings, now a bed-and-breakfast), the Virginia Davis House, the 1909 Thomas House (with carved walls, a dumbwaiter and central vacuum-cleaning system), the 1909 Mann House and Bungalow (a three-story turreted mansion and house-sized "playhouse" for his children and governess), and the 1914 Hewitt House (the last coal-baron house built in Bramwell, with Tiffany fixtures and hardwood floors).
* The historic Bank of Bramwell building. Thanks to the nearby Pocahontas coalfields, the Bank of Bramwell was once the financial center of southern West Virginia and one of the wealthiest banks per capita in the United States, until its closure in 1933 during the Great Depression. The bank was so wealthy that money was transported by wheelbarrow in leather bags to the trains tation. Apparently, it even inspired a popular phrase in the 1920s: "solid as the Bank of Bramwell".
* The 1904 Bramwell Presbyterian Church, WV-120 and Main Street, 304-248-8085.
Do
Events
Do Historic Bramwell House Tour
Held on the second Saturday in May and the second Saturday in December. Covers 21 house and building exteriors in the historic district.
Do Bramwell Oktoberfest
Held in early October since 1996. Brewpub and homebrew competitions, beer tastings, artisan's market, local tours, live entertainment. $12 in advance, $15 at the door.
Buy
Shop A Touch of Glass
Eat
Eat Sadie's Place
Calzones, hamburgers, subs and hot dogs.
Sleep
Stay Bluestone Inn Bed & Breakfast
Stay Main Street Suites
2-bedroom apartment suites with full bath, living and dining room, kitchen and foyer.
Stay The Pack House
Stay River's Bend Bed & Breakfast
Stay Three Oaks & A Quilt
Go next
Nearby
Bluefield
City / town · 22 listings · 7 mi away
Princeton
City / town · 30 listings · 12 mi away
Welch
City / town · 9 listings · 17 mi away
Mullens
City / town · 6 listings · 18 mi away
Pineville
City / town · 5 listings · 22 mi away
Wytheville
City / town · 9 listings · 29 mi away
Beckley
City / town · 24 listings · 32 mi away
Hinton
City / town · 10 listings · 33 mi away
My experience
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