West Virginia Landmarks of Fallout 76

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1. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is nestled at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in West Virginia with views of Maryland and Virginia. Visitors can cross the Potomac River and hike to the peak of Maryland Heights that overlooks Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park houses Storer College, buildings involved in John Brown's Raid, and a Civil War battleground.

2. Milan Puskar Stadium (formerly Mountaineer Field)

One of the state’s most iconic sports landmarks, West Virginia University’s Milan Puskar Stadium has been the home team location of the University’s “Mountaineers” football team since its construction nearly a century ago. Though the original stadium, which could accommodate 35,000 spectators, was demolished in 1979, its modernized replacement was built three miles away and now hosts crowds of up to 60,000. Its largest crowd, topping 70,000, occurred in 1993 when WVU won its first Big East Conference against the University of Miami (Florida).The facility received upgrades and was renamed Milan Puskar Stadium in 2004.

3. Woodburn Hall

Woodburn Hall is the centerpiece of West Virginia University (WVU). Constructed between 1874 and 1911, Woodburn Hall bears the name of the Woodburn Female Seminary, the first school for girls in Morgantown. Woodburn Hall is the second-oldest extant building on WVU's campus and has been a meeting place for the University community for over a century. The building was designed by renowned Morgantown architect, Elmer Forrest Jacobs, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

4. Wheeling Island Racetrack ("Wheeling Downs")

Wheeling Island Racetrack was established in 1930 and was owned by criminal kingpin, William “Big Bill” Lias for several years. Wheeling Island has a rich history and early racing predates to the Civil War. Today, the track has become one of the largest tourist attractions in West Virginia with a full-service hotel, banquet center, restaurant, video lottery terminals, table games and many other amenities.

5. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (West Virginia Hospital for the Insane/Weston State Hospital)

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (TALA), was a psychiatric facility that operated from 1864-1994 and served patients exhibiting atypical behaviors. Over the years, the institution was also known as West Virginia Hospital for the Insane/Weston State Hospital. The main building, which was constructed from 1858-1881, was designed by Richard Andrews and features an eclectic blending of revival styles. The general layout and furnishing of the hospital was guided by Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, who felt mental health patients needed housing that provided therapeutic features such as many windows for sunlight and access to fresh air. Moreover, this hospital was designed to be self-sustained by those working at the asylum and patients alike; working in the garden would be a positive mental and physical stimulator for the patients. Despite the lofty goals of the institution, it was plagued by overcrowding and underfunding. Conditions quickly deteriorated and by the middle of the twentieth century the environment for patients was deplorable. Experimental therapies and brutal medical procedures exacerbated issues. Due to the shift in mental health care from the asylum to more community-based efforts and because of the overall deterioration of the building, the hospital was closed in the 90’s. Today, a new owner has reopened the hospital, advertising a living historical monument where heritage tours and even haunted ghost tours are offered to the public.

6. Helvetia

The town of Helvetia, West Virginia was founded in 1869 by Swiss and German immigrants. Kultur Haus Helvetia houses a small museum, the Helvetia General Store, Post Office, and Alpen Lodge.The architecture of the houses and the town meeting hall in this community is where the historical value truly lies. People who venture in are able to see the amalgam of different styles that have remained in families for generations. With at times almost a garish color pallet, these houses distinguish themselves from the mountain background while retaining the individuality of the owner.While this community is a bit of a drive to reach, people do get the opportunity to look at a town tucked away into the mountain side. The bed and breakfast has also reached national recognition, from the Food Network Channel to local politicians. Helvetia was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

7. Green Bank Science Center

The Green Bank Observatory, nestled within the community of Green Bank in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, is home to the Green Bank Telescope, the largest fully steerable telescope in the world. Green Bank Observatory houses a significantly distinct center of science that offers a fun, yet educational experience. This museum is dedicated to sharing the history of the observatory, the science behind its mission, and the wonders of the cosmos. Visitors to the museum can also learn about the history of the region from local residents who provide tours and information.

8. Cranberry Mountain Nature Center

Cranberry Glades Botanical Area is one of the most unique areas in West Virginia. Located high in the Appalachian Mountains, Cranberry Glades is the largest concentration of bogs in the state and is home to a large variety of unique and rare plant and animal species many of which are normally only found in northern tundra environments. Local naturalists Fred and Maurice Grady began studying the area in 1898 and the area was officially placed under the protection of the United States Forest Service in 1965.Today the forest service operates a Nature Center at the glades which offers interpretative natural and historical displays in addition to hosting various events, demonstrations, and guest speakers throughout the year.

