Philippi, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Philippi is a city in — and the county seat
of — Barbour County
, West Virginia
, USA. The population was 2,870 at the 2000 census. In 1861, the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as "The Philippi Races". Although a minor skirmish, this is considered the earliest notable land action of the American Civil War
.
Philippi is the home of Alderson-Broaddus College
, a four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches.
The city has a weekly newspaper
, The Barbour Democrat
.
Philippi is located along the Tygart Valley River
at 39°9′6"N 80°2′36"W (39.151569, -80.043472). It is within Philippi District — one of eight magisterial districts of Barbour County. The town is sub-divided into Wards 1 through 4.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (3.40%) is water.
The original settlement that became the town of Philippi was on a section of bottomland at a bend in the river at the mouth of Anglin's Run. (This area was later designated "Dayton Park".) Opposite this bottomland, at the western landing of "Booth's Ferry", is a sharp ridge which breaks abruptly down to the river and is still known as "Nobusiness Hill". Most of the town is located in the bottomland, but a portion, including the college campus, is on another ridge — "Battle Hill" — overlooking the valley from the northwest.
A railroad line runs through Philippi, now used only by freight train
s, passenger rail service having been discontinued in 1956. (The passenger station is now a museum.) The town is served by the small, private Philippi-Barbour County Regional Airport.
of 2000, there were 2,870 people, 1,119 households, and 668 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,010.6 people per square mile (390.2/km²). There were 1,260 housing units at an average density of 443.7 per square mile (171.3/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 94.77% White, 1.11% African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races
, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. In addition, the area has a significant population of racially mixed (though often light-skinned and blue-eyed) people, known locally as 'the Chestnut Ridge people
', whose specific origins are uncertain. They are categorized by many scholars among the Melungeon
s found scattered throughout Appalachia
.
There were 1,119 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 18.0% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 78.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,528, and the median income for a family was $31,473. Males had a median income of $27,262 versus $20,579 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,176. About 21.9% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 24.5% of those age 65 or over. Residents tend to be slower than average to adopt modern conveniences; for example, some households did not have telephone
s installed until the 1990s.
was established about 3 miles downriver from the future site of Philippi in 1780, at which time the area was still part of western Virginia
and included within Monongalia County
. The earliest settlers on the section of bottomland that would one day become Philippi were William Anglin (as early as 1783 or '84) and Daniel Booth (1787). A ford
existed here as early as 1789 which served the road that had recently been surveyed between Beverly
and Sandy Creek. Anglin was the original owner of the land upon which Philippi stands, hence the earliest known name for the locality — Anglin's Ford. Booth also owned and operated a commercial ferry
here from about 1800, thus the area's second popular designation — Booth's Ferry.
In 1899, Hu Maxwell
described the 1843 founding and official naming of the town itself:
As Maxwell implies, St Paul's
Epistle to the Philippians
and the ancient Battle of Philippi
were no doubt influential in the final form of the name. Philippi was established by charter in 1844.
In 1852 Lemuel Chenoweth
, an Appalachian architect
and carpenter
, built a covered bridge
in Philippi to provide a link on the turnpike running between Beverly
and Fairmont
. The Philippi Covered Bridge
spelled the end of the commercial ferry operation and is the town's prominent landmark.
, on June 3, 1861. The battle was promptly lampooned as the "Philippi Races" because of the hurried retreat by the Confederate troops encamped in the town. The battle is reenacted
every June during the town's 'Blue and Gray Reunion.'
At daylight on June 3, two columns of Union forces under the command of Col. Benjamin Franklin Kelley
and Col. Ebenezer Dumont
, with perhaps 3,000 men, arrived from Grafton
and attacked about 800 poorly-armed Confederate
recruits under the command of Col. George A. Porterfield
. The Union troops had marched all night through a heavy rain storm to arrive just before daylight. The surprise attack — from the heights of "Battle Hill" to the northwest — awakened the sleeping Confederates. After firing a few shots at the advancing Union troops, the Southerners broke lines and began running frantically to the south, some still in their bed clothes.
The Union victory in a relatively bloodless battle propelled the young Major General
George B. McClellan
into the national spotlight, and he was soon be given command of all Union armies. The battle also inspired more vocal protests in the Western part of Virginia against secession. A few days later in Wheeling
, the Wheeling Convention
nullified the Virginia ordinance of secession and named Francis H. Pierpont governor. These events eventually resulted in the separate statehood of West Virginia.
on 1 February 1871. The first railroad — the Grafton and Greenbrier, a narrow gauge — arrived at Philippi on 25 January 1884. Three years later the line was extended to Belington and in 1891 it became a standard gauge
when it was acquired by the B&O
. Rail activity at Philippi peaked in the 1920s when as many as six passenger trains, along with mail and freight, transited the town daily. The automobile brought about a decline in the railroad, however, and the final passenger train made its last stop in town in 1956.
