Berkeley County Historical Society The Berkeley County Historical Society is a focus group dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of history in Berkeley County West Virginia. Its mission is to: Develop the Belle Boyd House as an educational center depository for historical papers and materials; restore and protect the artifacts, documents, and manuscripts; write, research, publish and continue to develop architectural and genealogical materials for public access and catalog and document all artifacts and items donated or loaned to the Berkeley County Historical Society. Historical Society hours of operation in the Belle Boyd House at 126 E. Race Street in Martinsburg, WV, and the Archives and Research Center at 136 E. Race Street are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They are closed Wednesday, Sunday, all major holidays, and the last two weeks of December. Contact the Society by phone 304.267.4713; email, bchs15@earthlink.net; or mail P.O Box 1624 Martinsburg, WV, 25402
Charles Town Historic Landmarks Commission. Work in Progress. More to be added later.
Civil War Discovery Trail, Martinsburg
Friends of Shannondale Springs
The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War The mission of the Center is to promote scholarly research of the Civil War through the development of a database on which will be stored pertinent military, socio-economic, and medical data on Union and Confederate servicemen, with initial emphasis on West Virginia's soldiers. As this data is collected, it will be disseminated via current electronic technologies and through a series of seminars and publications. Most especially, the Center has the mission to develop educational programs on the Civil War era -- focusing on the information stored on the database -- for both secondary and undergraduate levels as well as programs for adult continuing education and teacher training. The Center is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, along the banks of the Potomac River about sixty miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
Harper's Ferry Civil War Round Table
Harpers Ferry Historical Association
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, is like stepping into the past. Whether you stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike our trails and battlefields, Harpers Ferry offers a wide variety of experiences for visitors of all ages. Discover Harpers Ferry and see if you agree with Thomas Jefferson who wrote, the scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic.
Historic Shepherdstown Commission
Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission The Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission is a governmental agency in Jefferson County, West Virginia. The five landmarks commission members are appointed by the Jefferson County Commission and serve three-year terms. The Landmarks Commission is a certified, tax-exempt local government. It is not affiliated with the Jefferson County Historical Society. Current commission members include: John Allen, (Chairman), Walter Washington, Carmen Creamer, Don Amoroso, and Walton (Kip) Stowall. The Landmarks Commission has a volunteer workforce which is involved in architectural surveys, mapping, archeology, restoration, maintenance, interpretation and promotion.
Jefferson County Listener on the Web The Jefferson County Listener provides on-line information to help protect scenic, rural, historic & cultural resources in Jefferson County and examines contemporary issues concerning development, preservation and similar concerns affecting the quality of life in the Eastern Panhandle.
Jefferson County Museum The Jefferson County Museum contains artifacts from the early Native Americans up to World War II, including Civil War relics and uniforms, fine silver and china, photographs, antique dolls and toys, engravings and many other beautiful and historical items. The museum is located at 200 East Washington Street, Charles Town WV, 25414 and can be reached at 304.725.8628 or email Curator@JeffCtyWVMuseum.org
Morgan County Historical and Genealogical Society
The Mosby Heritage Area The Mosby Heritage Area encompasses all, or a portion, of the counties of Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William, Warren, Clarke and Rappahannock in Virginia as well as a portion of Jefferson County, West Virginia. The Mosby Heritage Area Association creates awareness of this distinctive area, educates the public about its unique qualities, and promotes its preservation. Visitors resources such as brochures, driving tours, and audiotape tours of Civil War highlights are provided on the web site which assist the reader to explore the Mosby Heritage Area. In addition, a list of events celebrating the history of the area and a description of the MHAA's exciting and ambitious program focusing on Education & Awareness, Heritage Tourism and Advocacy for Preservation initiatives are provided.
http://www.nationaltrust.org/southern/index.html
Preservationdirectory.com is an online resource for historic preservation, building restoration and cultural resource management in the United States & Canada. Its goal is to foster the preservation of historic buildings, historic downtowns and neighborhoods, cultural resources and to promote heritage tourism by facilitating communication among historic preservation professionals and the general public.
