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Heritage
Marion County is justifiably proud of its past, and many of our attractions and activities celebrate that history. Timeless treasures include architectural marvels, collections of antiques and artifacts, and entire parks dedicated to preserving the past.
Our people are happy to share their vast knowledge with travelers, and those who visit the region are sure to take away a deeper appreciation of where we come from and how we got to where we are. Spend some of your present preserving the past!
A. Brooks Fleming House Marker
The home of Aretas Brooks Fleming (1839-1923), the eighth Governor of West Virginia (1890-1893). During the war, he was the Marion County prosecuting attorney and served in the Fairmont Home Guard. The marker is located on the grounds of the former American Legion Home.
Attack on Fairmont Marker
At the foot of the Fairmont suspension bridge, Confederate Gen. William E. Jones watched on April 29, 1863, as his men attacked Fairmont to destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge upstream at present-day 12th Street. You can still see some of the bullet-pocked bridge piers on the riverbanks. The marker is located at the foot of Madison Street, entry site of the former Low (toll) Level Bridge in Fairmont.
Barrackville Covered Bridge
Listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, this 148-foot, single lane bridge was originally built in 1853 by Eli and Lemuel Chenoweth, West Virginia's pioneer bridge builders. It is an excellent example of a modified Burr truss and it is in substantially original condition. April 29, 1863, it was saved from destruction during the Jones-Imboden Raid preliminary to the Battle of Fairmont. Confederate General William "Grumble" Jones answered the pleas to save it by the Ice family, near ...
Battle for the Bridge Marker
Located at the site of the Palatine foundry, a battle for the suspension bridge took place on April 29, 1863. The suspension bridge (1852-1908) spanned the Monongahela River between Fairmont and Palatine. The marker is located at Palatine Park, at the junction of Everest Drive (east) and Water Street.
Beverly-Fairmont Turnpike
The main column of Confederate Gen. William Jones rode by here April 29, 1863 en route to attacking the B&O Railroad bridge, part of the objective of the 1863 Jones-Imboden Raid. This is the northern end of the Beverly-Fairmont Turnpike, a gravel road completed in 1852. Trails sign at 100 Kirkway Drive.
Fairmont State University
www.fairmontstate.eduVisit the one-room schoolhouse on campus that preserves and honors the institution’s earliest origins as a private teacher training school. Also, Hardway Hall is on the National Register of Historic places. FSU is the home of the West Virginia Folklife Center. FSU was a private teachers' training school in 1865. Also, the University's Hardway Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places for the following reasons: built in 1917, its architecture is distinctive and it is the "birthplace" ...
Fathers' Day Church
www.cumcwv.org/FathersDay.aspCentral United Methodist Church - The descendant church of Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, where the first observance of Father’s Day was held on July 5, 1908.
Forks of the Buffalo Genealogical Society
Collection of family histories, census records, vital statistics, cemetery records, county histories and more from the local area.
Francis H. Pierpont Home Marker
Governor of the Restored Government of Virginia and the “Father of West Virginia”, here he brought his bride, Julia Augusta Robertson Pierpont, in 1854. Pierpont devised plans that restored loyal Virginia to the Union and gave life to West Virginia. The marker is located at the City of Fairmont Public Safety Building parking plaza (right end as you enter).
Graves of the Pierponts Markers
Francis H. Pierpont, Governor of the Restored Government of Virginia and the “Father of West Virginia” died on March 24, 1899. He is buried here with his wife, Julia Augusta Robertson Pierpont. The marker is located at the entry to Woodlawn Cemetery Historic District, 336 Maple Avenue in Fairmont.