In 1901, Broaddus College (founded in 1871 in Clarksburg, West Virginia
) relocated to "Battle Hill", overlooking Philippi. In 1932, Broaddus merged with Alderson Academy (itself founded in 1901 in Alderson, West Virginia
), whereupon these two Baptist institutions became the present "Alderson-Broaddus College".
In 1905 a new Barbour County courthouse was completed. It was designed by J. Charles Fulton in a monumental Romanesque Revival style. The building contractor was J.P. Conn.
Throughout its history, Philippi has suffered from floods because of its proximity to the river and the relatively low elevation of most of the town. The most damaging of these came in November 1985. The town has since adopted a flood plain management plan.
Four miners from Barbour County were killed in the 2006 Sago mine disaster
, three of whom were from Philippi.
was originally based on coal mining
and the railroad industry, but both have declined severely since the mid-20th century. The town's major employers now include Alderson-Broaddus College and Broaddus Hospital. Many inhabitants work in the service industry, education, and family farming.
The city government provides many services and jobs to stimulate the local economy, including water, electric, digital cable, internet, garbage collection, and waste water treatment facilities. In addition, a professional police and volunteer fire department are provided. The City of Philippi was voted as a 2004 "All American City".
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of — Barbour County
Barbour County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there are 15,557 people, 6,123 households, and 4,365 families residing in the county. The population density is 46 people per square mile . There are 7,348 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
, 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...
, USA. The population was 2,870 at the 2000 census. In 1861, the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as "The Philippi Races". Although a minor skirmish, this is considered the earliest notable land action of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Philippi is the home of Alderson-Broaddus College
Alderson-Broaddus College
Alderson–Broaddus College — informally known as "A–B" — is a private, four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the West Virginia Baptist Convention located in Philippi, West Virginia, USA...
, a four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches.
The city has a weekly newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, The Barbour Democrat
The Barbour Democrat
The Barbour Democrat is an independent newspaper published every Wednesday in Philippi, West Virginia, USA. It is the only newspaper published in Barbour County and has a paid circulation of 5,300, accounting for 31% of the county's population...
.
Geography
Tygart Valley River
The Tygart Valley River — also known as the Tygart River — is a principal tributary of the Monongahela River, approximately long, in east-central West Virginia, USA...
at 39°9′6"N 80°2′36"W (39.151569, -80.043472). It is within Philippi District — one of eight magisterial districts of Barbour County. The town is sub-divided into Wards 1 through 4.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (3.40%) is water.
The original settlement that became the town of Philippi was on a section of bottomland at a bend in the river at the mouth of Anglin's Run. (This area was later designated "Dayton Park".) Opposite this bottomland, at the western landing of "Booth's Ferry", is a sharp ridge which breaks abruptly down to the river and is still known as "Nobusiness Hill". Most of the town is located in the bottomland, but a portion, including the college campus, is on another ridge — "Battle Hill" — overlooking the valley from the northwest.
A railroad line runs through Philippi, now used only by freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s, passenger rail service having been discontinued in 1956. (The passenger station is now a museum.) The town is served by the small, private Philippi-Barbour County Regional Airport.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,870 people, 1,119 households, and 668 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,010.6 people per square mile (390.2/km²). There were 1,260 housing units at an average density of 443.7 per square mile (171.3/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 94.77% White, 1.11% African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. In addition, the area has a significant population of racially mixed (though often light-skinned and blue-eyed) people, known locally as 'the Chestnut Ridge people
Chestnut Ridge people
The Chestnut Ridge people are a mixed-race community residing just northeast of Philippi, Barbour County in north-central West Virginia. They are often called "Mayles" or "Guineas"...
', whose specific origins are uncertain. They are categorized by many scholars among the Melungeon
Melungeon
Melungeon is a term traditionally applied to one of a number of "tri-racial isolate" groups of the Southeastern United States, mainly in the Cumberland Gap area of central Appalachia, which includes portions of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and East Kentucky. Tri-racial describes populations...
s found scattered throughout Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
.
