Kearneysville, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Kearneysville is an unincorporated community in Jefferson County
in the U.S. state
of West Virginia
's Eastern Panhandle
. According to the 2000 census
, Kearneysville and its surrounding community has a population of 6,716. Kearneysville is located along West Virginia Route 9 at its intersection with West Virginia Route 480 halfway between Martinsburg
and Charles Town
.
Settlement in the area that later came to be known as Kearneysville began in the mid-18th century. Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
sold land to various settlers, the first of whom was Nicholas Lemen in 1756. The next settler was General Horatio Gates
, an American Revolutionary War
general who named his holdings Traveller's Rest. Following him were Uriah and James Kearney, Sr., for whose family the village was named. The town grew slowly at first, but with the coming of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
in the 1830s, the population increased throughout the county and local farmers began to take advantage of this faster means of transportation. In 1876, Kearneysville was the site of Jefferson's first commercial apple orchard
. Because of its central location in the Panhandle, today Kearneysville is home to the Burr and Bardane Industrial Parks and is one of the fastest growing areas of Jefferson County with its many expansive residential communities such as Chapel View and the Village of Washington Trail.
Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 53,498. Its county seat is Charles Town...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
's Eastern Panhandle
Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and...
. According to the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, Kearneysville and its surrounding community has a population of 6,716. Kearneysville is located along West Virginia Route 9 at its intersection with West Virginia Route 480 halfway between Martinsburg
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
and Charles Town
Charles Town, West Virginia
Charles Town is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,907 at the 2000 census. Due to its similar name, travelers have sometimes confused this city with the state's capital, Charleston.-History:...
.
Settlement in the area that later came to be known as Kearneysville began in the mid-18th century. Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and of Catherine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway....
sold land to various settlers, the first of whom was Nicholas Lemen in 1756. The next settler was General Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga – Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg – and...
, an American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
general who named his holdings Traveller's Rest. Following him were Uriah and James Kearney, Sr., for whose family the village was named. The town grew slowly at first, but with the coming of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
in the 1830s, the population increased throughout the county and local farmers began to take advantage of this faster means of transportation. In 1876, Kearneysville was the site of Jefferson's first commercial apple orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
. Because of its central location in the Panhandle, today Kearneysville is home to the Burr and Bardane Industrial Parks and is one of the fastest growing areas of Jefferson County with its many expansive residential communities such as Chapel View and the Village of Washington Trail.
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
| Site | Year Built | Address | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elmwood-on-the-Opequon Elmwood-on-the-Opequon Elmwood-on-the-Opequon is a United States National Register of Historic Places property near Kearneysville, West Virginia.... |
3898 Sulphur Springs Road | 2006 | |
| John VanMetre House John VanMetre House The John VanMetre House is a log and brick Federal-style house built in Kearneysville, Berkeley County, West Virginia around 1780, and enlarged with a log ell about 1800. Also on the property is a log smoke house, timber frame barn, and two sheds.... |
177 Elsie Drive | 2004 | |
| Rellim Farm (Miller Farm) Rellim Farm The Rellim Farm near Kearneysville, West Virginia is a farm and orchard complex which was once part of the nearby Traveller's Rest property. The upper Shenandoah Valley region supports a significant fruit industry, and Rellim Farm is a representative example of this form of agriculture, the... |
late 19th century | Leetown Road (CR 1) | 1998 |
| Sunnyside Farm (William A. Fulk House) Sunnyside Farm (Leetown, West Virginia) Sunnyside Farm is a farm near Kearneysville, West Virginia, United States, that is principally associated with William Fulk's dairy farming operation. The farm has a full complement of buildings associated with dairying, including the main house , smokehouse , milk house... |
mid 19th century | Leetown Road (CR 1) | 1999 |
| Traveller's Rest (General Horatio Gates House) | circa 1773 | WV 480 | 1972 |
| Woodlawn (Wiltshire House) Woodlawn (Kearneysville, West Virginia) Woodlawn, also known as Wiltshire House or Wiltshire Farm, was built circa 1820, one of four homes within a two-mile radius by James Hurst, a significant landowner in Jefferson County. Hurst built the first three houses for his children on his "LaGrange" plantation around 1811, including "Snow... |
19th century | 30 Wiltshire Road | 2000 |