Small Town. Big History.
Today a quiet small town, Beverly is a hidden treasure of history in central West Virginia. One of the first settlements west of the Alleghenies, Beverly was established in 1790 as the county seat of the newly formed Randolph County, Virginia. It soon became a community center and crossroads on the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. When the Civil War brought conflict to control the Turnpike, the crucial Battle of Rich Mountain in 1861 made control of Beverly important to the establishment of the new state of West Virginia. The rise of nearby Elkins as an industrial hub, and county seat designation at the end of the 19th Century, left rural Beverly to be largely unaffected by later development. As a result, Beverly today preserves a unique look into an earlier time.
About
Learn about Historic Beverly Preservation, the non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration, heritage and preservation of historic Beverly.
History of Beverly
The town of Beverly is an example of the way time and economic pressures can change a community over the years from an important nexus of local affairs to a sleepy backwater. Crossroads of early settlement across the Alleghenies, Beverly’s fortunes peaked in the 1800’s and then declined, as railroads and natural resource extraction moved the center of local life to nearby Elkins. This process, however, worked to preserve in Beverly the buildings of earlier times, and many of these are still in use today.
Historical Resources
Read historical documents and primary sources from Beverly’s history.
ON TRAC
Beverly ON TRAC is the volunteer-led community group working to support place-based development and long-term improvement projects in Beverly. Learn about our projects here.