Rippon, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Rippon is an unincorporated hamlet in Jefferson County
, West Virginia
south of Charles Town
. The village of Rippon developed in the mid-19th century at the crossroads of the Berryville and Charles Town Turnpike (Route 340), Withers-LaRue Road, and Myerstown Road. The town was named after nearby Ripon Lodge
, although an extra "p" was added to avoid confusion with a town in Wisconsin
. According to the 2000 census
, the town has a population of 223.
undertook a reconnaissance mission from Harpers Ferry
. About five miles from Rippon, Gen. Geary discovered several Confederate camps that had been used by four or five regiments of the 12th Virginia Cavalry. The Union troops vigorously attacked the camps, forcing the Confederates to abandon the camps and retreat to Berryville. Gen. Geary then returned to Harpers Ferry.
On October 18, 1863 Confederate Gen. John Imboden attacked Charlestown in an attempt to dislodge the Union troops garrisoned there. The assault was successful and Imboden captured several hundred Union soldiers. Moving south along the Berryville Turnpike, Imboden was attacked by a union force that had advanced from Harpers Ferry. Imboden formed a line of defense just north of Rippon and succeeded in holding off the Union attack. “There were a number of killed and wounded on each side in this action.”
One of the largest engagements in Jefferson county between two cavalry units took place near Rippon during the Civil War. On November 18, 1864, Union Captain Richard Blazer and his Independent Scouts were searching for Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby
's Partisan Rangers. Lieutenant Adolphus (Dolly) Richards, serving under Mosby, was leading a group of Rangers when he learned of Blazer's approach. In the ensuing engagement, Richards' group of Rangers suffered one casualty and four wounded. Blazer lost 24 men, had 12 wounded and 62 captured, including Blazer himself.
St. John's Episcopal Church was established in 1873. The first church building was replaced in 1890 with the Gothic style structure that still stands on U.S. Route 340. The bell tower, porch and choir room were added in 1893. In 1910, a parcel of land was acquired on Withers-LaRue Road to build a parish hall. The hall was replaced by a modern parish facility attached to the back of the church in the mid 1970s. In 1890, the town also contained an Episcopal church as well as a Presbyterian church which was about one mile from the village, on the Bullskin Run. Rippon had two Baptist churches for black residents: the Old School Baptist Church, later known as the Second Zion Primitive Baptist Church, and the New School Baptist Church, now called the Sylvannah Baptist Church. The Old School Baptist Church was founded sometime in the late 19th century. The New School Baptist Church changed its name to Sylvannah Baptist Church in 1908.
A school for the white children of Rippon was built in 1874 at the fork of Meyerstown Road and U.S. Route 340. The earliest known school for the black students of Rippon was a one-room school near the railroad tracks on Withers-LaRue Road, but it is unclear what year it was started. In 1900, a new one-room brick school for white students was built on the south side of Withers-LaRue Road. The brick school, enlarged to two rooms, was used until 1971. It is now a private residence. Also in 1900, the school on Meyerstown Road became the Rippon Colored School. The Rippon Colored School remained open until 1939; the building no longer stands.
Although some buildings have changed or disappeared over the past 100 years, Rippon still bears a strong resemblance to its appearance in the early 20th century.
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...
, 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...
south of 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:...
. The village of Rippon developed in the mid-19th century at the crossroads of the Berryville and Charles Town Turnpike (Route 340), Withers-LaRue Road, and Myerstown Road. The town was named after nearby Ripon Lodge
Ripon Lodge
Ripon Lodge, located near the village of Rippon, West Virginia, was built in 1833 by Henry S. Turner on his "Wheatland" estate. The next year his son, William F. Turner, inherited Ripon Lodge. The house is a two-story T-shaped stone building with a detached 1-1/2 story stone summer kitchen. The...
, although an extra "p" was added to avoid confusion with a town in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. 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 town has a population of 223.
