Historic Destinations

Antietam National Battlefield
Sharpsburg, MD
Programs and Information: (301) 432-5124
This Civil War site marks the end of General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North in September 1862. The battle claimed more than 23,000 men killed, wounded, and missing in one single day, September 17,1862, and led to Lincoln’s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Belle Boyd House
Martinsburg, WV (304)267-4713
Home (c. 1853) of the Civil War spy Belle Boyd, who supplied information to the Confederacy. Six museums and gift shop; rose garden with 138 varieties.Open year-round except Christmas to New Year, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the Civil War Discovery Trail.

Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Springs, WV
Half-size replica of Lord Berkeley Castle in England, this 1885 Victorian folly features a large stone-walled ballroom, wide carved staircase, tower room and antique collection.

Boydville
Martinsburg, WV (304)263-1448
By direct order, President Lincoln spared this elegant 1812 mansion from being torched by Union troops during the Civil War. The mansion now houses a bed and breakfast inn.

Bunker Hill Mill
Bunker Hill, WV (304)229-8707
Picturesque limestone and red clapboard mill, rebuilt in 1888. The only mill in the state featuring dual water wheels.

General Adam Stephen House and Triple Brick Museum
Martinsburg, WV (304)267-4434
Native limestone house; built between 1772 and 1789 by Major General Adam Stephen, distinguished war hero and founder of Martinsburg. Open 2 to 5 p.m. weekends, May through October, or by appointment.

George Washington Heritage Trail
(304)558-3165
This newly designated Scenic Byway is a 112-mile loop driving tour throughout the Eastern Panhandle. Much of this area was surveyed by young Washington, and he and his family owned thousands of acres in the region.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Harpers Ferry, WV (304)535-6298
A walk down the brick streets of this restored, pre-Civil War town transports you to 1859, the year abolitionist John Brown fought to free the slaves. Black history exhibits along High Street; quaint craft shops, museums and eateries. Part of the Civil War Discovery Trail.

James Rumsey Historical Monument
Shepherdstown, WV
A town park and monument with a beautiful scenic view, situated over the Potomac River site where James Rumsey, inventor of the steam engine, had his first successful application of steam to propel a boat.

James Rumsey Steamboat Museum
Shepherdstown, WV (304)876-6907
Dedicated to James Rumsey, inventor of the steam engine, this museum houses a half-size working replica of the first Rumsey Steamboat.

Jefferson County Courthouse
Charles Town, WV (304)728-7713, (800)848-TOUR (outside W.Va.)
Site of treason trial of John Brown in 1859; used as barracks by Federal troops during the Civil War.

Jefferson County Museum
Charles Town, WV (304)725-8628
The museum houses Civil War artifacts and relics from the era of John Brown’s raid, including his gun and the wagon that carried him to his execution.

L. Norman Dillon Farm Museum
Hedgesville, WV (304)267-7519
On Rt. 9 just west of I-81, this museum features antique horse-drawn farm machinery and educational exhibits. Open weekends April through October.

Morgan Cabin
Bunker Hill, WV (304)229-8946, (304)229-2742
The first white settler in West Virginia, Colonel Morgan Morgan, built this cabin in 1731-34. The restored cabin houses the Berkeley County Historical Society Museum.

Museum of the Berkeley Springs
Berkeley Springs, WV (304)258-3743
Located above the 1815 Roman Bath House in the oldest public building in Morgan County, the museum highlights the history and geology of the springs, including an exhibit on the history of Bath hotels. Open daily except Wednesdays from Memorial Day to mid October.

Paw Paw Tunnel
Paw Paw, WV
Part of the C&O Canal National Historical Park, the arched tunel extends slightly over 1/2 mile. Both town and tunnel are named for North America’s largest native edible fruit, the pawpaw, which grows abundantly in WV.

Shepherdstown Historic District
Shepherdstown, WV
The town’s strategic position along the Potomac River caused Shepherdstown to be the site of several Civil War activities and skirmishes, earning it a place on the Civil War Discovery Trail. Most notable was during the Battle of Antietam, when the entire town served as a vast hospital.

Tuscarora Church
Martinsburg, WV (304)263-4579
Established by Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in 1740, the present church was built in 1802.