Guyandotte, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Guyandotte is an historic neighborhood of Huntington, West Virginia
and was formerly a small town in Virginia
(and after 1863, West Virginia
) located at the confluence of the Guyandotte River
(which drains much of the more rugged portion of southern West Virginia) and the Ohio River
. In 1873, when the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
(C&O) reached its western terminus there and built new facilities, the newly enlarged city was named Huntington, in honor of C&O Railway leader Collis P. Huntington
.
veteran's Savage Grant.
Historically, the old Federal Era town of Guyandotte has homes dating back to 1820 and a graveyard containing 18th-century French and Colonial-era settlers, including surnames such as LeTulle, Holderby, and Buffington. Huntington was known as Holderby's Landing prior to 1871, and the Buffington family held the tracts of land that became the Huntington Land Company. The Buffingtons were the only revolutionary-era Savage Grant claimants to continuously reside within the area, and later generations of Buffingtons were associated with Marshall College (later a university) and were business partners of Collis P. Huntington. Albert Gallatin Jenkins, a Confederate Army general, had his plantation home, Green Bottom
in nearby Lesage
, which has since become a historical landmark.
At the time of Huntington's founding, Holderby's Landing was already the home of Marshall College, a normal school
that had been founded in 1837 as Marshall Academy. Originally, Marshall Academy was essentially a boarding school
, under the control of the Southern Methodist Church
, for wealthy high school
students. In 1857, the school became Marshall College, which in turn became a public institution in 1867. The college later became Marshall University
in 1961 and now occupies a large portion of the city to the immediate east of the downtown CBD
.
Historic buildings at Guyandotte include the Madie Carroll House
and Zachary Taylor Wellington House
, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
and was formerly a small town in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(and after 1863, 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...
) located at the confluence of the Guyandotte River
Guyandotte River
The Guyandotte River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 166 mi long, in southwestern West Virginia in the United States. It was named after the French term for the Wendat Native Americans...
(which drains much of the more rugged portion of southern West Virginia) and the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. In 1873, when the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
(C&O) reached its western terminus there and built new facilities, the newly enlarged city was named Huntington, in honor of C&O Railway leader Collis P. Huntington
Collis P. Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington was one of the Big Four of western railroading who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad...
.
History
Guyandotte was first built upon in 1799. The land that was part of Guyandotte and later Huntington was originally part of the 28628 acres (115.9 km²) French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
veteran's Savage Grant.
Historically, the old Federal Era town of Guyandotte has homes dating back to 1820 and a graveyard containing 18th-century French and Colonial-era settlers, including surnames such as LeTulle, Holderby, and Buffington. Huntington was known as Holderby's Landing prior to 1871, and the Buffington family held the tracts of land that became the Huntington Land Company. The Buffingtons were the only revolutionary-era Savage Grant claimants to continuously reside within the area, and later generations of Buffingtons were associated with Marshall College (later a university) and were business partners of Collis P. Huntington. Albert Gallatin Jenkins, a Confederate Army general, had his plantation home, Green Bottom
Gen. Albert Gallatin Jenkins House
Gen. Albert Gallatin Jenkins House, also known as "Green Bottom," is a historic home located near Green Bottom, Cabell County, West Virginia. It was built about 1835, and is a 2 1/2 story, rectangular, brick dwelling in a late period Federal style. It sits on a sandstone foundation and the...
in nearby Lesage
Lesage, West Virginia
Lesage is an unincorporated census-designated place on Ohio River Road in Cabell County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,358. It is the nearest community to Clover Site, a National Historic Landmark....
, which has since become a historical landmark.
At the time of Huntington's founding, Holderby's Landing was already the home of Marshall College, a normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
that had been founded in 1837 as Marshall Academy. Originally, Marshall Academy was essentially a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, under the control of the Southern Methodist Church
Southern Methodist Church
The Southern Methodist Church is a conservative Protestant Christian denomination with churches located in the southern part of the United States...
, for wealthy high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students. In 1857, the school became Marshall College, which in turn became a public institution in 1867. The college later became Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
in 1961 and now occupies a large portion of the city to the immediate east of the downtown CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
Historic buildings at Guyandotte include the Madie Carroll House
Thomas Carroll House
Thomas Carroll House, also known as the Madie Carroll House, is a historic home located at Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. The original section was built about 1810, and is believed to have arrived in Guyandotte by flatboat from Gallipolis, Ohio. The property was purchased by Thomas...
and Zachary Taylor Wellington House
Zachary Taylor Wellington House
Zachary Taylor Wellington House is a historic home located at Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. It is a two-story I house form dwelling. It was originally constructed about 1847, as a small, 1 1/2-story, hall-and parlor house. About 1870, an addition and substantial changes were made...
, both listed 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...
.