Philippi, West Virginia
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Philippi (pronounced 'FILL-uh-pea') is a city in Barbour County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 2,870 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Barbour County[Geographic references#6GR6], and lies along the Tygart Valley River. In 1861 the Battle of Philippi Races took place here.
Philippi is the home of Alderson-Broaddus College, a four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches.
The town has a weekly newspaper, The Barbour Democrat.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 km² (2.9 mi²). 7.4 km² (2.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (3.40%) is water.
Most of the town is located in a valley, but part of it, including the college campus, is on the hill above.
A railroad line runs through Philippi, but is now used only by freight trains; passenger rail service stopped in 1957. The old passenger-rail station has been turned into a museum. The town also has a private airport.
Mayors
| Name | Party | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Doris Mundy | Democrat | 2004-present |
| Cayton Hill | Democrat | 1992-2004 |
| Donald Baughman | Democrat | 1980-1992 |
| Ronald Lindsey | Republican | ????-1980 |
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 2,870 people, 1,119 households, and 668 families residing in the city. The population density was 390.2/km² (1,010.6/mi²). There were 1,260 housing units at an average density of 171.3/km² (443.7/mi²).The racial makeup of the city was 94.77% White, 1.11% African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. In addition to these officially recognised categories, however, the town has a significant population of brown-skinned, blue-eyed people, known locally as 'the Chestnut Ridge people', whose racial/ethnic origins are uncertain. They are thought by some scholars to be related to the Melungeons found elsewhere in Appalachia.
There were 1,119 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 18.0% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 78.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,528, and the median income for a family was $31,473. Males had a median income of $27,262 versus $20,579 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,176. About 21.9% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 24.5% of those age 65 or over. Residents tend to be slower than average to adopt modern conveniences; for example, some households did not have telephones installed until the 1990s.
History
The first white settlements at modern-day Philippi were established around 1780. The area was then part of Virginia, and would remain so until West Virginia became a separate state in 1863. The town was first called Anglin's Ford and then Booth's Ferry before being named Philippi in honour of the jurist Phillip Pendleton Barbour. Philippi was established by charter in 1844.In 1852 Lemuel Chenoweth, a well-known Appalachian architect and carpenter, built a covered bridge in Philippi to provide a link on the turnpike running between Beverly and Fairmont. The bridge is the town's main landmark. The bridge was damaged by a flood in November 1985. In 1989, a major fire nearly destroyed the Philippi Covered Bridge. A gasoline tanker truck refilling underground tanks at a nearby, uphill gas station, spilled its load, which ran into the entrance of the bridge. A car coming through the bridge, sparked a fire when the fuel splashed on it's exhaust The bridge was closed to traffic until restoration was completed in 1991. The restoration consisted of replacing damaged supports, and siding made from yellow poplar. Red shingles (also made of poplar) were placed on the roof to restore the original appearance of the bridge as it was in 1852. Although it has been restored and was re-opened to the public in 1991, you can still see the burnt wooden trusses and supports when driving through the bridge. The 285 foot structure is the longest on a federal highway and is the only "double-barreled" covered bridge servicing the US highway system. It remains part of US route 250.
Philippi was the scene of an early, minor battle in the American Civil War, the Battle of Philippi Races. The town promotes itself as the scene of the 'first land battle of the Civil War', but there were several other skirmishes at roughly the same time that have been assigned this title. The Philippi battle was the occasion of the war's first amputation after a Confederate soldier was hit in the leg by a cannonball. The battle is reenacted every June during the town's 'Blue and Gray Reunion.'
Throughout its history, Philippi has suffered from floods because of its nearness to the river and the relatively low elevation of most of the town. The most damaging of these came in November 1985, when much of downtown Philippi was destroyed. The town has since adopted a flood plain management plan.
Economy
Philippi's economy was originally based on coal mining and the railroad industry, but both have declined severely since the mid-20th century. The town's major employers now include Alderson-Broaddus College and Broaddus Hospital. Many inhabitants work in the service industry, particularly in call centers.Four miners from Barbour County were killed in the 2006 Sago mine disaster, three of whom were from Philippi.
Sites of interest
The Barbour County Historical Museum, located in the former railway station, displays artifacts from throughout the region's history, with a particular focus on the 19th century. By far the most famous of these are the Philippi mummies, the bodies of two female asylum inmates that were artificially preserved in 1888 by local doctor Graham Hamrick, who was interested in mummification techniques.Other local attractions are Adaland Mansion, the home of a nineteenth-century lawyer that has been restored to its historic state, and a one-room school that is preserved on the Alderson-Broaddus campus.
Unusually for a town of its size and location, Philippi is home to a Maronite hermitage, Our Lady of Solitude.
Sister cities
Sion, Switzerland (2004)Borjomi, Georgia (2006) In 2008, another city may be added to the list of Philippi's sister cities. This time, it's not from Europe or Asia, but other continents.
Philippi is picking between Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia and La Plata, Argentina. The decision should come by late-December 2007.
External links
- [Official site]
- [History of Philippi] from Congressman Alan Mollohan's site.
- [Travel article from VirginiaWind]
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