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Mannington has some of the best attractions in a county full of rich history.  We invite you to come out and see history being preserved by the West Augusta Historical Society.  The West Augusta Historical Society Museum is housed in the former Wilson School, which was built in 1912. In 1980, the Historical Society purchased and closed the building until 1982 when it was reopened. The museum contains many artifacts and antiques of great interest. West

Mannington has the only round barn museum in the state of West Virginia.  It was built in 1912 by Amos C. Hamilton and housed a dairy operation until the 1940's with milk being delivered daily in the area.  The Round Barn has a diameter of 60 ft and a height of 75 ft.  The ground floor where the cows were milked and fed, was of concrete, the second floor of oak, and the siding of yellow poplar. The cupola was built to improve air circulation.  It is being used as a museum and is now listed in the National Register for Historical Places  The Round Barn is open Sundays, May thru Sept. 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.  For information or tours, call Reita Hall at 304-986-1089 or Jean Efaw at 304-986-2636.
Round

The caboose was built in 1912. It now houses a miniature railroad museum of articles used in the operation of the area's transportation system such as whistles, stoves, and lanterns. The railroad caboose was donated to the Museum by the Chessie System and moved from its original site in Pennsylvania to the Museum grounds by the Consolidated Coal Company. The

Now located on the West Augusta Historical Society Museum grounds, this log cabin was originally built on the Deadfall Road in Wetzel County by George Washington Price in 1870. It was donated to the museum by the Higgins Family and moved to its new location with the help of the Marion County FFA.
Log

Welcome to the Bowers House.  Started in circa 1868 as a Queen Anne Victorian Home, it was the 'ever-expanding home on High Street' of WV Senator George Walters Bowers and family, owners of the Warwick (USA) China Company, Bowers Pottery Company, Homewood Glass Company, S. George Company, First Exchange Bank, and many more turn of the Century enterprises and real estate throughout West Virginia. It continues to be lovingly restored and preserved today as an example of the West Virginia amenities of estate living of yesteryear!

The Depot is one of the few remain depots left in WV. It was originally built pre Civil War, breaking ground in 1852 and completed in 1855.  During the Civil War, the Depot was a major strategic site, an important link to the Ohio River. On May 27, 1860, the first Northern Civil War Troops arrived in Mannington from Wheeling. They were to become the 1st Regiment under Colonel Benjamin F Kelley. When the focus of the Civil War moved further west, an urgent call for help was received by President Lincoln from Tennessee. Lincoln answered this call with an army sent east to west by train. The Depot saw over 20,000 troops deployed through it over a period of 24 hours, which is still a major feat today. This mass migration included, in addition to the troops, ten batteries, horses, equipment, baggage, and wagons. They traveled over 1,100 miles. It was the first mass movement of people by train, not horses and wagons. The existence of the Railroad through Mannington was a major contributor to the success of the North during the Civil War. 

 After the war, the depot remained an important part of transportation for Mannington. The Depot was updated in 1906, and remained in steady use until October 1957, when the last Passenger Train departed from Mannington.

2011 saw the Depot being accepted on the Preservation Alliance WV Endangered Properties List. We are working diligently to preserve this important piece of Mannington's past.

1900's South Penn Oil Co. Gasoline Station

The structure was the First Filling Station located in Mannington. It has since been restored and can be found at the Historical Society Museum.

West Augusta Historical Society Museums

May through September

Sundays 1:30pm to 4:00pm

Open by appointment for special tours.

304-986-1252 or 304-986-1298

 

Contact Us:
Office location: 206 Main Street, Mannington

Postal mail:

P.O. Box 227
Mannington, WV 26582
Phone: (304) 986-2037
Fax:(304) 986-2125
Email:
manningtonmainstreet@gmail.com