Jackson County was named for the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845). He…read morewas President from 1829 to 1837 after serving as a US Army general and serving as both a Congressman (1796-1797) and Senator (1823-1825). Jackson County was formed in 1831 and Ripley has been the county seat the entire time. The current courthouse was completed in 1919 and is the third to serve the citizens of Jackson County. The building faces east and is a three story limestone and concrete structure. On the center of the roof is an octagonal white colored cupola with clock at the top. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 5th Judicial Circuit, County Magistrate Court and County Family Court. When stopping by today, there was a farmer's market underway on the courthouse grounds. You'll also find a number of memorials, a Little Free Library and a markers pointing out local historical events including one notes about the county's participation in the Civil War. [Review 578 of 2025 - 162 in West Virginia - 24139 overall]

This marker points out an event that happened at the end of the 19th century and was quite…read morenoteworthty for its time. The tragedy remains one of the most infamous crimes in Appalachian history, remembered for its brutality, its lone survivor's courage, and its impact on criminal justice reform. The front of the marker reads, "On November 3, 1897, John Morgan murdered Chloe Greene and two of her three children, James Greene and Matilda Pfost. Daughter Alice Pfost managed to escape despite being wounded during the attack. G.W. Shamblen captured Morgan who was tried and convicted of the triple murder. O.J. Morrison paid Morgan for an exclusive prison interview about his life." And on the reverse, "While awaiting execution, murderer John Morgan escaped from jail but was recaptured in Roane County by local authorities. On December 16, 1897, thousands of spectators converged on Ripley, creating a carnival like scene. As a result of the spectacle, in 1899, State Delegate John S. Darst sponsored legislation that ended executions in public places in West Virginia." The marker was erected in 2014 by the Jackson County Historical Society and West Virginia Archives and History. [Review 580 of 2025 - 164 in West Virginia - 24141 overall]

Love this library. So many great programs going on for the community. Adult reading programs along…read morewith free WiFi access. They have a very friendly staff which is also very helpful. Plenty of computers to use. Guest access available. Free parking lot plus ample on street meter parking. Enjoy this facility a lot. Great genealogy area for those that search their past. Highly recommend this library. Great after hours programs for kids, with reading aloud for the kids.

Tried calling to inquire about public records for something extremely important and Kaitlin was…read moresuper short to the point of being rude. I already knew that was the direction we were going when the response to me asking "how are you doing today" (because I'm a normal polite human being) and her response was to wait a couple seconds and say "good." If you don't like people get a desk job. It's just disappointing I guess.

This beautiful red bridge was completed in 1887 and it originally spanned the Tug Fork of Big Mill…read moreCreek. It was named after Enoch Staats, whose water-powered mill and store anchored the surrounding community. The Staats family were early settlers, arriving around 1780. Enoch's father, Isaac Staats, built the first mill on the site. H.T. Hartley built it using the Long Truss system, patented by Stephen Long in 1830, featuring distinctive "X"-braced diagonals across 11 panels. In 1971, the bridge was modified with steel girders inside the original trusses to support modern loads and in 1983, it was relocated about three miles to here and converted to pedestrian only use. The park can get quite busy on beautiful summer days so be prepared to be challenged finding a parking space. [Review 571 of 2025 - 156 in West Virginia - 24132 overall]

This lovely piece of history has been a constant in my life growing up. We have many outings at…read moreCedar Lakes Park in Ripley, and this lovely red wooden historical covered bridge has been in the scenery backdrop all those many years. The bridge is well built since 1887. Built in 1887, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge originally crossed the Tug Fork of Big Mill Creek and was named for Enoch Staats' water-powered mill.. The Staats family were early settlers to the area, arriving around 1780. The bridge is a 97-foot-long "long truss" built by Henry Hartley This location is not the original location it was moved here for safe keeping and easy public access. My people use this lovely old bridge as a back drop in photo ops for weddings, prom, graduation, birthday pics, various different ideas. This is a lovely bridge and FREE to enjoy

