Beverly Blog: Featured Post

Now Hiring Executive Director

We are now hiring for the Executive Director position at the Beverly Heritage Center! The Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing operations for the Museum and partner organizations.…

Beverly Heritage Center Blog

Beverly is a town full of history, for sure, but we are also a vibrant town full of wonderful people. Here you’ll find historical stories and features, workshops and events, parades, reenactments, and maybe even new outlook on life in the 2020’s.

A New Route Along the Underground Railroad?

By Chris Mielke

March 10, 2023

The history of the Underground Railroad in West Virginia is still something of a mystery even after all these years. A series of safe points from the Deep South leading into Canada, spirituals such as “Follow the Gourd” were integral to guiding enslaved men, women, and children to a life of freedom up north. While certain routes along the Underground Railroad are well-known in the Northern and Eastern Panhandles and along the Ohio River, the heart of the Mountain State has not been examined in great detail. The Beverly Heritage Center researched the role of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, an east-west…

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Northwestern Virginia In 1861: The First Campaign

By BHC

November 10, 2022

Upon the outbreak of Civil War in 1861, the Staunton-Parkersburg Pike was a vital link between the heart of Virginia and its western counties, as well as a gateway to the B&O Railroad. Richmond was anxious to hold onto all of its territory, and sent Col. George Porterfield to hold northwestern Virginia for the south. The Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, and its connecting pikes to the north and south, gave the South access into the mountain territory to strike at the railroad. As Virginia moved towards secession from the Union, many in the far western counties were determined to stay in the…

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The 1900 Beverly Bank

By BHC

November 7, 2022

This building, dating to 1900, sits on the corner of Court and Main streets in the lot between the courthouse and the street. Dr. Humboldt Yokum was president of the bank, which for many years was the only bank in the community. It closed during the Banking Holiday of March 1933. It is a rectangular white brick building, loosely connected to the courthouse. The entryway is at an angle on the northwest corner of the building. It is a loose example of Neoclassical Revival style, which was popular at this time for commercial buildings. It has Roman arched openings and…

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The 1907 Hill Store Building
The 1907 Hill Store Building

By Nick Zwinggi

November 7, 2022

Aries Hill’s store building was built between the courthouse and the Bushrod Crawford house in 1907, in the space where the circuit clerk’s office had been. For about thirty years it was a general store with an upper floor dwelling; it has also been a pool hall. Its front (north) facade is stamped metal, with decorative moldings on the upper windows and pediment. It has two storerooms on the first floor and living quarters above. After being closed during rehabilitation for several years, this building was reopened as part of the Beverly Heritage Center.

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The 1808 Randolph County Court House
The 1808 Randolph County Court House

By Nick Zwinggi

November 3, 2022

In June 1808, a committee was appointed to contract tobuild a brick courthouse to replace the original log one on Court Street. This building cost approximately $1200, including $35 for hinges and other ironwork paid to Solomon Collett. The courthouse was completed in 1815, and the wing on the south, which contained the county clerk’s office, was completed in 1838.A separate addition on the east side housed the circuit clerk’s office. Thomas J. Arnold describes tells of the court in its heyday, “These Courts were attended by prominent lawyers from Staunton, Clarksburg, Weston, and elsewhere. Aside from jurors and witnesses,…

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