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By SHIRLEY DONNELLY Back about 45 years ago when mining towns on the banks of New River were much in the public eye they were the origin of interesting stories. Nuttallburg, now a ghost town site was one such place. William Hol land, an Eng lish adventurer lived there in what was com monly called “the old Hol- —........ land house.” Shortly after the Civil War had ended, Holland came to America and settled in the Pennsylvania coal field area. When John Nuttall opened a mine at Nuttallburg in 1873, Hol land, having heard how fortunes could be made quickly in coal hereabouts, came to Keeney’s Creek in 1872 and opened a2 mite. HOLLAND WAS A veteran of the Crimean War, the struggle that gave Nurse Florence Night ingale immortal prominence and caused Tennyson to write his famous poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” In Fayelte County, Holland waited until 1885 to build a home to his taste. At Nuttall burg he erected a handsome house that year and lived in it until he died in March, 1918. Old-timers like Charley Walters and Clayton Cooper, who know the story of New River mining towns, may remember “the old Holland house” at Nuttallburg. Holland was a secretive, suspicious man of eccentric ways. He never let folks know what he was doing or anything about his business. He trusted few persons. About the only kind of money he trusted was gold coin. When money came his way he hid the gold and bank notes. None of his family knew he was hiding his money as he did. Then in March, 1918, William Holland had a sudden heart attack and expired, struck him while sit ting in a chair and he was gone in short order. AFTER HOLLAND'S death the old home passed into the possession of a Dr. Henley, the coal company doctor, and later to the Stover Coal Company. William Nicholson, superinten dent of the coal company, moved into the Holland house in September, 1920. He began repairs on the house and made changes to suit his wife. The first jar of gold known to be found was dug up in the old greenhouse of the Holland place by Matthew Dickson. It amount ed to $490 in gold coins. Upon his finding this treasure trove, Dickson skipped out. Later on several glass jars were foun in the cellar and about the Premises. The jars glittered with the coins of the precious metal. In those glass jars were musty bank notes and gold English sovereigns. The total amount discovered was $21,000. This spoil was divided among the five carpenters who made the rich discovery of the hidden treasure. They made an effort to keep their good luck secret but such was impossible, hu man nature being what it is. AFTER LEARNING of the findings of the Holland wealth by various parties, the adminis trators of the estate set about to gather evidence for the re covery of the gold funds and paper money. A suit was brought in the courts of Fayette County by Hubbard and Bacon. Fay ettevile attorneys, both now dead, C. E. Beall and Solomon Hol land were the administrators of the Holland estate and instituted the suit. That suit was brought against William Nicholson, wife, and son, Matthew Dickson, J.M. Krantz,W. E. Campbell, IL, Gray, J.B. Hunter, William Adkins, Esker Robinson, and I. M. Green. A considerable sum of the money was located in banks and tied up with attachments. THE FIRST FIND OF gold was credited to Sam Ayers, a Negro servant in the Holland home for many years. Later it was said Holland used Ayers to hide the gold money in the house and about the premises. Ayers had died some years before Hol land’s sudden heart seizure in March, 1918. Some said it was Sam Ayers’ money that was found but this was ultimately ruled out as it would have been impossible for the Negro to have saved that much money from earnings of less than a $100 a year. Attachments were served by the two Fayetteville lawyers on some 50 banks in the area where the money found was believed to have been deposited by its finder. WHEN HOLLAND Wip his money all about his premises there was no such thing known as a metal detector. It is still believed some of the gold may yet be hidden about the “old Holland house.” It's possible that someone could go to the Nuttallburg site with a good metal detector, brave the ghosts that haunt the place, and come away rich. Today a $3 gold coin sells for $200. A $20 gold piece sells for well over $50. Our pretty $2.5 gold coin is well worth $40.
Newspaper Details
Post Herald and Register
Beckley, West Virginia, US
Sat, Oct 01, 1966
Page 3
Full Page
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USA 02 Feb 2026
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