Beckley West Virginia Walking Tour

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The Beckley First Baptist Church is one of the oldest congregations in the Beckley community. It was established as the Raleigh Baptist Church of Christ in 1850 by the Greenbrier Baptist Association, at the request of Coal Marsh Church. Services were originally held in a log building on Heber Street which was later destroyed during the Civil War. The current church property was purchased in 1893 and has been the site of three different sanctuaries. The first, a wood frame structure, burned in 1904. A brick building replaced it in 1918 but soon became too small for the church's needs. The final building was constructed in 1929 and remains in use to this day. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District.

2. 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.

3. St. Nicholas Orthodox Church

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is located in Beckley and dates back to 1948 when the coal mining boom that occurred during and after World War II brought growth to the area through immigration. The parish is part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and the only Eastern Orthodox Church in Raleigh County. From its founding to the present, the church serves Orthodox Christians of various backgrounds including Greek, Syrian and Polish immigrants and their descendants.

4. Raleigh County Courthouse

The town of Beckley has served as the county seat for Raleigh County since its inception in 1850. The first courthouse was built here on a plot of land donated by Alfred Beckley, the town's founder. During the Civil War it briefly housed soldiers of the 23rd Ohio Regiment during their occupation of Beckley in 1862. The current courthouse building is the third iteration, and was constructed in 1936-1937 with support from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is the centerpiece of the Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District, which comprises eight blocks of downtown Beckley and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The courthouse grounds today contain a number of monuments to Alfred Beckley, the history of Beckley, the Eccles mine disasters, the Civil War, and Mayor Charles F. Shoemaker.

5. The Hull Hotel (1893-1912)

John S. Hull opened the Hull Hotel in 1893 in the heart of downtown Beckley. This hotel was a leading institution in the city until it was destroyed by fire in 1912. The hotel was replaced by the Beckley Hotel which operated until 1981.

6. Beckley Presbyterian Church

The Beckley Presbyterian Church dates back to the early 1870s when a small group of around twelve people formed the Raleigh Presbyterian Church. The congregation remained small until the construction of a permanent church sanctuary in 1909. A period of sustained growth that followed prompted the erection of a new, larger stone sanctuary in the 1920s. It remains in use to this day and is a contributing structure in the Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District. The church supports the community through a number of initiatives such as support for homeless shelters and the operation of a senior center.

7. Beckley Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building was originally a performing arts center dedicated to Raleigh County veterans of World War I. The idea for a memorial building came shortly after the end of the war, and planning and fundraising began in 1922. The structure was completed in 1932. In addition to hosting numerous live performances, the building has at different times housed the Raleigh County Library, the Beckley YMCA, and Raleigh County Courthouse. The most famous speaker to perform at the building was Helen Keller who came to Beckley in the 1960s. It has been occupied by the House of Worship Church since 2013. The Memorial Building is a part of the Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Beckley West Virginia Walking Tour

Created by Clio Admin on December 8th 2018, 2:17:38 pm.

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Description

This short walking tour begins at Beckley's the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building and includes several of the city's historic churches and public buildings such as the Raleigh County Courthouse. The tour also includes the statue of city founder Alfred Beckley which was dedicated in 1938. First-time visitors to the city should be sure to visit the Exhibition Coal Mine and Coal Camp located just north of this walking tour. This walking tour is a work in progress and we hope to add new stops on the tour as local historians add new entries.

Entries on This Tour

Beckley West Virginia Walking Tour

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