"CIVIL WAR Journal"
Documents 150th Anniversary
An ongoing
series of entries will document the Sesquicentennial events of the Civil War in
the Western Virginia. See these entries
HERE.
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"CIVIL WAR Journal" |
Beverly was founded in 1790 as the first county seat of Randolph County, Virginia. From the beginning it was a market and government center for area settlers. With the completion of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike across Western Virginia in 1847, Beverly thrived.
| Early in the Civil War, Beverly was a gathering place for Virginia Confederate troops. Following the Union victory at Rich Mountain in July of 1861, many Southern supporters fled south, leaving their homes vacant. |
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The Federals occupied the town, set up telegraph and hospitals, built huts and
fortifications, and boarded soldiers in citizens’ homes. During the war, Rebels raided Beverly four times, twice successfully; but the town, and the territory of northwestern Virginia, remained in Union control. |
The 1808 Courthouse, as drawn during the Civil War. |
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In 1863, Randolph County was
included in the new loyal state of West Virginia. After the war, refugees and soldiers returned home, houses and businesses were rebuilt, and the town slowly recovered. New businesses were founded in the revived community. Following the founding of the railroad town of Elkins in 1890, much of the commerce and population of the county focused more on the newer city, and in 1899 the county seat was moved to Elkins. |
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The Beverly Courthouse in the later Nineteenth Century. |
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Now see: Beverly, A More Complete History |
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