http://www.preservationweb.com/
http://www.preservenet.cornell.edu/
The Rumseian Society Shepherdstown
The Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association Inc. (SBPA), organized in 2004, is a non-profit, Section 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to saving and preserving the site of the 1862 Battle of Shepherdstown. SBPA has preserved 84 acres by way of conservation easements granted by members who own property on the site. The organization's goal is to save about 1/2 the battlefield or about 300 acres, which is in relatively pristine condition.. For more information and to purchase the book entitled: Shepherdstown: Last Clash of the Antietam Campaign September 19 – 20, 1862 ; please visit
Shepherd University History Department Shepherd's location on the banks of the Potomac and in the lower Shenandoah Valley provides a setting especially conducive to historical study. The many Native American names on the landscape provide evidence of the earliest dwellers of the area. The oldest town in West Virginia, Shepherdstown is a living museum of architecture and material culture. George Washington, as a lad of 16, surveyed many square miles of the Valley for Lord Fairfax and later encouraged several of his brothers to purchase land and establish plantations here. James Rumsey built and operated the first steamboat here, and the contending forces of the Civil War fought the deadliest battle in American history across the river at Antietam. Three national historical parks are nearby: the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam. Other parks, historical sites, museums, and the major research repositories of the Library of Congress and the National Archives are within a reasonable drive or accessible by commuter train. The department offers a broad range of courses in American, Latin American, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern history and an academic focus on both Civil War and Nineteenth Century America is available.
South Jefferson Public Library The South Jefferson Public Library, located at 49 Church Street, Summit Point, WV 25446 is open Mondays and Wednesdays 10-6; Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-8; Saturdays 10-3 and Sundays 1-5pm. It is closed Fridays. It contains several reference books concerning the history of Jefferson County.
USGenWeb Project is a massive all-volunteer effort to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. The Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free genealogy access for everyone. Organization is by county and state. The website provides links to all the state genealogy websites which, in turn, provide gateways to the counties. Both Jefferson and Berkeley counties are included in the project and since Jefferson County was partitioned out of Berkeley County in 1801, descriptions of both GenWeb county web sites are included below.
- Jefferson County RootsWeb Project The Jefferson County Rootsweb site is a collection of titles that may assist individuals find information useful in genealogical research.
- Berkeley County WV Rootsweb Project Berkeley County is the second oldest county in what is now West Virginia. It was created in 1772 while part of the state of Virginia, carved out from the northern third of Frederick County, Virginia. The county seat was established in the colonial village of Martinsburg and was incorporated in 1778. During the Civil War, Berkeley County, still a part of Virginia, experienced conflict and much destruction. After November 1863, Berkeley County became part of the new state of West Virginia. Many Quakers and Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, along with the English and Dutch, became county residents in the early 1700's. The county has a long history and many historic and architecturally important building.
The Washingtons of Jefferson County is an on-line chronological summary of events concerning the many members of the Washington family who settled in the county. It is based on an interview with John Augustine Washington conducted in 2001 and discusses many little-known facets of the Washington family history in the county.
West Virginia Division of Culture and History Historic Sites and Museums
White House Farm White House Farm, one of the earliest farms in the County, is located near the small town of Summit Point. As shown in the collection of pictures on the site, the farm consists of a ca. 1742 farmhouse, a stone barn and springhouse of about the same age, a wooden smokehouse, and 60+ acres of pasture and woods.
On June 17, 1730, John and Isaac VanMeter petitioned the Virginia Colony Council for 40,000 acres in the Shenandoah Valley. In 1731 they transferred 30,000 acres to Jost Hite, a German immigrant, under a patent. The land, then located in Orange County, Virginia, was surveyed by Robert Brooke on 26 March 1734. In May 1740, Mr. Hite sold 395 acres to Dr. John McCormick, a Scots-Irishman. for 8 pounds, 5 shillings. By 1742, Dr. McCormick had built a three-story stone farmhouse. Dr. McCormick was a prosperous and prominent country doctor, as evidenced by the inventory of his estate completed upon his death in 1768. His will and the administrations are found in the Frederick County archives in Winchester, VA. He and his wife Ann had 6 sons (James, Francis, John Jr., William, George, and Andrew) and two daughters (Mary, wife of Magnus Tate, and Jean, wife of James Byrn). James McCormick served as the chain carrier and John Jr. as the pilot on several of George Washington's surveys and White House Farm was noted for the horses bred there during Dr. McCormick's lifetime.
WV State Historic Preservation Office The mission of the Division of Culture and History's State Historic Preservation Office is to encourage, inform, support, and participate in the efforts of the people of West Virginia to identify, recognize, preserve and protect West Virginia's prehistoric and historic structures, objects and sites. The value of historic and prehistoric properties is intrinsic and therefore worthy of protection. Their preservation can stabilize neighborhoods, stimulate private investment, provide affordable housing, revitalize downtown activities, attract tourists and enhance community pride. Our office works toward achievement of these goals.
The Office administers both the state and federal historic preservation programs. Our office aids federal and state agencies, local governments and the general public in identifying and preserving the physical historic and prehistoric resources of West Virginia. If you can't find the information you need here on the site, you can email a question to shpo @ wvculture.org.