**April 2025: Midweek Morning Visit**…read more The Capitol Building itself is really impressive (5 stars for the building itself). It's super grand and beautiful; however, the start of my visit was really rocky, so hopefully this review can make your experience more streamlined. Parking There were many spots for patrons to park; however, you need to scan the QR code to pay for parking and it asks you which parking lot (which there were no signs). We asked a someone who passed by what the lot was called and she directed us to the parking attendant on the other side of the lot. He informed us we were in the DMV lot (which wasn't clearly posted anywhere). After about 15 minutes of trying to figure it out we finally paid. Capitol Building The Capitol Dome is very prominent, but after walking up maybe 50 stairs we found out that visitors cannot enter from the front. There were a lot of buildings so we didn't know where to enter. As we walked around we saw a group of kids from buses and followed them to a side building. There was a small temporary picket sign on the ground that pointed guests to the side building, but even that side building didn't have any markings. All guests go through security and all belongings needed to go through the machine. Tours I did my research on the website and it stated that parties smaller than 10 can come up for a tour. They offer them every half hour from 9am-12pm and 1pm to 3pm. However, on my visit there were at least 300 students visiting that day for a conference/field trip and no tour guides were available. My recommendation is during the week of your visit to give them a call and ask if they have scheduled visitors. I was kind of bummed that we had to miss it, so my friend and I did our own tour. bround 45 minutes later when we were ready to leave, one of the capitol's workers was giving a tour and asked if we'd like to join so that was a plus! Gift Shop The capitol doesn't have a designated gift shop or Capitol merch - which was a bummer. The info desk representative pointed us to the Culture Center Gift shop. I was looking for some memorabilia to bring home to my family and settled on a magnet. I think when I went to the Alaska capitol they had a good assortment so I was kinda bummed. Summary The place is beautiful and I hope on your visit it'll be a smoother process than mine. Cheers!

I travel frequently, but I have never been inside a state capital. They have tours or you can just…read morewalk around common areas. This was one of the most beautiful buildings that I have been in. West Virginia also has a State History Museum that is a one minute walk away.

What a cool spot to visit! It is probably a one-and-done for me, because it's not nearby, but it…read morewas fun to see in person after hearing about it for many years. It was also cold and rainy when we went and there were not a ton of people there (yet) the day before Halloween. It is a bit muddy, so wear some shoes you don't care about. Nice assortment of vendors and food trucks, but most of them had not yet opened for the evening. Some looked like they were just starting to open up as we were leaving. We had no trouble finding parking. Cute industrial Ohio River town with a beautiful house to be very proud of. Worth a visit.

This was such a cool spot to visit on Halloween! Even if you're not a fan of the holiday, it's…read morestill something that you won't see anywhere else. The detail in the carvings are very impressive and it's uplifting to see town members walk through and recognize their own art. The town may be small, but they band together to get the Pumpkin House ready every year. I highly recommend making a trip to Kenova for at least one Halloween.

This lovely old Mansion is the residence of the Governor of West Virginia. Many great men and their…read morefamilies have lived in this home. Located on the grounds of the West Virginia Capitol Complex at 1716 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305 The West Virginia Governor's Mansion (or West Virginia Executive Mansion) is a historic residence located next to the Kanawha River in Charleston, West Virginia and is the official residence of the Governor of West Virginia. The Colonial Revival (Georgian Revival) building was completed in 1925 by Charleston architect Walter F. Martens and is part of the West Virginia Capitol Complex, which also includes the West Virginia State Capitol. The building itself has a red brick exterior, with a columned portico at the entrance. The foyer was inspired by the White House, with checkered black-and-white marble flooring and dual staircases. The first floor of the mansion includes the drawing room, ballroom, state dining room, library, and a sitting room. The second floor houses the governor's own rooms, as well as those of his family, while additional bedrooms are on the third floor.[2] In all, the structure has 30 rooms.[3] The mansion also features walled gardens, a separate garage, and servant quarters.[2] The total cost of the mansion, including land, construction, and furnishings, was approximately $203,000 at the time of its construction.[

A wonderful old house, fitting for the responsible officer of the state government…read more When I was a child, my parents would take me trick-or-treating, and we always stopped by the Governor's Mansion. At the time, Arch Moore was governor. He and Mrs. Moore would actually greet you at the door themselves, and give candy. How awesome is that?