There were 1,119 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 18.0% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 78.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,528, and the median income for a family was $31,473. Males had a median income of $27,262 versus $20,579 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,176. About 21.9% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 24.5% of those age 65 or over. Residents tend to be slower than average to adopt modern conveniences; for example, some households did not have telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
s installed until the 1990s.
Settlement, founding and naming
The first white settlement in present-day Barbour CountyBarbour County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there are 15,557 people, 6,123 households, and 4,365 families residing in the county. The population density is 46 people per square mile . There are 7,348 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
was established about 3 miles downriver from the future site of Philippi in 1780, at which time the area was still part of western 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 included within Monongalia County
Monongalia County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 81,866 people, 33,446 households, and 18,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 people per square mile . There were 36,695 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile...
. The earliest settlers on the section of bottomland that would one day become Philippi were William Anglin (as early as 1783 or '84) and Daniel Booth (1787). A ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
existed here as early as 1789 which served the road that had recently been surveyed between Beverly
Beverly, West Virginia
Beverly is a small town in Randolph County, West Virginia, USA. It is situated along the Tygart Valley River and had a population of 651 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Beverly is located at ....
and Sandy Creek. Anglin was the original owner of the land upon which Philippi stands, hence the earliest known name for the locality — Anglin's Ford. Booth also owned and operated a commercial ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
here from about 1800, thus the area's second popular designation — Booth's Ferry.
In 1899, Hu Maxwell
Hu Maxwell
Hu Maxwell was a local historian, novelist, editor, poet, and author of several histories of West Virginia counties.-Biography:...
described the 1843 founding and official naming of the town itself:
"The county seat of Barbour was located at the place where Philippi now stands before there was a town and before the place was named. It was then a farm belonging to William F. Wilson, and the locality had long been known as Booth's Ferry. The land was first the property of William Anglin, and in succession was owned by John Wilson, Daniel Booth, Ely Butcher, Elmore Hart, Thomas H. Hite and William F. Wilson, who divided it into lots and disposed of the most of it within a few years of the establishing of the county seat. The county was named after [the Virginia lawyer and jurist] Philip Pendleton BarbourPhilip Pendleton BarbourPhilip Pendleton Barbour was a U.S. Congressman from Virginia and an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was also the brother of Virginia governor and U.S. Secretary of War James Barbour as well as the first cousin of John S. Barbour and first cousin, once removed of John S...
, and it was the intention of the county court when it selected a name for the town to honor the given name of Mr. Barbour; giving it the feminine form, however, in conformity with the Latin language. The feminine of PhilipPhilip (name)Philip is a given name, derived from the Greek Philippos , meaning "friend of horses". A common mistake is to translate the name as "lover of horses". From φίλος "lover" and ίππος "horse". While the literal translation, in Ancient Greece, the ownership of horses was available only to those rich...
is PhilippaPhilippaPhilippa is a given name meaning "lover of horses" or "horses' friend". Common alternative spellings include Filippa, Phillipa and, less often, Phillippa. It is the feminine form of the masculine name Philip...
, and it was meant that such should be the name of the town. But because of misspellings and a misunderstanding of the origin of the name (confounding it with PhilippiPhilippiPhilippi was a city in eastern Macedonia, established by Philip II in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest...
, an ancient city) the name finally took the form which it now has. On April 5, 1843, the third day of the first county court, it is 'ordered that the county seat of this county be known and called PHILLIPPA'. Except that the name has too many 'l's' the form was proper, according to what was originally intended. Later the name became Philippi, but even then it was oftener misspelled than spelled correctly."
As Maxwell implies, St Paul's
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
Epistle to the Philippians
Epistle to the Philippians
The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, usually referred to simply as Philippians, is the eleventh book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was written by St. Paul to the church of Philippi, an early center of Christianity in Greece around 62 A.D. Other scholars argue for an...
and the ancient Battle of Philippi
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian and the forces of Julius Caesar's assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in 42 BC, at Philippi in Macedonia...
were no doubt influential in the final form of the name. Philippi was established by charter in 1844.
In 1852 Lemuel Chenoweth
Lemuel Chenoweth
Lemuel Chenoweth was a carpenter, legislator and self-educated architect. He is best-known as one of nineteenth century America's master covered bridge builders....
, an Appalachian architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, built a covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
in Philippi to provide a link on the turnpike running between Beverly
Beverly, West Virginia
Beverly is a small town in Randolph County, West Virginia, USA. It is situated along the Tygart Valley River and had a population of 651 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Beverly is located at ....
and Fairmont
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
. The Philippi Covered Bridge
Philippi Covered Bridge
The Philippi Covered Bridge, on the Tygart River, is the main local landmark and historical icon of Philippi, West Virginia, USA.The celebrated bridge was commissioned by the General Assembly of Virginia and constructed in 1852 by Lemuel Chenoweth, a well-known Appalachian bridge builder, to...
spelled the end of the commercial ferry operation and is the town's prominent landmark.