9. Greenbrier Resort

The Greenbrier Resort dates back to the late 18th century, when visitors to the area would "take the waters" of the local spring that contained minerals believed to restore health. In the years leading up to the Civil War, the resort was a gathering place for Southern politicians and hosted five sitting U.S. Presidents and influential families.

10. John Henry Historical Park

John Henry Historical Park stretches from the mouth of the Great Bend Tunnel to the CSX crossing at the John Henry Museum (Dillion's Store) in Talcott, West Virginia. The monument is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the story of American Folk Hero, John Henry. The park features a stage, picnic shelter and tables, walking trails, and bronze statue of John Henry. Recent work by historian Scott Reynolds Nelson reveals the likelihood that John Henry was a real person who died as a result of the convict labor system.

11. Summersville Dam & The Town of Gad

Deep below the crystal clear water of Summersville Lake once sat the small farming town of Gad. However, in the early 1960s the residents of the town were bought out to make way for the construction of a new dam and reservoir. Flood control is the primary function of this dam in Nicholas County, West Virginia, with the added luxury of providing a fantastic recreational site in the form of a lake. The reservoir has become a tourist destination and is among the most popular of West Virginia's mountain lakes. Additionally, the dam has been retrofitted to produce hydroelectric energy.

12. New River Gorge Bridge

The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge spanning 3,030 feet long over the New River Gorge in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The bridge’s arch is 1,700 feet long. The New River Gorge Bridge was the world's longest single-span arch bridge until 2003 — it is now the third largest of its type. The New River Gorge Bridge was constructed concurrently with Corridor L, now known as U.S. Route 19. Both the bridge and the road were developed by the Appalachian Development Highway System to make the area more accessible and to provide economic development in Fayette County. Construction on the bridge began in 1974 and opening day was celebrated on October 22nd, 1977. Today, people travel from all over the world to view the New River Gorge Bridge and take part in activities in the area that were made accessible by the installation of the bridge.

13. Alfred Beckley Statue

This statue honors Alfred Beckley, a brigadier general and founder of the town of Beckley, West Virginia. He was born in Washington D.C. on May 26, 1802. Alfred Beckley served in the U.S. Army from 1823-1836. He resigned his Army commission in 1836 after inheriting a 56,000-acre estate in western Virginia in present day Raleigh County. Beckley settled on this estate and officially founded what was originally known as “Beckleyville” on April 4, 1838. He briefly commanded a Confederate brigade in the early days of the Civil War before resigning in 1862. Alfred Beckley died on May 26, 1888, his 86th birthday, and was interred at Wildwood Cemetery. He remains an important figure in the town of Beckley's history; his home is preserved as a museum, and the community holds an annual Founder's Day celebration in his honor.

14. McDowell County Courthouse

Designed by popular southern architect Frank Pierce Milburn, the Welch courthouse was built in 1893-34 in the Romanesque Revival style. In 1909, an addition was built on to the original edifice. The Welch courthouse is the site of the assassination of Police Chief Sid Hatfield, whom was shot by detectives from the Baldwin-Felts agency on August 1, 1921 on the steps to the building.

15. Battle of Blair Mountain Historical Marker

Dedicated in 2002, this marker shares the history of the Battle of Blair Mountain, the culminating event of the West Virginia Mine Wars. The mine wars were a series of strikes, battles, and marches that took place in the southern West Virginia coalfields from 1912 to 1922. It remains the largest labor uprising in American history. In August 1921, thousands of armed pro-union miners assembled in the town of Marmet, West Virginia. As these union miners marched south to the border of Boone and Logan counties, the Logan County Sheriff, state police, the state militia, and coal company employees had assembled to stop the miners from entering Logan County. A four-day firefight followed, killing over 100 miners and at least twenty anti-union men. The federal government responded by deploying 2,500 soldiers and a small squadron of bombers to the area.

16. West Virginia State Capitol

The current West Virginia State Capitol was constructed from 1924 to 1932 and is the tallest building in the state and fourth tallest domed capitol building in the United States. The building was designed in the Classical Revival style using Buff Indiana limestone for its exterior and various types of beautifully polished Vermont and Italian marble for the interior. The building is full of artifacts from around the state, oil portraits of former West Virginia governors, crystal chandeliers, and exquisite carvings. Statues commemorating figures of the state’s culture and history can be seen on the stunning campus. Wheeling served as the first capital city of the new state of West Virginia when it separated from Virginia during the Civil War. The transfer of the capital to Charleston in 1870 reflected the growing population of the western portions of the state and a shift in political power during the Reconstruction period. The change was not permanent at first, and the records and other items of the fledgling state government were transferred back and forth from Charleston and Wheeling via steamboat along the Ohio River and the Kanawha River a total of three times. The capital was moved from Wheeling to Charleston in 1870, from Charleston to Wheeling in 1875, and finally back to Charleston in 1885 when the state capital was permanently established in Charleston. The original structure that served as the capitol building in Charleston in the 1870s was razed to make way for a more prominent structure in hopes of convincing West Virginia voters to make Charleston their choice for the state’s capital. That state capitol building was located in downtown Charleston and construction began in 1880 when Wheeling once again served as the capital. The building was complete in 1885 when the government returned to Charleston. That capitol building caught fire in 1921 and was quickly replaced by a wood frame structure that served as temporary quarters for the government while architect Cass Gilbert’s design for the new capitol complex along the Kanawha River was coming to life. In addition to this building, Cass Gilbert is best-known for designing the Woolworth Building in New York, the George Washington Bridge, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the U.S. Supreme Court Building.

17. South Charleston Industrial Park (Formerly Naval Ordnance Plant)

Constructed during World War I to house a naval ordnance plant, this massive facility near the banks of the Kanawha River in South Charleston has been home to a variety of industries over the past century. Construction of the original facility began in 1917, but only a small number of gun forgings were completed in time for World War I. Put into a state of hibernation by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, the plant was reopened and expanded in 1939 and contributed significantly to the Navy Department's efforts to produce weapons in the second World War. At its peak of production, the Ordnance Plant employed 11,000 workers in around-the-clock shifts. The plant built over 130,000 gun barrels for U.S. warships along with Tiny Tim rockets, armor plate, and many other items that aided the Allied war effort. During the 1960s, manufacturer FMC purchased the plant from the Navy and used it to build over 15,000 M113 armored personnel carriers and related vehicles. The facility is now home to several shipping and manufacturing companies.

18. Camden Park

Originally designed as a picnic spot for patrons of the Camden Interstate Railway Company which ran between Huntington and Ashland, Camden Park is one of the nation's oldest amusement parks. The park began with a carousel in 1903 and today it offers over thirty rides and attractions. Over the years Camden Park has been the setting for baseball games, tens of thousands of picnics, fairs, marathon dances, roller derbies, flagpole sitting, a swimming pool, and even a zoo. The park is also the host of several events such as Hot Summer Nights concert series, Children's Festival, Coca-Cola Days, Halloween Spooktacular, and the Wayne County Fair.

19. Mothman Museum and Monument

Dedicated in 2003, the Mothman sculpture in Point Pleasant celebrates the legends that surround one of West Virginia's most bizarre and beloved mythical creatures. The sculpture is adjacent to the Mothman Museum which opened in 2005 and offers exhibits related to the first "Mothman sightings" of the 1960s and Mothman's transition from rumor and superstition to a regional cultural icon. While most residents attributed the sightings to a barn owl that is on display at the museum, the legend of a mythical Mothman persists in the form of folk tales and an annual Mothman festival.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

West Virginia Landmarks of Fallout 76

Created by Kyle Warmack on September 24th 2018, 1:01:38 pm.

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Description

This virtual tour of West Virginia includes stops at many of the major state landmarks and historical sites featured in Fallout 76. The tour begins in the western portion of the state with the statue of the legendary Mothman and Camden Park, moves east and to the state capital and the heart of coal country, then heads north to Wheeling and Morgantown before concluding in the eastern panhandle. Of course, this single tour can only include the big landmarks feel free to make more detailed "Fallout 76" tours that break down locations by region!

Entries on This Tour

West Virginia Landmarks of Fallout 76

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