The Whipple Company Store in Fayette County was built by coal operator Justus Collins in the early 20th century. As the commercial and social center for the mining town of Whipple and surrounding communities, the store housed offices for Whipple Colliery Company, the post office and doctor. The Whipple Company Store is one of four identical stores that were built in the early 1900s in the New River area, but it is the only one still standing. In 1991, the Whipple Company Store was added the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is an iconic site in the New River Coal Fields. However, it is closed to the public,and, without repairs renovations, could soon disappear.