Glenville, West Virginia
| Glenville, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Main Street in Glenville in 2006
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 Location of Glenville, West Virginia |
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| Coordinates: 38°56′7″N 80°50′14″W / 38.93528°N 80.83722°WCoordinates: 38°56′7″N 80°50′14″W / 38.93528°N 80.83722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Gilmer |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dennis Fitzpatrick |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.04 sq mi (2.69 km2) |
| • Land | 1.00 sq mi (2.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2) |
| Elevation | 725 ft (221 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,537 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,551 |
| • Density | 1,537.0/sq mi (593.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 26351 |
| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-32044 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1539468 |
Glenville is a town in and the county seat of Gilmer County, West Virginia, United States, along the Little Kanawha River. The population was 1,537 at the 2010 census. It is the home of Glenville State College.
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, pioneers began settling in the area they called ‘‘the Ford’’ because it was a place where travelers could cross the river. Later, the community was named Glenville because of its location in a glen. The first grist mill in present-day Gilmer County was constructed there in 1812. The first courthouse was completed in 1850, the second in 1872, and the current courthouse in 1923. Glenville was incorporated in 1856.
Before the 1930s, the Little Kanawha River’s commercial traffic dominated the town’s economy. Road construction contributed to the demise of riverboating by the late 1930s. The natural gas and oil industry rose to prominence after oil was struck in 1875 at nearby Letter Gap. Glenville is now the headquarters of several oil and gas firms. The 1985 flood devastated the downtown, leading many businesses to move to the higher Hays City neighborhood at the main highway intersection.
The Little Kanawha Valley Bank was incorporated in 1901. Its small frame building, covered in pressed metal, is now on the National Register of Historic Places. By 1906, the First National Bank of Glenville and the Glenville Banking and Trust Company had also been created. Glenville is now served by United Bank and a branch of Calhoun Banks of Grantsville.
Early Methodist circuit riders and Baptist missionaries brought religion to Glenville early in the 19th century. The Presbyterian Church was organized in 1847; the First Baptist Church, 1850; and Trinity United Methodist Church, 1896. Several other churches also serve the area today. Glenville has a golf club and recreation center, among several other facilities built at the old county poor farm.
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