Philippi, West Virginia

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Philippi Covered Bridge

Philippi, West Virginia (WV), the county seat of Barbour County, was chartered in 1844 and named for Phillip Pendleton Barbour, an associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 1836-1841. The first land battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Philippi, was fought on June 3, 1861.

Lodging near Philippi, West Virginia

Battle of Philippi

During the Battle of Philippi, Federal troops under General B. F. Kelley surprised and routed Confederate forces under Colonel George A. Porterfield. Alderson-Broaddus College overlooks Philiipi from a hill across the river from which Federal cannons were once fired. The Philippi Covered Bridge, which crosses the Tygart Valley River, is the oldest and longest covered bridge in West Virginia. The Carollton Covered Bridge is located six miles south of town on the Buckhannon River, a tributary of the Tygart Valley River.

Parks & Public Recreation

Restored railroad station at Philippi

The near reaches of the Pleasant Creek Wildlife Management Area and Tygart Lake are located approximately seven miles north of the community. Teter Creek Wildlife Management Area is located roughly 11 miles to the east. Audra State Park is located 11 miles south of Philippi on the Middle Fork River.

Location

Philippi is located at the junction of highways US-119 and US-250 approximately 20 miles northeast of Buckhannon, West Virginia, 25 miles southeast of Clarksburg, West Virginia, 25 miles northwest of Elkins, West Virginia, and 15 miles south of Grafton, West Virginia.

Map of Philippi, West Virginia

Regional Information

Philippi is located in the Monongahela Valley Region in northeastern West Virginia.