This marker is by the street in front of the Putnam County Courthouse and points out not only the…read morehistory of this town but of the Civil War battle that took place here. Winfield remained one of West Virginia's smallest and most isolated county seats well into the 20th century, relying almost entirely on the Kanawha River for travel and commerce because it had neither a railroad nor a paved road until 1926. The town's early growth centered on river navigation at Red House Shoal, where steamboats were forced into a narrow channel that made Winfield a natural checkpoint for traffic. A windstorm destroyed the original 1849 courthouse in 1898, leading to the construction of the 1900 building that still stands as the historic annex. A major 1928 fire wiped out a block of businesses, and the Depression soon shuttered the replacement bank. Construction of the Winfield Locks and Dam in 1936 and the bridge in 1957 finally shifted the town from a river hamlet into a connected suburban center poised for modern growth. On the front, "Winfield. Sited on land owned by Charles Brown, who started a ferry here in 1818, the town was named for Gen. Winfield Scott, Mexican-American War hero. Putnam County's seat, it was incorporated in 1868. Its location along the Kanawha made it an important hub for trade and commerce and of strategic value during the Civil War. Use of ferry ended with bridge opening in 1957." On the reverse, "Lt. Col. Vincent Witcher and Capt. Phillip Thurmond led two columns of Confederates on October 26, 1864, against Federal troops that were protecting Winfield and local river traffic. Though outnumbered, Company D of the 7th West Virginia Cavalry under Capt. John Reynolds repulsed the attack, killing Thurmond and taking several prisoners without suffering any major casualties." The marker was erected in 2017 by the West Virginia Archive and History. [Review 924 of 2026 - 234 in West Virginia - 26105 overall]

This marker is along the entrance lane to the Spring Hill Cemetery and points out some of the…read morehistory. It stands beside the relocated graves of the Andrew Donnally family. It reads, "Moved here from Kanawha City where the original cemetery was created in 1830 by Andrew Donnally Jr. Born Oct. 17, 1778 at Ft. Donnally in Greenbrier County he died June 21, 1849 at his home on the Kanawha opposite Malden. He came to the Kanawha Valley with the first settlers in 1788 and lived in Pt. Pleasant Briefly. Andrew Donnally Jr. became the largest saltmaker in the Kanawha Valley and served as Sheriff, County Clerk, Justice of the Peace and Delegate to the Virginia Assembly from Kanawha. He married Marjery Van Bibber in 1802. They were parents of 13 children. many of their descendants are buried nearby in this the oldest section of Spring Hill Cemetery." Andrew Donnally Jr was part of a well known frontier family tied to early settlement in western Virginia. He became one of the earliest pioneers in what would become Charleston and grew into a major figure in the Kanawha Valley salt industry, which dominated the region's economy in the early nineteenth century. Donnally died in 1849 and was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery, leaving behind a legacy rooted in frontier defense, early industry, and the growth of Charleston from a small settlement into a regional center. [Review 15 of 2026 - 199 in West Virginia - 25206 overall]

This marker near Nitro City Hall and the fire department points out some of the earliest colonial…read moreand settlement history of the area. The front of the marker reads, "Military Survey. December 1, 1773, George Washington patented 21,941 acres known as the "Pocatalico Survey." Included were the present sites of Nitro, Sattes, Poca and Cross Lanes. The tract was divided among eight former officers who served in the French and Indian War (1754-1763): Adam Stephen, John Savage, Andrew Lewis, John Wilper, Thomas Bullitt, Peter Hogg, William Wright and John Fry." And the reverse, "Nitro. Founded Nov. 1, 1917 as site of U. S. Govt. "Explosive Plant C." Thompson Sterratt Co. finished job in eleven months with work force of 110,000. Project included a town to support a population of 24,000 and cost $60 million. Plant operated by Hercules Powder Co. made 350 tons of cannon powder daily. Bought by Charleston Industrial Corp. Nov. 1919 and resold to Monsanto, FMC and Fike cos." The marker was erected in 1982 by West Virginia Department of Culture and History. Nitro's wartime construction brought an unusually diverse workforce into the Kanawha Valley, with government records noting employees from every state and 41 nationalities, many staying only about 40 days before moving on. After the Armistice halted production, Nitro transitioned into a civilian chemical-industry hub and today, the city blends its military origins with recreation and tourism reflecting a shift toward service-based amenities while preserving its boomtown history. [Review 929 of 2026 - 238 in West Virginia - 26109 overall]

This marker is located along US-60 next to the Kanawha River and points out the adjacent wooden…read morecabin. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, " Constructed in 1846. This cabin served as kitchen house for the 600-acre estate of John Morgan. The day before the Battle of Scary, on July 16, 1861, Union troops commanded by Gen. Jacob D. Cox camped on the Morgan estate and were fed from this kitchen. Donated to the city of St. Albans by Albert Sidney Johnson Morgan, 1883-1973, this historic cabin was restored and is now known as Morgan Plantation Kitchen Museum." The marker was erected in 1974 by the West Virginia Department of Archives and History and there is room to stop and park here. At 6:30am, the place was definitely closed but the cabin sits right by the road so you can still walk around and take a look. The restored log cabin is small, weathered, and clearly old and even from the outside you get a sense of how it once worked as the plantation's separate kitchen house. Quiet spot at that hour, worth a quick stop if you're passing through Saint Albans. [Review 910 of 2026 - 222 in West Virginia - 26091 overall]

