WV Historical Markers - Let's Find All 700

(Notes from www.wvexp.com)

A community in Lewis County, Jane Lew, WV was laid out in 1835 by Lewis Maxwell, member of Congress from Virginia, 1827-1833. The town was not incorporated until 1907. Jane Lew is named in honor of Jane Lewis, mother of the founder of the town. The Clarksburg, Weston, and Glenville Railroad completed a narrow gauge railroad line from Clarksburg to Jane Lew on August 9, 1879.

Jane Lew is located on Rt 19 about 8 miles north of Weston. Easy access off I-79 Exit 105.




Historical Marker located on Rt 19 in downtown Jane Lew, on the north side of the Hacker's Creek bridge (about 100 feet away from the previous Gen Lightburn marker).

Edmund West's Fort 1770-1779. A stockaded fort located on Hacker's Creek. Used by the VA State Militia 1776-1779, known as Fort West at the time. Indians burned the fort and the settlers fled. Some returned and built Beech's Fort (1780-1793) a half-mile downstream.




View looking north on Rt 19 over Hacker's Creek into downtown Jane Lew.

The Weston State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital operated by the state of West Virginia from 1864-1994. The hospital was authorized by the Virginia General Assembly in the early 1850s as the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Construction began in late 1858, using prison labor. A local newpaper reported "seven convict negroes" as the first labor force to arrive at the site. Skilled stonemasons were brought in from Germany and Ireland. Work was interrupted by the Civil War. After the war, the state of Virginia demanded the unused construction funds be returned. The 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry seized the money from a local bank and delivered it to a bank north in Wheeling, where it was safe from Virginia's efforts to reclaim it. Now named the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane, the first patients were admitted in October 1864, although construction continued until 1881. The main building is one of the largest hand-cut stone buildings in the United States. The hospital was intended to be self-sufficient, with a farm, dairy, waterworks, and cemetery located near the facility. The name was changed again to the Weston State Hospital in 1913.

Originally designed to house 250 patients, there were as many as 2,400 patients in the 1950s. Included in the population were "epileptics, alcoholics, drug addicts, and non-educable mental defectives". :eek1 (I guess the concept of 'Politically Correct' verbage had not been introduced yet) Overcrowding and sanitation problems forced changes to be made. In 1986, Governor Arch Moore authorized the building of a new facility, the William R. Sharp Jr. Hospital, also built in Weston.

Closed in 1994, the buildings sat empty for several years. It was heavily vandalized in 1999 by a large group of paint-ball "warriors", which turned out to include over 20 local law-enforcement officers. :huh

Purchased in 2007 by Joe Jordan, a Morgantown contractor, the hospital is now partially re-opened for tours as restoration work continues. Renamed Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. (Notes from Wikipedia)


http://www.trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com/





Historical Marker #1, located on Rt 119 on the north-west corner of the main building.




View of Marker #1 with the north end of the complex visible in the background.



Historical Marker #2 located at the corner of Rt 119 and the street that runs in front of the main complex (sorry, I forgot to write down the street name).




View of Marker #2 and the north-east end of the building complex.





View of the main entrance.

Located on CR 1 south of Jackson's Mill appx 3 miles at Turnertown. This marker is listed as missing in the WV records, but, as you can see, is present and accounted for. [Edit - Jan 26: Mr Geiger emailed me that this sign was recently replaced - it had been missing for some time] Here's a bit of information about Paulser Butcher copied from the website listed below:

Notes for PAULSER BUTCHER:
Paulser was born as Balthaser Metzger in Frederick Co., MD. 26 Jan 1753. He was baptised at the Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church on 3 Mar 1753. He was sponsored by Balthasar Bach and the single daughter Maria Elisabeth Fautin. Paulser or Balser is a nickname of Balthasar for in German "b's" and "p's" are pronounced the same.

He served as a soldier in the Rangers & Spies company which was made up of the best riflemen and outdoorsman. In "Border Settlers of Northwestern VA" pg 445 - stated 20 Dec 1838, = David W. Sleeth of Licking Co.,OH then - "was well spoken of in connection with his testimony for Jacob Bush and perhaps others, and he seemed to stand well with the settlers in general. Mrs. Elizabeth Butcher, John Cutright and Mrs, Phoebe Cunningham testified in behalf of Sleeth. Mrs. Butcher was the widow of Paulcer Butcher, a member of the same company of spies with Sleeth, who was a resident on Leading Creek in Lewis Co., 1834. "


The tombstone in Butcher Cemetery said "born in England". That is wrong.
The will of Pauler was probated Sept court 1832. He d.in 1829 Weston, Lewis Co., WV.
He is buried in Butcherville, near Weston, Lewis, WV. Directions --
"At the corner of Main Ave. and Fourth St. in Weston, Lewis Co., WV, Road (west side of the river going north and numbered County Rt.1) Go to Turnertown. In Turnertown take the first side street to the right, beside Brooks Body Shop. Cross the railroad tracks, continue past the first side street, turn right at the 2nd side street. Proceed on this street until you reach cemetery at the end of the street. There is a parking lot at the cemetery. The cemetery is in good condition and is still being used as a burial ground. It is commonly known as the Butchersille or Butcher Cemetery. In the center, is found one of the oldest stones we have seen so far. It was hand carved fieldstone..." This headstone they are refering to is that of George B. Bush, wo was said to be related to Paulser's wife, Elizabeth Bush. The little diagram of this says "Died George B. Bush in the 107th year of his age Febry 17, 1813."
There is a little community of houses in Butchersville and border the cemetery. It is a very old cemetery but there are some much newer graves in it. It is said that if you don't have directions to this cemetery, you never would find it.
There is a star on the headstone of Paulser's grave and it is believed that was done to all who were veterans of our wars. Adam Flesher, neighbor and son of Paulser's closest friend was honored with a DAR marker on his grave in the Butcher cemetery in Turnertown, Lewis Co., WV. They lived on the West Fork River at the mouth of Stone Coal Creek.. This includes much of the town of Weston today. In those days, there were forts every ten or twenty miles because of the Indian problem. This Butcher cemetery is also called Riverside and is right off of Old Mill Road. See picture in the scrapbook of that cemetery.

Prior notes from website: http://home.comcast.net/~toppline/butcher.htm




Historical Marker located on CR 1 appx 3 miles south of Jackson's Mill. From Rt 19, go past the Historic Jackson's Mill area to the end of the road (1/2 mile). Turn left (south) on CR 1.




Located on a nice County Road with lots of houses and driveways. Watch for vehicles entering/exiting road. The marker is located on a wooded hillside.



The road up the hill to the cemetery was a sheet of ice. :eek1 Not today, folks. It's a good excuse to ride back down here in the spring.

Located about 5 miles north of Weston, Jackson's Mill is now a WVU-Sponsored 4-H Camp and Historic Area.

From the website: Historic Jackson's Mill probably would not exist were it not for its association with General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, but he is only a part of the story. His grandparents, Edward and Elizabeth Brake Jackson, settled on this land in 1801 and soon constructed a log cabin and gristmill. Eventually the family businesses grew to include grist and saw mills, carpenter and blacksmith shops, and a store. Milling was an important industry in the frontier economy. The Jacksons were active in regional politics as well. These two things combined to make the Jackson homestead a central meeting place for the area's settlers.

To read more of the history of Jackson's Mill: http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/depts/jmill/jmhist.htm

To read more about the Historic Area: http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/depts/jmill/jmh_area.htm





Historic Marker #1 - Located on Rt 19 about 2 miles north of Weston.




Marker #1 - Looking northbound on Rt 19.




Historical Marker #2 - Located at turnoff of CR 12 off of Rt 19 about 5 miles north of Weston.




View of Marker #2 looking north/west on CR 12 from junction of Rt 19.




Historical Marker #3 - Located across the road from the Historical Area on CR 12, about 3 miles from Rt 19. Yes, the sign is laying down in the grass. The metal pole had rusted through and the sign had fallen into the grass. The staff at Jackson's Mill moved the sign to their storage area until the state can come by to make the repairs.