Civil War
Philippi was the scene of the first land battle of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, on June 3, 1861. The battle was promptly lampooned as the "Philippi Races" because of the hurried retreat by the Confederate troops encamped in the town. The battle is reenacted
American Civil War reenactment
American Civil War reenactment is an effort to recreate the appearance of a particular battle or other event associated with the American Civil War by hobbyists known as Civil War reenactors or Civil War recreationists...
every June during the town's 'Blue and Gray Reunion.'
At daylight on June 3, two columns of Union forces under the command of Col. Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley was an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in several military campaigns in West Virginia and Maryland....
and Col. Ebenezer Dumont
Ebenezer Dumont
Ebenezer Dumont was a U.S. Representative from Indiana, as well as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, with perhaps 3,000 men, arrived from Grafton
Grafton, West Virginia
Grafton is a city in, and county seat of, Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 5,489 at the 2000 census. The only two national cemeteries in West Virginia are located in Grafton. Mother's Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908; the city is the home to the International Mother's...
and attacked about 800 poorly-armed Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
recruits under the command of Col. George A. Porterfield
George A. Porterfield
George Alexander Porterfield was a junior officer of United States forces in the Mexican-American War, colonel in the Confederate States Army during the first year of the American Civil War and longtime banker in Charles Town, West Virginia after the war...
. The Union troops had marched all night through a heavy rain storm to arrive just before daylight. The surprise attack — from the heights of "Battle Hill" to the northwest — awakened the sleeping Confederates. After firing a few shots at the advancing Union troops, the Southerners broke lines and began running frantically to the south, some still in their bed clothes.
The Union victory in a relatively bloodless battle propelled the young Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
into the national spotlight, and he was soon be given command of all Union armies. The battle also inspired more vocal protests in the Western part of Virginia against secession. A few days later in Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the Wheeling Convention
Wheeling Convention
The 1861 Wheeling Convention was a series of two meetings that ultimately repealed the Ordinance of Secession passed by Virginia, thus establishing the Restored government of Virginia, which ultimately authorized the counties that organized the convention to become West Virginia. The convention was...
nullified the Virginia ordinance of secession and named Francis H. Pierpont governor. These events eventually resulted in the separate statehood of West Virginia.
Later history
Philippi was incorporated by act of the West Virginia LegislatureWest Virginia Legislature
The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the Legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI of the West Virginia Constitution following the state's...
on 1 February 1871. The first railroad — the Grafton and Greenbrier, a narrow gauge — arrived at Philippi on 25 January 1884. Three years later the line was extended to Belington and in 1891 it became a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
when it was acquired by the B&O
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...
. Rail activity at Philippi peaked in the 1920s when as many as six passenger trains, along with mail and freight, transited the town daily. The automobile brought about a decline in the railroad, however, and the final passenger train made its last stop in town in 1956.
In 1901, Broaddus College (founded in 1871 in Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area...
) relocated to "Battle Hill", overlooking Philippi. In 1932, Broaddus merged with Alderson Academy (itself founded in 1901 in Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, a town in the US State of West Virginia, is split geographically by the Greenbrier River, with portions in both Greenbrier and Monroe Counties. Although split physically by the river, the town functions as one entity, including that of town government...
), whereupon these two Baptist institutions became the present "Alderson-Broaddus College".
In 1905 a new Barbour County courthouse was completed. It was designed by J. Charles Fulton in a monumental Romanesque Revival style. The building contractor was J.P. Conn.
Throughout its history, Philippi has suffered from floods because of its proximity to the river and the relatively low elevation of most of the town. The most damaging of these came in November 1985. The town has since adopted a flood plain management plan.
Four miners from Barbour County were killed in the 2006 Sago mine disaster
Sago Mine disaster
The Sago Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion on January 2, 2006, in the Sago Mine in Sago, in Upshur County, West Virginia, USA, near the county seat of Buckhannon. The blast and collapse trapped 13 miners for nearly two days; one miner survived...
, three of whom were from Philippi.
Mayors
Economy
Philippi's economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
was originally based on coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and the railroad industry, but both have declined severely since the mid-20th century. The town's major employers now include Alderson-Broaddus College and Broaddus Hospital. Many inhabitants work in the service industry, education, and family farming.
