Romney, West Virginia's Oldest Town

Still under construction!

Although it was not the first settled community in West Virginia, Romney does have the distinction of being the first town in what is now West Virginia to have been incorporated.  It is now the county seat of Hampshire County.  Sometimes people look at the county map and wonder why the county seat is not in the center of the county.  When it was first established, Hampshire County encompassed all of what is now Mineral County, half of Morgan county and most of Hardy County.  At that time Romney sat somewhat in the middle of the county.

The Hampshire County Courthouse with the old Rexall store to the right

Taggart Hall Visitor Center

Main building of the Schools for the Deaf and Blind

This building was once the old Romney Classical Institute build before the Civil War. The photo below shows the original building before it was renovated for the School. Below that is a picture of the early school building that has a third floor added.

 

 

The home used as Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters
 

The Wilson-Woodrow-Mytinger House is actually three buildings joined to form one house. The earliest segment is the center section which was built about 1750. The front section, the largest, is used as the main living quarters. To the rear is the "office" built by Andrew Woodrow, clerk of the Hampshire County Court. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.