Town of Ceredo Tour

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The Paul T. Billups Memorial Park is named in honor of a former Mayor of Ceredo who served for twenty years from 1947-1967 and also operated a horse pasture on this property. The land was later acquired by the town of Ceredo and was developed in stages during the 1970s and 1980s. The park is made up of six acres and includes a walking trail, picnic tables, baseball field, basketball courts and pickle ball courts. It is also home to the Ceredo War Veterans Memorial and the Jeremy Shoemaker Memorial Amphitheater. Today the park is the center of outdoor recreational activities for the town of Ceredo. It hosts events such as youth baseball games, concerts, and an annual Memorial Day ceremony.

2. Ceredo Elementary School (1872-2017)

Ceredo Elementary School was one of the oldest continuously operating schools in Wayne County. The school first opened on Main Street in 1872 as a simple two-room frame schoolhouse. In the 1890s, the school became the only school in the county to offer high school classes until the opening of Ceredo-Kenova High School. The original building was destroyed by a fire in 1895 and was soon replaced by a new brick structure on the same spot. This new school was destroyed by another fire in 1957 and replaced with the present school building. After 145 years, Ceredo Elementary School closed in 2017 and students were consolidated into the new Ceredo-Kenova Elementary School.

3. Ceredo Historical Society Museum

The Ceredo Museum is a local history museum operated by the Ceredo Historical Society. Established in the 1970s, its goal is to "preserve the History of Ceredo for future generations." The museum boasts a wide-ranging collection of artifacts from throughout Ceredo's history, with the Civil War and C-K High School in particular. The museum houses the Ceredo Petroglyph, one of the largest and best-preserved petroglyphs in the United States. There are also many documents, books, photos, microfilms, census records, cemetery listings, and family histories for conducting research.

4. First Baptist Church of Ceredo

The First Baptist Church of Ceredo is one of the largest churches in Wayne County. The congregation was officially established in 1887 and was the third permanent church in Ceredo. For nearly twenty years the church operated in rented spaces around town before building its own sanctuary near Ceredo Elementary School in 1906. The present church building was constructed on the same spot in 1987. First Baptist Ceredo remains active in the community and pursues a number of outreach and charitable programs for children, seniors, drug addicts, and missionaries.

5. Ceredo United Methodist Church

The Ceredo United Methodist Church is the oldest surviving church in Ceredo. It was first established in 1866 as part of Wayne County's Methodist circuit. The original charter members included prominent locals such as Z. D. Ramsdell. A permanent church building was constructed on land donated by the Hoard family in 1879. It remains in use to this day and still features the original stained glass windows. The congregation has historically been small but has also been very active in the local community.

6. Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream

Austin's Ice Cream is a historic local ice cream shop in Ceredo, West Virginia. Established in 1947, the restaurant is famous for its variety of unique flavors, including Grape Pineapple. It has been owned and operated by the Snyder family since 1983. Austin’s Ice Cream is one of the first places one will encounter upon entering Ceredo, or the last place one will see upon exiting. Offering up to forty different, handcrafted flavors, Austin’s Ice Cream has remained a popular tourist destination for Ceredo. A second branch is also open in downtown Huntington, which enjoys continued success as well.

7. Ceredo Colored School (1880s-1930s)

During the 1880s, school leaders in Ceredo approved the construction of a small frame schoolhouse for African American children that operated until the 1930s at this location. The school was one of several in Wayne County that were attended by African American children during the era of segregation. The schoolhouse also served as a church and meeting place for members of Ceredo's African American community. School officials decided to close the school sometime in the early 1930s. The closure of the school was not a result of integration, as state law prohibited interracial education prior to the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown vs Board, but rather owing to declining enrollment. This change was the result of African American families moving from the community, with the majority of those families deciding to move to nearby Huntington. After the closure of this school, the Ceredo School Board paid to operate a bus that transported the remaining African American students to schools in Westmoreland and Huntington. The schoolhouse was later converted into a private residence, and was destroyed by fire in the early 1970s.