History
The 1852 S. Howell Brown Map indicates that there was a school, two shops, a store and several dwellings present at the crossroads. The largest and most well-known of these appears to have been Barney Ott's shop, where the local Farmer's Alliance held its meetings. "Newburg" was the name given to the post office established there in October of the same year. A number of farms with large old homes still surround the village, as they have since the earliest settlement in the county. These include Ripon Lodge, built in 1833 on a part of the Wheatlands tract by William E Turner; Wayside and Glenwood which were built by Daniel Hefflebower in the early 19th century; and Fairview, owned for over one hundred years by the LaRue family.Civil War
Several military engagements occurred in the vicinity of Rippon during the Civil War. In one of these, on November 9, 1862, Union General John W. GearyJohn W. Geary
John White Geary was an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War...
undertook a reconnaissance mission from Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. In many books the town is called "Harper's Ferry" with an apostrophe....
. About five miles from Rippon, Gen. Geary discovered several Confederate camps that had been used by four or five regiments of the 12th Virginia Cavalry. The Union troops vigorously attacked the camps, forcing the Confederates to abandon the camps and retreat to Berryville. Gen. Geary then returned to Harpers Ferry.
On October 18, 1863 Confederate Gen. John Imboden attacked Charlestown in an attempt to dislodge the Union troops garrisoned there. The assault was successful and Imboden captured several hundred Union soldiers. Moving south along the Berryville Turnpike, Imboden was attacked by a union force that had advanced from Harpers Ferry. Imboden formed a line of defense just north of Rippon and succeeded in holding off the Union attack. “There were a number of killed and wounded on each side in this action.”
One of the largest engagements in Jefferson county between two cavalry units took place near Rippon during the Civil War. On November 18, 1864, Union Captain Richard Blazer and his Independent Scouts were searching for Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby
John S. Mosby
John Singleton Mosby , nicknamed the "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War...
's Partisan Rangers. Lieutenant Adolphus (Dolly) Richards, serving under Mosby, was leading a group of Rangers when he learned of Blazer's approach. In the ensuing engagement, Richards' group of Rangers suffered one casualty and four wounded. Blazer lost 24 men, had 12 wounded and 62 captured, including Blazer himself.
After the war
The Shenandoah Valley Railroad was built immediately to the west of town in the late 1870s. A depot was constructed to take advantage of the crossroads access to Myerstown and Kabletown to the east.St. John's Episcopal Church was established in 1873. The first church building was replaced in 1890 with the Gothic style structure that still stands on U.S. Route 340. The bell tower, porch and choir room were added in 1893. In 1910, a parcel of land was acquired on Withers-LaRue Road to build a parish hall. The hall was replaced by a modern parish facility attached to the back of the church in the mid 1970s. In 1890, the town also contained an Episcopal church as well as a Presbyterian church which was about one mile from the village, on the Bullskin Run. Rippon had two Baptist churches for black residents: the Old School Baptist Church, later known as the Second Zion Primitive Baptist Church, and the New School Baptist Church, now called the Sylvannah Baptist Church. The Old School Baptist Church was founded sometime in the late 19th century. The New School Baptist Church changed its name to Sylvannah Baptist Church in 1908.
A school for the white children of Rippon was built in 1874 at the fork of Meyerstown Road and U.S. Route 340. The earliest known school for the black students of Rippon was a one-room school near the railroad tracks on Withers-LaRue Road, but it is unclear what year it was started. In 1900, a new one-room brick school for white students was built on the south side of Withers-LaRue Road. The brick school, enlarged to two rooms, was used until 1971. It is now a private residence. Also in 1900, the school on Meyerstown Road became the Rippon Colored School. The Rippon Colored School remained open until 1939; the building no longer stands.
Although some buildings have changed or disappeared over the past 100 years, Rippon still bears a strong resemblance to its appearance in the early 20th century.
Historic sites
- Ripon Lodge, listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
- Saint John's Church