The Powerhouse ATV Mansion in McDowell County is a true Appalachian Gothic Story—and you can even stay there.
photographed by NIKKI BOWMAN MILLS
THERE AREN’T MANY HOMES LIKE the Powerhouse ATV Mansion in West Virginia—and even fewer that open their doors to overnight guests. Perched high above the mountains of southern West Virginia, the stately mansion is more than a luxury vacation rental. It’s a place where coal wealth, brutal tragedy, financial scandal, and lingering mystery have all left their mark, creating a history as captivating as the home itself.
The home has gone by many names over the years—Jones’ Mansion, Maybeury Mansion, the “Murder Mansion,” and now the Powerhouse Mansion—and each reflects a different chapter in its complicated past. It was once the residence of a coal baron who, local lore claims, sat in his office watching miners file in and out of the coal mine below. Later, it became a family home forever scarred by brutal violence. In the years that followed, the mansion drew ghost hunters chasing stories of footsteps, flickering lights, and unexplained encounters. It also served as a refuge for a powerful bank executive whose own downfall would become part of the house’s dark mythology. Today, the storied estate has entered yet another chapter—welcoming travelers seeking beauty, history, and perhaps a brush with the unknown.
Built in 1893 and sitting on 10 beautiful acres, the mansion originally belonged to the son of coal magnate Jenkin Jones. A coal baron in his own right, James Ellwood Jones invented many machines used in coal mining, including the Jones Coloader, a predecessor of the modern continuous mining machine. It’s clear the wealthy family spared no expense in making this one of the most stunning homes in the state. Sixty-six intricately designed stained glass windows were imported from Scotland to enclose the sun-drenched veranda—a semi-circle ballroom with tongue-and-groove ceiling and flooring that rivals something you’d find in a Vanderbilt mansion. The home’s more than 20 rooms can sleep several generations. And the grounds are their own sight to behold—trellised patios, huge lawns, a pond, benches, and the Hatfield–McCoy trails just a stone’s throw away.
It’s a stunning, striking home that exudes comfort and class—making the grislier parts of its history all the more shocking. On Valentine’s Day 1998, three members of a family who lived in the home were killed by an aggrieved family friend. The murders have become infamous, with reports of apparitions and other unexplained phenomena drawing paranormal enthusiasts from far and wide.
After the murders, turmoil continued to shadow the mansion, which is located off Powerhouse Road, although this time, the darkness came not from violence, but from one of the most infamous financial scandals in the nation’s history. In 1998, the estate was purchased at auction by Billie J. Cherry, thenchairwoman and president of nearby First National Bank of Keystone, just as the institution was beginning to unravel under mounting allegations of fraud. Federal investigators would later discover that more than $515 million was missing from the bank’s books.
Cherry had poured money into restoring the mansion’s faded grandeur, but the revival was shortlived. In 1999, federal authorities seized the bank, and Cherry’s financial empire collapsed overnight—and along with it, the entire town of Keystone. A few years later, Cherry was convicted of embezzlement, mail fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. She died in prison in 2006 at the age of 82, leaving behind lingering questions—and perhaps a few secrets that never left her hilltop estate.
The mansion once again changed hands, returning to someone deeply tied to its history: Judy Henderson McDaniel. She had grown up in the house in the 1950s and ‘60s, and it was her brother and family who were murdered in the home in 1998. McDaniel, who now resides primarily in Florida, continued renovations and opened the home up as a rental property.
Jennifer Justice, executive director of the McDowell County Convention and Visitors Bureau, says McDaniel always welcomed guests with open arms. “She restored the home to its former glory and made it a place people wanted to vacation, unwind, and relax—not just a place that was defined by its scandals.”
The mansion changed hands again in 2025, and today it welcomes ATV riders, history lovers, and curious travelers seeking a one-of-a-kind stay in the rugged mountains of McDowell County. Make it your next vacation spot, your next home base during an outdoor adventure, or your next place to make a wholesome memory—this old house can always use more of those.
114 Papaya Lane, Maybeury, goldandbluecabins.com/property/powerhouse-atv-mansion, @powerhouseatvmoutainresort on FB
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S SUMMER 2026 ISSUE
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