On the opposite side of the sign, it reads: Two miles west in the old Jackson Cemetery are buried Colonel Edward Jackson and Elizabeth Jackson, the grandparents of General Stonewall Jackson with whom he lived until he became a Cadet at West Point Military Academy.




The base of the sign had rusted through. Help is on the way, though.

After I took this photo, the WVU Program Specialist and I discussed the best way to store the marker to keep it from being damaged or stolen. After agreeing to keep it in the Jackson's Mill facility, I departed with contact information to pass on to Mr Geiger in Charleston. Unfortunately, I realized later that I did not take a photo of the mill, only one photo of the entrance to the Historic Area. There are photos on the website links above.



Entrance to the Historic Area.

(Visit the Library website: http://louisbennett.lib.wv.us/ )

The description written on the history page of the website is a copy of the sign (or visa versa?)



Historical Marker located in front of the library on Court St. in downtown Weston.



What a beautiful building!!

Weston is an interesting town to walk around in and explore. Nice riding in and out on Rt 19.

Weston (Pop 4317) was founded in 1817 as "Prestonville", soon changed to "Fleshersville", then "Weston" in 1819. Home of the former Weston State Hospital (See previous post). Located 3 miles west off of I-79 Exit 99.

For more information on Weston - click here for Wikipedia article.

For the Lewis County Convention and Visitors' Bureau - click here.

Weston is an interesting town to walk around. Nice riding in and out on Rt 19.




Historical Marker located at courthouse on Center St.

To read more about Alexander Scott Withers and "Chronicles of Border Warfare" - click here.




View of marker and County Court House.




Front view of court house. Nice!

Near Elk City in Barbour County, between Clarksburg and Philippi (closer to Philippi). This area is where Revolutionary War Patriot Jacob Christlieb settled with his family (wife, 7 daughters and 7 sons) after emigrating from Germany in 1765. The County Road was icy, so I decided to wait on riding back to the cemetery. For a brief history of the area and photos of the cemetery, click the following link:

http://pages.prodigy.net/jeffchristlieb/ccc/ccc-hollow.html




Historical Marker located on Rt 57 near Elk City, about 3 miles west of the junction with Rt 119.



View of Rt 57 looking westbound toward Clarksburg. CR57/8 to the right leads to the cemetery, but it was too icy for me today.

Rt 57 is a nice ride. I usally take this section as I'm heading toward Seneca - from Clarksburg to Philippi to Belington to Elkins.

Henry Everett Engle is credited with writing the music for the poem "The West Virginia Hills" in 1885, which became our first (of three) official State Songs. The poem was written by Ellen King. There is disagreement over who actually wrote the words - many (including the Historical Marker-maker) believe it was Ellen King's husband, Rev David King.

Words of "The West Virginia Hills"

Oh, the West Virginia hills! How majestic and how grand,
With their summits bathed in glory, Like our Prince Immanuel's Land!
Is it any wonder then, That my heart with rapture thrills,
As I stand once more with loved ones On those West Virginia hills?

CHORUS:
Oh, the hills, beautiful hills, How I love those West Virginia hills!
If o'er sea o'er land I roam, Still I'll think of happy home,
And my friends among the West Virginia hills.

Oh, the West Virginia hills! Where my childhood hours were passed,
Where I often wandered lonely, And the future tried to cast;
Many are our visions bright, Which the future ne'er fulfills;
But how sunny were my daydreams On those West Virginia hills!

CHORUS:

Oh, the West Virginia hills! How unchang'd they seem to stand,
With their summits pointed skyward To the Great Almighty's Land!
Many changes I can see, Which my heart with sadness fills;
But no changes can be noticed In those West Virginia hills.

CHORUS:

Oh, the West Virginia hills! I must bid you now adieu.
In my home beyond the mountains I shall ever dream of you;
In the evening time of life, If my Father only wills,
I shall still behold the vision Of those West Virginia hills.

