In 1787, when the Virginia General Assembly lopped off a huge section of Harrison County to form Randolph County, the closest thing the new county had to a city was a collection of cabins and a fort near the point where Files Creek flows into the Tygarts Valley River. Twelve years later, shortly after settler James Westfall laid out a 20-acre tract of land here in half-acre lots, the town of Beverly was incorporated, making it Richmond's only real choice for the seat of government for the newly created county.
BEVERLY, W.Va. - In 1787, when the Virginia General Assembly lopped off a huge section of Harrison County to form Randolph County, the closest thing the new county had to a city was a collection of cabins and a fort near the point where Files Creek flows into the Tygarts Valley River.
Twelve years later, shortly after settler James Westfall laid out a 20-acre tract of land here in half-acre lots, the town of Beverly was incorporated, making it Richmond's only real choice for the seat of government for the newly created county.
A jail, a school and a two-story log courthouse were the county's first public works, but the log courthouse soon proved to be so unsatisfactory a meeting place that the county court and circuit court began holding their monthly sessions in private homes.
In 1808, work began on a two-story brick courthouse building that would end up costing $1,200 to complete, including $35 for hinges.
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the construction of that courthouse, the Beverly Heritage Center on Saturday, in conjunction with the town's Old Fashioned Christmas celebration, will open the first phase of its Beverly Courthouse Exhibit in the recently restored building.
The exhibit will, among other things, tell the story of the struggle to move the county seat - and courthouse - to Elkins after Beverly had served as the seat of county government for more than a century.
"When this courthouse was built, Elkins didn't exist," said Dave Vago, exhibit coordinator for the Beverly Heritage Center. "Elkins came into bloom when the railroad came in during the late 1880s. By then, Beverly was a busy little agrarian crossroads town."
A key stop on the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, completed in 1847, and the southern terminus of the Fairmont-Beverly Turnpike, opened in 1852, Beverly had become the commercial center for the region before Elkins was even conceived.
During the 1850s, the town had two hotels, six general merchandise stores, a hat factory, a toymaker, two boot and shoe shops, three saddle-making shops, two gunsmiths, two tailor shops, two blacksmith shops and two carpenters' shops in which furniture and wagons were made.
"On court days, the town would be bustling," said Vago. "For many people, having a court appearance here meant an overnight trip. People would gather in the courthouse and in the town square to wait their turn to address the court."
Vago said stocks and pillories were installed outside the courthouse to punish unruly behavior in the courtroom. "It was a common punishment for contempt of court," he said.
While circuit court judges presided over many of the same types of criminal cases that are heard today, some 19th century cases would now seem quaint.
For instance, an 1827 case involved the indictment of 10 men for "horse racing" in town. "They were basically indicted for speeding," said Vago. Another case involved a man who was indicted for hauling grain to a gristmill on a Sunday, in violation of work laws regarding the Sabbath.
BEVERLY, W.Va. - In 1787, when the Virginia General Assembly lopped off a huge section of Harrison County to form Randolph County, the closest thing the new county had to a city was a collection of cabins and a fort near the point where Files Creek flows into the Tygarts Valley River.
Twelve years later, shortly after settler James Westfall laid out a 20-acre tract of land here in half-acre lots, the town of Beverly was incorporated, making it Richmond's only real choice for the seat of government for the newly created county.
A jail, a school and a two-story log courthouse were the county's first public works, but the log courthouse soon proved to be so unsatisfactory a meeting place that the county court and circuit court began holding their monthly sessions in private homes.
In 1808, work began on a two-story brick courthouse building that would end up costing $1,200 to complete, including $35 for hinges.
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the construction of that courthouse, the Beverly Heritage Center on Saturday, in conjunction with the town's Old Fashioned Christmas celebration, will open the first phase of its Beverly Courthouse Exhibit in the recently restored building.
The exhibit will, among other things, tell the story of the struggle to move the county seat - and courthouse - to Elkins after Beverly had served as the seat of county government for more than a century.