8. Ramsdell House

The Ramsdell House was built in 1858, and is the oldest surviving building in Ceredo. This Greek Revival style home is believed to have been the first brick house built in the town, which was founded in 1857 by a group of New England abolitionists led by Massachusetts Congressman Eli Thayer. Thayer and his supporters, including shoemaker Zophar Ramsdell, sought to establish Ceredo as a means of demonstrating the superiority of a free economy over one founded on the institution of slavery. Today many people believe that the town's early residents were involved in the activities of the Underground Railroad, and that the Ramsdell House was used as a hiding place for runaway slaves fleeing to Ohio. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and underwent a full restoration in 1985. Today it is owned by the Town of Ceredo and operated as a museum and community center. The Ramsdell House stands as a testament to the unique place of Ceredo as an anti-slavery settlement in a slave state.

9. Wright Brothers Store (1896-1931)

The Wright Brothers Store was perhaps the most important mercantile business in northern Wayne County for nearly four decades. It opened around 1890 under the ownership of the Wrights, one of the oldest and biggest families in Ceredo. The large two- and three-story brick building was constructed in 1895-1896 and it remains one of the most identifiable structures in town. The Wright Brothers sold a variety of products ranging from groceries to dry goods and even had a series of wagons to deliver products to neighboring communities. At its peak, the store was described as one of the largest mercantile businesses between Cincinnati and Wheeling. For years the store was an integral part of Ceredo. Residents congregated at the store in the evenings to socialize, and local school events would be held on the upper floors. The Wright Brothers Store closed in 1931, and today the building survives as an apartment complex.

10. Camp Pierpont Historical Marker

Camp Pierpont was the only Civil War fort constructed in Wayne County and served as the primary base of operations for Union troops in this section of what would later become the state of West Virginia. It was created during the summer of 1861 and named after Governor Francis Pierpont of the Restored Government of Virginia. During this time, Ceredo was a Unionist stronghold and home to the 5th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The 5th West Virginia was composed of local men and located near the present-day site of the municipal building. The regiment participated in several engagements in the area as well as larger battles throughout Virginia. Today nothing remains of Camp Pierpont. A historical marker commemorating the fort was installed in 2019.

11. First National Bank of Ceredo Building

The First National Bank of Ceredo was the first bank established in Wayne County. For the vast majority of its existence the bank was operated by the Hoard-Stark family, one of the most influential families in Ceredo. For years the bank prospered and was one of the biggest in the local area. From 1892-1959 the bank was housed in this two-story brick building designed by S. Floyd Hoard. Later it moved to a modern building on Route 60, and eventually merged with United Bank in 1993. Today the original bank building functions as an apartment complex.

12. First Congregational Church of Ceredo

The First Congregational Church of Ceredo was established in 1874. It is the second oldest church in Ceredo, following the United Methodist Episcopal Church in 1866. It is also said to be one of only three Congregational churches in West Virginia. The current building, located on the northeast corner of First Street West and C Street, has been in continuous use since its construction in 1886. The Queen Anne style building has largely remained the same, except for a 1926 annex on the eastern side. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

13. Ceredo Plaza (Former Ceredo Dog Track)

The Ceredo Plaza is a strip mall located to the south of Route 60 in Ceredo. The large tract of land occupied by the plaza previously served as a greyhound race track, golf course, and drive-in movie theater. The shopping center opened in 1976 and created an economic boon for the community. The extra revenue allowed Ceredo to pursue infrastructure improvements and expand public services. The plaza suffered a hit in 2004 when its anchor store, Big Bear, shuttered. While it is not as successful as it was in its earlier years, the Ceredo Plaza remains an integral part of the economy of Ceredo and Kenova.

14. Mitch Stadium

The world of Little League Baseball came to Ceredo, West Virginia in the year 1953 and has taken place every year since. Every year, people in the Ceredo-Kenova area flock to Mitch Stadium to watch their children play America’s favourite past time. Legendary Mitch Stadium is the home of the Ceredo-Kenova Little League, and has played host to the 2009 Little League Southeastern Regional Tournaments, the 1968 Little League Divisional Tournament, and the 9-10 Year-Old Tournament of State Champions since 2005, bringing 8 southeast state champions to our community every year.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Town of Ceredo Tour

Created by Appalachian Studies Association on March 31st 2017, 6:20:57 pm.

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Founded in 1857 by Massachusetts Congressman Eli Thayer, Ceredo began as a project to transplant northern abolitionists and industrial economic systems to the South. Ceredo later became the site of the only Civil War fort in Wayne County. This tour makes a loop through the historic small town and includes buildings, landmarks, a local museum, sites related to the Civil War and the legacy of slavery, and sites related to Eli Thayer's vision of industry and free labor.

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Town of Ceredo Tour

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