First named "Lewisport" to honor landowner Lewis Maxwell, the village of West Union, West Virginia, on Middle Island Creek, was chosen as the county seat for the newly formed Doddridge County in 1845. It grew quickly between 1860 and 1900 due to its situation on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad among rich coal and petroleum markets, and the quality and style of buildings within its historic district reflect the wealth attracted by these industries.
Its downtown is noteworthy in part because early town leaders planned its layout. Ethelbert Bond, a medical doctor and Ritchie County surveyor, platted the streets and plotted the location of public buildings. Its 17 growth-period buildings include civic, commercial, and residential designs, and they are a mix of Queen Anne, Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Neo-Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, and Mediterranean Revival architecture.
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