Source: http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/song/wv_hills.htm

There is no record or listing of the original house still standing, so I'm assuming that it is long gone. If I'm wrong, please let me know.




Historical Marker along Rt 119 about 5 miles southwest of Philippi, about 2 miles southwest of the junction with Rt 57.




View northeast on Rt 119 toward Philippi.

Perhaps one of the most recognizable landmarks in West Virginia (along with the New River Gorge Bridge and Seneca Rocks), the Covered Bridge at Philippi has witnessed history unfold for over 150 years.

Originally authorized in 1852 by the General Assembly of Virginia, it was to be one of two covered bridges on the Beverly to Fairmont Turnpike. (The 2nd bridge was built across the West Fork River at Hunsakers Ferry. The contract was awarded to Lemuel Chenowith, who had built several other bridges for the turnpike. It is built entirely of wood (yellow poplar, except for the iron bolts used to fasten the sections together), and is 26 feet wide and 285 feet long.

At first, there was a tollgate on the east end of the bridge. The toll for a horse and rider was 10 cents, carriage with 2 horses was 35 cents, each head of cattle was 1-1/2 cents, and a score of sheep was 5 cents.

The bridge was the site of the first land battle of the Civil War. On June 3, 1861, Union troops surprised the Confederates under the command of Col George Porterfield. Union troops took command of the bridge and used it as their barracks.

The Philippi Covered Bridge has endured floods, fires, and structural modifications. Renovations to the bridge in 1938 replaced the wooden deck with concrete. On February 2, 1989, the bridge was severely damaged by fire from a nearby gas station. An extensive $1.4 million restoration project was begun by local preservationists with the goal of restoring the bridge to its original condition.

Members of the West Virginia Forestry Association, who had a special affection for the sturdy wooden bridge, furnished yellow poplar logs, 3-1/2 feet across, to replace structural members which could not be repaired. Because the logs were too large for modern sawmills, a special sawmill was set up in near by Belington to saw the logs into rough shapes and sizes. Local carpenters learned restoration techniques and 19th century carpentry methods for the project. Using hand tools, they fashioned the beams. Forestry Association members also contributed the horizontal poplar siding and poplar shingles for the roof.
The historic Philippi Covered Bridge was reopened for public use on September 16, 1991.

To read more, click here: http://www.philippi.org/history.htm




The Historical Marker is located on the east end of the bridge (town side) at the junction of Rt 119 and Rt 250.




View of the bridge from the east end.




View through the bridge approaching from the east end.





Close up view of the inside. Contrast original timbers with new ones from the '89 fire.


I have probably passed through the Philippi bridge a thousand times, travelling between Clarksburg and Petersburg since I was an infant, to my Grandparents' farm. It was always a sign that we were close to home when returning from Petersburg. The thrill of going through the bridge never goes away. Many great memories here!

Located on the campus of Alderson-Broaddus College. (Moved from original location in Volga about 8 miles to the southwest. Most noted alumni - Dr Arch Hall, who performed the first open heart surgery in the US. :eek1



Historical Marker (side 1) located on the campus of A-B College. From the turnoff of Rt 119, make the first left onto the campus. Follow the main road around the campus for about 1/2 mile as it loops slowly to the left. At the first stop sign, turn right. The school is about 100 years ahead, in pretty plain view.




Side 2 of the same marker.





View of the school.





View from the rear of the school, looking out to the campus of Alderson-Broaddus College.





The school was locked when I stopped by, so I borrowed this photo of the inside from the Barbour Co Chamber of Commerce website.

(Inside photo from: http://www.barbourchamber.com/historic.htm

The Battle of Philippi, also called The Philippi Races, was fought on June 3, 1861, in and around Philippi, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Western Virginia Campaign of the Civil War. It was the first organized land action in the Eastern Theater of the war.