"When this courthouse was built, Elkins didn't exist," said Dave Vago, exhibit coordinator for the Beverly Heritage Center. "Elkins came into bloom when the railroad came in during the late 1880s. By then, Beverly was a busy little agrarian crossroads town."
A key stop on the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, completed in 1847, and the southern terminus of the Fairmont-Beverly Turnpike, opened in 1852, Beverly had become the commercial center for the region before Elkins was even conceived.
During the 1850s, the town had two hotels, six general merchandise stores, a hat factory, a toymaker, two boot and shoe shops, three saddle-making shops, two gunsmiths, two tailor shops, two blacksmith shops and two carpenters' shops in which furniture and wagons were made.
"On court days, the town would be bustling," said Vago. "For many people, having a court appearance here meant an overnight trip. People would gather in the courthouse and in the town square to wait their turn to address the court."
Vago said stocks and pillories were installed outside the courthouse to punish unruly behavior in the courtroom. "It was a common punishment for contempt of court," he said.
While circuit court judges presided over many of the same types of criminal cases that are heard today, some 19th century cases would now seem quaint.
For instance, an 1827 case involved the indictment of 10 men for "horse racing" in town. "They were basically indicted for speeding," said Vago. Another case involved a man who was indicted for hauling grain to a gristmill on a Sunday, in violation of work laws regarding the Sabbath.
In 1820, Robert Ferguson was fined and jailed for swearing in court, but shortly after he was locked up, he returned to the courtroom carrying the bars from the jailhouse window. It turned out he had fabricated and installed the bars, and knew precisely how to remove them.
During an 1830 heat wave, the court was temporarily moved to the cool setting of the High Falls of Cheat River, where court minutes showed that cases "were argued in chambers."
During the Civil War, the courthouse was used as an office by federal troops, who occupied the town for much of the war. After defeating a Confederate force at the Battle of Rich Mountain, Gen. George McClellan established his headquarters in the Bushrod Crawford building, located three doors down the street from the old courthouse.
Beverly's fortunes as commercial and governmental center of the county began to fade, though, after industrialist Henry Gassaway Davis brought the railroad to the site of present-day Elkins in 1889. Within a few years, Elkins had a population that was five times that of its older neighbor to the south.
A referendum held in 1890 to move the county seat and courthouse to Elkins failed and, in 1894, a new, larger courthouse was built in Beverly, perhaps to help secure its county seat status as well as better serve a growing county population.
"The new courthouse burned in a suspicious fire in 1897, and the records were moved back into the old courthouse," said Vago, but in 1899, after more voting and court action, Elkins officially became the county seat of Randolph County, and the old courthouse eventually became a general store.
The brick building was restored 18 months ago to become a part of the Beverly Heritage Center, which includes the Rich Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center in the nearby Bushrod Crawford Building. On the other side of the old courthouse, the Beverly Bank Building, completed in 1900, has been restored and converted into a museum and interpretive center for the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike National Scenic Byway. Another adjacent structure, the Hill Building, a former general store, is in the early stages of restoration and eventually will be used to showcase Beverly's heyday period.
Plans also call for a makeover of the small Civil War museum now housed in the Rich Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center.
"The hope is to have everything done by 2010," said Vago. "The idea is to develop Beverly as a destination for heritage tourism."
During Saturday's Old Fashioned Beverly Christmas event, which lasts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a number of specialty shops will be open, including Lemuel Chenoweth House Antiques, Cornucopia, The Goff House Textile & Antique Studio, Yarn & Company, Blossom Village and Beverly Books and Antiques.
Other activities include a punched-tin holiday ornament demonstration, which includes a kids' take-home project; sale of limited-edition Beverly holiday prints from Beverly Print Shop; a holiday bazaar and luncheon at Beverly Presbyterian Church; music and refreshments, and an appearance by Beverly's Victorian Santa.
Beverly is located seven miles south of Elkins, on U.S. 219.
Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelham...@wvgazette.com or 348-5169.
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