Gerrardstown, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Gerrardstown is an unincorporated
village
located along West Virginia Route 51 in Berkeley County
in the U.S. state
of West Virginia
's Eastern Panhandle. It was laid out in 1784 by David Gerrard and served as the site of the first Baptist
church west of the Blue Ridge Mountains
. Gerrardstown was designated as a National Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1991. Many of the village's original buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries remain. According to the 2000 census
, the Gerrardstown community has a population of 3,565.
applied to the Berkeley County
Planning Board to open a quarry, "North Mountain Shale, LLC," in Gerrardstown. The community instantly protested the approval of the building permit, due to the harsh amounts of pollution that would be blown into the air, and the possibility of nearby Mill Creek
being polluted. Some residents of Gerrardstown use spigots to deliver water from Mill Creek. Parents in the Gerrardstown and Inwood
areas protested because of the air pollution that could be harmful to children while on the playgrounds at nearby schools Gerrardstown Elementary School and Mountain Ridge Intermediate School. As of May 2009, no decisions have been made to the building of North Mountain Shale, and a protest by the community is still posted and being signed.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located along West Virginia Route 51 in Berkeley County
Berkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
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. It was laid out in 1784 by David Gerrard and served as the site of the first Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church west of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
. Gerrardstown was designated as a National Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1991. Many of the village's original buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries remain. 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...
, the Gerrardstown community has a population of 3,565.
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
| Site | Year Built | Address | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbellton (Captain James Campbell House) | circa 1780 | CR 37 | 1980 |
| Cool Spring Farm (Zackquill Morgan Zackquill Morgan Colonel Zackquill Morgan was a son of Welsh-born Colonel Morgan Morgan, the first known white settler in what would become the U.S. state of West Virginia, and his wife, Catherine Garretson. Zackquill Morgan's very unusual Christian name is spelled many different ways in old records... House) |
1761 | Runnymede Road (CR 26) | 1994 |
| Gerrardstown Historic District | 18th-19th centuries | WV 51 and Virginia Line Road | 1991 |
| Hays-Gerrard House (Gerrard House) | 1743 | Congress Street | 1985 |
| Marshy Dell (McKown, Gilbert and Samuel House) | late 18th century | WV 51 | 1984 |
| Mountain View Farm (Washington Gold House) | 1854 | CR 51/2 | 1984 |
| Oban Hall (Mary Park Wilson House) | 1825 | CR 51/2 | 1985 |
| Prospect Hill (William Wilson House) | 1795 | WV 51 | 1984 |
Continental Brick Protests
In May 2008, Continental BrickContinental Clay Brick Plant
The Continental Clay Brick Plant in Martinsburg, West Virginia includes a number of beehive brick kilns. Originally coal-fired, then converted to natural gas, the kilns are now largely disused, except for a few used to dry sand....
applied to the Berkeley County
Berkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
Planning Board to open a quarry, "North Mountain Shale, LLC," in Gerrardstown. The community instantly protested the approval of the building permit, due to the harsh amounts of pollution that would be blown into the air, and the possibility of nearby Mill Creek
Mill Creek (Opequon Creek)
Mill Creek is a tributary of Opequon Creek, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds, located in Berkeley County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle...
being polluted. Some residents of Gerrardstown use spigots to deliver water from Mill Creek. Parents in the Gerrardstown and Inwood
Inwood, West Virginia
Inwood is a census-designated place in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, located south of Martinsburg. The population was 2,954 at the 2010 census. It is located on U.S...
areas protested because of the air pollution that could be harmful to children while on the playgrounds at nearby schools Gerrardstown Elementary School and Mountain Ridge Intermediate School. As of May 2009, no decisions have been made to the building of North Mountain Shale, and a protest by the community is still posted and being signed.
Notable residents
- George M. BowersGeorge M. BowersGeorge Meade Bowers was an American politician who represented West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives from 1916-1923.-Biography:...
, was an American politician who represented West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives.