When Virginia formed Tucker County in 1856, the Virginia General Assembly named the small town of St. George as the county seat. Following the Civil War, and the formation of the state of West Virginia, St. George remained the county seat and experienced a string of bad luck from a fire in 1888 along with a population decrease. Tucker County resident Ward Parsons formed the new town named after him that the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad went directly through. Ward Parsons, seeking greater economic opportunities, petitioned the state for Parsons to become the county seat. By 1893, the town of Parsons gained enough votes and became the county seat, and as a result of the election, residents of St. George sought legal action to stop the transfer of the county seat to Parsons. As a result, Ward Parsons mustered a group of 200 armed men, and they marched to St. George and took the court records, documents, furniture, and even the bell hanging in the tower and brought the materials back to Parsons.
A center of business enterprises in Parsons from its earliest days, the Tucker County Bank was the first bank in the area. The three-story building built in 1903 displays elements of the Romanesque Revival style of architecture. Housing a variety of businesses and the local Freemasons for many years, the building was a social and economic hub. Currently owned by the Parsons Revitalization Organization, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
This historical marker shares the history of a landmark 19th-century civil rights case in the state of West Virginia. In response to a school board policy that created a much shorter school term for African American children in Tucker County, Black educator Carrie Williams challenged the board's racially discriminatory policy and won her case. As a result, Black children were able to spend the same number of weeks in school as white children, in the decades before the schools of Tucker County were integrated. This was also an important decision for Black educators who had previously earned much less than their white counterparts. In 2013, this historical marker was erected in honor of the landmark court case. The marker is located next to the courthouse where the trial occurred. This case was the first of its kind and helped to pave the way for other court decisions that challenged the existence of policies that limited educational opportunities on the basis of race.
This late-Victorian Stick-style structure was a transportation hub of railroad passengers and commercial goods from Parsons, starting with the opening of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway in 1889. Commercial goods associated with this railroad included mined coal and coke, as well as lumber.
Darkish Knob is an imposing hill in Parsons, WV that many locals believe to be haunted by a young slave girl who fell to her demise here. During Civil War times, many runaway slaves traveled through what is now West Virginia on their way to find freedom. The Underground Railroad ran through Parsons, and a small hidden refuge was placed at the base of Darkish Knob. Supposedly, a young girl lost her way trying to find the hidden shelter and fell to her death on the rocks below. The Cheat River at the base of Darkish Knob washed her away, but locals still claim to hear her cries on the anniversary of her death.
The Corricks Ford Battlefield is located along the Cheat River and is from the first campaign of the Civil War. The battlefield is now partially preserved thanks to efforts by local preservationists and the City of Parsons. During the battle of Corricks Ford, Confederate General Garnett became the first general of the Civil War to die in battle.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This is a quick walking tour that includes landmarks and historical events that have occurred in the small community of Parsons, West Virginia. This tour covers everything from landmark buildings, railroad depots, civil rights cases, and the Civil War.