The city government provides many services and jobs to stimulate the local economy, including water, electric, digital cable, internet, garbage collection, and waste water treatment facilities. In addition, a professional police and volunteer fire department are provided. The City of Philippi was voted as a 2004 "All American City".
Notable residents
- Ann Maria Reeves JarvisAnn JarvisAnn Maria Reeves Jarvis was a social activist and organizer during and after the American Civil War...
(1832–1905), social activistActivismActivism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
who — along with her daughter Anna Marie JarvisAnna JarvisAnna Marie Jarvis is the founder of the Mother's Day holiday in the United States.-Biography:...
(1864–1948) — is credited with founding Mother's DayMother's Day (United States)In the United States, Mother's Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well the positive contributions that they make to society....
, lived in Philippi for several years, both before and after her 1850 marriage. - Actor Ted CassidyTed CassidyTheodore Crawford Cassidy , known as Ted Cassidy, was an American actor who performed in television and films. At 6 ft 9 in in height, he tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction series such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie...
(1932–79), who played Lurch and "ThingThing (Addams Family)Thing T. Thing, referred to as just Thing, is a fictional character in the The Addams Family. Thing was originally portrayed as a whole person , but was changed to a disembodied hand for the television series...
" on the 1960s TV show The Addams FamilyThe Addams Family (TV series)The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
, was raised in Philippi, graduating from Philippi High School circa 1950.
Sites of interest
- The Philippi Covered BridgePhilippi Covered BridgeThe Philippi Covered Bridge, on the Tygart River, is the main local landmark and historical icon of Philippi, West Virginia, USA.The celebrated bridge was commissioned by the General Assembly of Virginia and constructed in 1852 by Lemuel Chenoweth, a well-known Appalachian bridge builder, to...
, located at the junction of US routes 250 and 119 in downtown Philippi. Notable for its use during the first land battle of the Civil War. This is the only "twin-barreled" covered bridge located on a federal highway in the United States. It is also one of the longest covered bridges in the country. - The Barbour County Historical MuseumPhilippi B & O Railroad StationThe Philippi B&O Railroad Station was built in 1911 on a prominent site in Philippi, West Virginia. The Mission style building is an unusual representative of that style in West Virginia. After passenger service to Philippi ceased in 1956, the building was used by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as...
, located in the former railway station, displays artifacts from throughout the region's history, with a particular focus on the 19th century. By far the most famous of these are the Philippi mummies, the bodies of two female asylum inmates that were artificially preserved in 1888 by local doctor Graham Hamrick, who was interested in mummificationMummyA mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
techniques. - "Campbell Schoolhouse", one-room schoolOne-room schoolOne-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
preserved on the Alderson-Broaddus campus. - Unusually for a town of its size and location, Philippi is home to a Maronite hermitHermitA hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
age, Our Lady of Solitude.
Registered Historic Places
- Barbour County CourthouseBarbour County CourthouseThe Barbour County Courthouse in Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia, USA is a monumental public building constructed between 1903 to 1905 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. It dominates the town center and is the county's chief symbol of government...
- Peck-Crim-Chesser HousePeck-Crim-Chesser HousePeck-Crim-Chesser House is a historic home located at Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia, USA. It was built in 1884, and is a massive, two story red brick house on a limestone foundation. It features highly pitched multiple gables and tall chimneys with corbeled caps.It was listed on the...
- Philippi B & O Railroad StationPhilippi B & O Railroad StationThe Philippi B&O Railroad Station was built in 1911 on a prominent site in Philippi, West Virginia. The Mission style building is an unusual representative of that style in West Virginia. After passenger service to Philippi ceased in 1956, the building was used by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as...
- Philippi Covered BridgePhilippi Covered BridgeThe Philippi Covered Bridge, on the Tygart River, is the main local landmark and historical icon of Philippi, West Virginia, USA.The celebrated bridge was commissioned by the General Assembly of Virginia and constructed in 1852 by Lemuel Chenoweth, a well-known Appalachian bridge builder, to...
- Philippi Historic DistrictPhilippi Historic DistrictPhilippi Historic District is national historic district located at Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia, USA. It encompasses 113 contributing buildings and one contributing structure dating from the mid-19th century through early 20th century...
- Whitescarver HallWhitescarver HallWhitescarver Hall is a historic dormitory building located on the campus of Alderson-Broaddus College at Philippi, Barbour County, West Virginia. It was built in 1911-1912, and is a three story white brick building in the Neoclassical style. It measures 40 feet by 90 feet...