How high was Black Mountain in Kentucky before they strip mined it?

Black Mountain in Kentucky is generally reported as 4,145 feet at the summit, though some Kentucky sources use 4,139 feet for the high-point marker or conservation easement description. The mining article I found says the mountain’s summit was “over 4,000 feet” before strip mining, but it does not give a precise pre-mining height for the mountain itself.

What can be said confidently

• Highest point today: 4,145 feet, according to USGS-based references.

• Some state materials: 4,139 feet, likely reflecting a specific marked point or administrative description rather than the surveyed summit.

• Before strip mining: the available source only states the summit was over 4,000 feet before mining, not an exact pre-strip-mining number.

Plain answer

If you mean the mountain’s summit before strip mining , the safest answer from the available source is: a little over 4,000 feet, and probably around 4,145 feet at the true summit.

TL;DR: Black Mountain’s true summit is about 4,145 feet , but I could only verify that it was over 4,000 feet before strip mining—not an exact earlier figure.