This lovely old Mansion is the residence of the Governor of West Virginia. Many great men and their…read morefamilies have lived in this home. Located on the grounds of the West Virginia Capitol Complex at 1716 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305 The West Virginia Governor's Mansion (or West Virginia Executive Mansion) is a historic residence located next to the Kanawha River in Charleston, West Virginia and is the official residence of the Governor of West Virginia. The Colonial Revival (Georgian Revival) building was completed in 1925 by Charleston architect Walter F. Martens and is part of the West Virginia Capitol Complex, which also includes the West Virginia State Capitol. The building itself has a red brick exterior, with a columned portico at the entrance. The foyer was inspired by the White House, with checkered black-and-white marble flooring and dual staircases. The first floor of the mansion includes the drawing room, ballroom, state dining room, library, and a sitting room. The second floor houses the governor's own rooms, as well as those of his family, while additional bedrooms are on the third floor.[2] In all, the structure has 30 rooms.[3] The mansion also features walled gardens, a separate garage, and servant quarters.[2] The total cost of the mansion, including land, construction, and furnishings, was approximately $203,000 at the time of its construction.[

A wonderful old house, fitting for the responsible officer of the state government…read more When I was a child, my parents would take me trick-or-treating, and we always stopped by the Governor's Mansion. At the time, Arch Moore was governor. He and Mrs. Moore would actually greet you at the door themselves, and give candy. How awesome is that?

There are actually two bridges here, carrying I-64 / I-77 across the Kanawha River just south of…read moreCharleston. They are unique, steel-through arches, with the first completed in 1954. The second, parallel, bridge was completed in 1983. Each is two lanes and there is no toll to cross the bridges. Named after the aviator who was the first to fly faster than sound, https://youtu.be/zgR-KadhgMI, US Air Force Brigadier General Charles "Chuck" Yeager. His birthplace of Myra WV is about 40 miles west of here. He is laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. The bridges are a very boring green, almost Army olive. They are scheduled to be repainted this year in the official colors of West Virginia, blue and gold. [Review 19618 overall - 92 in West Virginia - 589 of 2023.]

This is a cool breeze that I've traveled over numerous times man traveling through West Virginia on…read morethe way to Pittsburgh go Steelers can't go wrong with that this is a cooler bridge it's green text you over the water does what a bridge should do four out of five stars good for you bridge

A truss bridge the crosses the Kanawha River, it is named for four-star admiral Thomas J. Lopez,…read morewho served as Commander in Chief of the US Naval Forces Europe and the Allied Forces Southern Europe from 1996 to 1998. He was born in Powellton, West Virginia which is about 18 miles upriver. The current bridge replaced an earlier one that was a toll bridge. This one is not a toll and is free to cross. Two lanes in each direction with a double-yellow line down the center and a sidewalk on the eastern side. It was completed in 1997. [Review 19616 overall - 90 in West Virginia - 587 of 2023.]

**April 2025: Midweek Morning Visit**…read more The Capitol Building itself is really impressive (5 stars for the building itself). It's super grand and beautiful; however, the start of my visit was really rocky, so hopefully this review can make your experience more streamlined. Parking There were many spots for patrons to park; however, you need to scan the QR code to pay for parking and it asks you which parking lot (which there were no signs). We asked a someone who passed by what the lot was called and she directed us to the parking attendant on the other side of the lot. He informed us we were in the DMV lot (which wasn't clearly posted anywhere). After about 15 minutes of trying to figure it out we finally paid. Capitol Building The Capitol Dome is very prominent, but after walking up maybe 50 stairs we found out that visitors cannot enter from the front. There were a lot of buildings so we didn't know where to enter. As we walked around we saw a group of kids from buses and followed them to a side building. There was a small temporary picket sign on the ground that pointed guests to the side building, but even that side building didn't have any markings. All guests go through security and all belongings needed to go through the machine. Tours I did my research on the website and it stated that parties smaller than 10 can come up for a tour. They offer them every half hour from 9am-12pm and 1pm to 3pm. However, on my visit there were at least 300 students visiting that day for a conference/field trip and no tour guides were available. My recommendation is during the week of your visit to give them a call and ask if they have scheduled visitors. I was kind of bummed that we had to miss it, so my friend and I did our own tour. bround 45 minutes later when we were ready to leave, one of the capitol's workers was giving a tour and asked if we'd like to join so that was a plus! Gift Shop The capitol doesn't have a designated gift shop or Capitol merch - which was a bummer. The info desk representative pointed us to the Culture Center Gift shop. I was looking for some memorabilia to bring home to my family and settled on a magnet. I think when I went to the Alaska capitol they had a good assortment so I was kinda bummed. Summary The place is beautiful and I hope on your visit it'll be a smoother process than mine. Cheers!

I travel frequently, but I have never been inside a state capital. They have tours or you can just…read morewalk around common areas. This was one of the most beautiful buildings that I have been in. West Virginia also has a State History Museum that is a one minute walk away.