Fayetteville, W.V. is the county seat of Fayette County. It was originally named Vandalia after its founder, Abraham Vandal. The name was changed in 1873 to Fayetteville in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette. Many Fayetteville structures, that have stood the test of time, are now part of the Fayetteville Historic District.
The Civil War Trail, passes through Fayetteville. The majority of the people in Fayetteville and Fayette County were in sympathy with the Southern cause. There were several notable battles. Read more about them here: Fayetteville W.V. during the Civil War. When the war was over, only four houses remained!
Fayetteville went through several dramatic shifts in its economy. After the Civil War, the town was rebuilt as a coal hub. Fayetteville sat above a huge coal field with the highest quality coal in the country. This led to a boom as Fayette County through the 19th century as it produced the most coal in the state of West Virginia
As the mining declined in the late 20th century, the tourism industry, fueled by outdoor recreation, boomed. In 1968, West Virginian whitewater pioneer Jon Dragan became the first to ferry commercial rafting clients down the New and Gauley rivers. This birthed an entire industry that along with the creation of two popular National Parks, the Gauley River National Recreation Area and the New River Gorge National River, draws in thousands of tourists monthly.
Historic Buildings in Fayetteville
The Fayetteville Historic District includes 75 historic homes and buildings. A walking tour of the district is available. Below is a list of a few buildings noted on the walking tour.
The Historic McGrath House
The Historic McGrath House, featured as a 4-bedroom luxury rental on this site, was built in 1910. This large two-story frame late Victorian home with clapboard siding was owned by the first engineer for the West Virginia State Road Commission. The house features curved bevels above the windows. The original front porch of the house has, however, been removed.
The Gaines House
The Gaines House on Maple Ave was built and furnished in the roaring 20s. The house, now apart of Cascade Properties LLC, is a large stucco Neo-Colonial hilltop house built by Ebersole Gaines, the president of the New River Company. The house has 15 rooms or more and is in nearly original condition. The kitchen is still original. The side of the house has a large columned veranda. There is also a garage and a barn on the property, the latter dating to the immediate post-Civil War period.
The New River Gorge Bridge
The New River Gorge Bridge is awe-inspiring in both height and width and is perhaps the most recognizable West Virginian landmark. The New River Gorge Bridge is an arch bridge that spans over the New River. It cut an 40 minute journey that use to wind down one mountain side, across the river and up another mountain, to a straight 35 seconds across the bridge! It is the highest vehicular bridge in the United States, slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower. It is also the most photographed structure in all of West Virginia and is a popular attraction for BASE jumpers and bridge enthusiasts.
The bridge is constructed out of Cor-ten steel, which gives the bridge its characteristic rust-like appearance. The bridge was built by using a cable way – a bridge that built the bridge! A helicopter carried two trolley cables that were fixed to towers rising from both sides of the New River. The first and subsequent pieces of the bridges was position by using trolleys that moved along 3500 feet of three-inch cables strung between the two matching towers. It took three years to complete and is truly a modern marvel.
If you are visiting on the third Saturday in October, check out the infamous Bridge Day , where BASE jumpers and rappelling is allowed from the bridge.
The bridge has a cat-walk that is open to walking tours. For more information visit Bridge Walk.
Historic Fayette Theater
The Historic Fayette Theater was a Depression-era movie house, built in 1937. The Fayette County Historical Society began renovations in 1992. The building is open for tours on Fridays from late May until the third Saturday in October and hosts a full season of performances year round.
Fayette County Courthouse
The Fayette County Courthouse was built in 1894-1895. It is built of sandstone and faced with fine precisely cut masonry. It is a Romanesque Revival style building, boasting of two and a half stories with projected wings. The bell in the belltower still rings! The courthouse was built on part of Abraham Vandals farm. Abraham Vandal originally named what is now called Fayetteville to Vandalia.
St. Clair-Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home
From the St. Clair Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home website: “The funeral home is housed in a grand three-story building of late-Victorian architecture. The original structure was built in 1888 as a home for Colonel St. Clair, a C&O Railroad attorney, then later sold to J.D. Boone, a coal magnate and direct descendant of the legendary Daniel Boone….Most of the building’s original charm remains intact, including hand-painted murals on the walls and ceilings of several rooms.”
The Altamont Hotel
The Altamont hotel in Fayetteville was built in 1897-98 for Judge John Henry W. Brazie. He did not live to see it open in the spring of 1898. It was the leading local hotel in the coal rich county of Fayette and hosted many officials and businessmen who frequented the nearby county court house.
Much of the hotel remains as it was. The original bricks were fired from local “Frogtown” clay and laid in a stretcher bonding. It also features a Victorian wrap-around veranda, the largest veranda in the county, and is a destination on the Fayetteville walking tour.