To read more details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Philippi_(West_Virginia)

http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/wv/wv001.html

http://www.barbourcountywveda.org/firstlandbattle.cfm


One interesting sideline to the historic data: One of the injured was young Confederate James E. Hanger, an 18-year old college student. After recovering, Hanger returned to his hometown in Virginia. He made an artificial leg for himself from barrel staves with a hinge at the knee. His design worked so well, the West Virginia State Legislature commissioned him to manufacture the “Hanger Limb” for other wounded Civil War veterans. Mr. Hanger patented his prosthetic device and founded what is now the Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. As of 2007,Hanger Orthopedic Group is the United States market leader in the manufacture of artificial limbs.
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I'm not even going to pretend to be a Civil War historian, and know very little about that period in history. I am truly a fish out of water in this area. This project, though, is helping me learn more about our past. This one marker alone could be a long and elaborate thread by itself. Hopefully, these links will help guide folks who want to study this more in depth.




Historical Marker is located 1/4 mile north of the Philippi Bridge on Rt 119. (See previous post on Philippi Covered Bridge)





The Historical Marker is located on a turnoff with another marker for W.D. Zinn (see below)





Historical Marker located at the same turnout as the "First Land Battle" (above). William Davidson Zinn was the author of "The Story of Woodbine Farm", printed by K. Reger in 1931.

Meadowville is located on Rt 92 about 6 miles north of Belington.

(The following notes are paraphrased from "The Handbook of the Linguistic Atlas of the Middles and South Atlantic States" by Kretzschmar, McDavid, Lerud, and Johnson) Click Here and go to Page 273.

Meadowville, originally Glady Creek, was settled in the 1780s and 1790s, and in 1904 was still listed as a post village. Area was originally West Augusta County, Virginia. Fort built in 1784 by Henry Phillips, Welshman. Lumber, corn, potatoes, wheat, beef, and dairy were important resources in the area. Southern terminus for B&O and West Virginia Central Railroads. In 1940, most homes were farms and there were 5 churches. By 1974, few farms and only 1 church remain.




Historical Marker is actually located 6 miles south of Meadowville in Belington, about 50 meters north of the junction of Rt 250 and Rt 92. This is the view northbound toward Meadowville.




View north on Rt 92 - in Belington. Meadowville is 6 miles ahead (north).




Meadowville, WV. Nice, quiet community away from the hustle and bustle.

Rt 92 is a nice ride from Belington up to Grafton (you will pass the Anna Jarvis House - see previous post - about 10 miles ahead).

I thought I'd post this one from this past Saturday 2/7. It's been posted before but from a different season.




And it's neighbor:



And the road leading to it's subject:

Philippi - Pop 2,870. Lies on the Tygart Valley River about 15 miles south of Tygart Lake and Grafton. Junction of Rt 250 and Rt 119.

Much of the history of Philippi corresponds to what was written on the Covered Bridge at Philippi post a little earlier. The covered bridge and Alderson-Broaddus College are probably the two main attractions in the town.

To read more about Philippi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippi,_West_Virginia

http://www.philippi.org/




Historical Marker located right on Main St about 1/4 mile from the covered bridge. (In front of County Court House) The judge must have been either well-liked or very influential, since a city and 2 counties are named after him.




View of Barbour County Court House and marker.




View of Main St. Philippi looking toward the covered bridge (just to the left of the white church at the end of the street).


We passed through Philippi hundreds (thousands???) of times on our way from Clarksburg to Petersburg and back to visit my grandparents since I was born. There's a good restaurant on the southeast of town about 2 miles out on Rt 250 - The Philippi Inn. I haven't eaten there in years, but I hear it's still good. A real old-fashioned family restaurant.

Located at the junction of Rt 250 and Rt 92, about 15 miles northwest of Elkins. Population in the year 2000 was 1,788.

After the "Philippi Races" (first land battle of the Civil War fought in nearby Philippi to the north, the defeated Confederate forces retreated south to the Belington area and Laurel Hill. (See posts on Laurel Hill coming soon)

Belington is also one of the gateways to Audra State Park located about 8 miles west.




Historical Marker located along Rt 250/92, the main route through Belington, about 100 yards south of the stoplight.




View north along Crim Ave (Rt 250/92) into downtown Belington.


