Petersburg West Virginia
“Where Warm Hospitality and a Friendly
Welcoming Environment Await”
Town of Petersburg WV
The City of Petersburg located in Grant County West Virginia has many things to offer the Blue Ridge Mountians traveler in the Potomac Highlands. The are around the Petersburg WV offers spectacular mountain vistas including several nationally recognized attractions including Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, Senaca Rocks, Smoke Hole Caverns, and the North Fork Mountain Trail. The area is rich in history with a variety of historical structures including Fort Mulligan, one of the few remaining Civil War earthen forts. Petersburg and the surrounding area has many unique local shops and galleries offering WV made gift-ware and crafts, there are activities to suit every visitor from the outdoor enthusiast, to the avid shopper, and everyone in between. Accommodations in Petersburg and Grant County, West Virginia range from luxurious log cabins with private hot tubs, to riverside cottages, to quaint country bed and breakfasts, allowing those looking for a romantic getaway, as well as families looking for a memorable vacation spot, to find exactly what they want.
History of Petersburg WV
The site of Petersburg was first settled by German immigrants around 1745, making it one of the first settlements in the South Branch Valley, at a time when most of what is now West Virginia was still a virgin wilderness. The city was named for Jacob Peterson, who owned and operated the first general merchandising store in the community.
What is documented of the Indian peril was severe enough that George Washington and others planned a string of forts along the fringes of the settlements to which settlers could retreat for protection such as Fort George near Petersburg, and Fort Peterson.
Union Colonel James A. Mulligan, from Illinois, along with his 23rd Illinois troops and more from Ohio, Pennsylvania and western Virginia, built the 1863 fort which overlooks Petersburg. During an expedition to the area in 1864, Major General Jubal A. Early praised the fortifications and commended the efforts of the men. The fort is still regarded as one of the best preserved fortifications in West Virginia. There were no major engagements around Petersburg during the war.
Logging and the forest industry continued to be a pillar of the economy. The tanning industry, based on the raw material of bark was also very successful and Gormania once boasted of having the largest tannery in the world. The days of the great tanneries are over but logging, cattle, and the poultry industries continue to thrive throughout the area.
The new county was named for victorious Union General Ulysses S. Grant and, for the next 50 years, this community was generally known as Grant County Court House. A permanent Grant County Courthouse was constructed here in 1879, and subsequently remodeled in 1909. The town was officially incorporated in 1910 as Petersburg.
- Mill Creek Farm
- Fort Mulligan
- Dolly Sods Wilderness Area
- Seneca Caverns
- Seneca Rocks
- Smoke Hole Caverns
- Trout Hatcheries
- Blackwater Falls
- Potomac Eagle Railroad
- Canaan Valley Ski Resort
- Timberline Ski Resort
- Cass Railroad
- Spring Mountain Festival