To read more about Belington: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belington,_West_Virginia

After retreating from Philippi, Confederate forces under the command of Gen Robert Garnett camped on Laurel Hill just southeast of Belington. Here, they established a stronghold waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

To read a very thorough history of the area: http://www.wvculture.org/history/journal_wvh/wvh28-1.html

For a shorter version:
http://www.battleoflaurelhill.org/index.htm (Click on the "History" tab)

Again, I will say I am no expert on history, so I am condensing what I've learned and giving you links to read "the rest of the story".

Just south of Belington, turn east on CR 15, a scenic but narrow and winding road through old farmland. Just when you think you've taken a wrong turn and are lost, the first marker appears.




First Historical Marker is located on CR 15 about 3 miles from Rt 250/92. Turn in at the Belington Industrial Park sign, go 1/2 mile and turn left at the intersection. Go another 1/2 mile and turn right. You are now on CR 15.




View southeast on CR 15 at first marker.





Second Marker is located on CR 15 about 1 mile past the first one.




View of Marker #2 and a bit of CR 15. Laurel Hill extends to the right.





View to the right of the previous photo looking up on Laurel Hill. Directly behind me at this point is the next photo.



This man-made pond is on the site of the Confederate campgrounds, which extended to the hillsides in all directions.

On July 11, 1861, within earshot of Laurel Hill, Union General McClellan’s troops won a decisive battle at Rich Mountain. General Garnett abruptly found his army cut off at Laurel Hill. In a desperate bid to escape, he retreated east along a rugged mountain trace to Corricks Ford on Shavers Fork of Cheat River.

At that swollen river crossing, Garnett was killed while defending the rear guard of his army—the first general to fall in action during the Civil War. His remnant force abandoned huge quantities of equipment and fled, demoralized.

This is an interesting area to visit and to ride. CR 15 goes through all the way to Elkins, and when I have more time, I would like to ride the entire length (about 15 miles).

​

I'm finally finding time to finish posting photos from last week. Work keeps getting in the way of my riding and posting .

Located on Rt 38 about 3 miles west of the Tucker Co / Barbour Co line. Rt 38 is a great ride from Philippi over to St George (just north of Parsons). It's a great alternative to the over-used Philippi-Belington-Elkins route to Harmon and Seneca Rocks coming eastbound from Clarksburg. (Once you're in Parsons, try Rt 72 over to Canaan if you're not in a hurry!)

For a detailed story of the operation of this furnace and others like it, click the following link:

http://www.appaltree.net/aba/education/historical/ironworks/ironworks1.htm





Historical Marker located on Rt 38 at the Valley Furnace located in ..... Valley Furnace, WV.




View eastbound on Rt 38 heading toward Tucker Co.





The ol' furnace.




I couldn't resist throwing this one in - the view across the highway from the furnace. Nice!

its febuary and i know of 20+ in the northern panhandle,
i also know alot of history written and unwritten. my grandfather is of blackfoot and cherokee blood so he loved to tell the stories of olden days.
soon as the weather breaks i will start posting

Thank you - Grazie - Merci - Danke.

Welcome! I got off work a little early yesterday and picked up 4 markers just west of Clarksburg, but need to find time to edit and post.

Located on the Harrison Co side of the border with Doddridge Co in the town of Industrial (Really!!), this facility was originally a girls' counterpart to Pruntytown (see earlier post). Now, it houses boys and girls.

The WV Industrial Home for Youth is the state&#8217;s only maximum security correctional facility for juvenile offenders. It houses male offenders age 10-21 and female offenders age 12-21.

To read more about the WVIHY, please click here.




Historical Marker located on Industrial Blvd, south of CR 50-28 on the west side of Salem just as you are leaving town.




View of the marker and Industrial Blvd. Out of respect for the posted rules, I did not photograph toward the facility to the left about 200-300 yards - located on the top of the hill. CR 50-28 is about 200 yards north from where I'm standing.


Since this is a Correctional Facility, no photographs are allowed, even from the roadside. There are several photos on their website, however. To view photos of the WVIHY, please click here. Then, click on the photo link.