Timeline of Charleston, West Virginia

Last updated December 12, 2025

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Charleston, West Virginia, USA.

Prior to 20th century

1794 – "Virginia General Assembly designated 40-acres of George Clendenin's land, as Charlestown."^[1]
1805 – "Salt-tub mill" begins operating.^[2]
1808 – Farmers' Repository newspaper begins publication.^[3]
1815 – Ruffner Mansion built.^[2]
1818
- Charlestown renamed "Charleston".^[4]
- Mercer Academy established.^[2]
1819 – Spectator newspaper begins publication.^[2]
1841 – Kanawha Lyceum active (approximate date).^[5]
1850 – Population: 1,050.^[6]
1862 – Battle of Charleston fought near town during the American Civil War.^[2]
1863 – June 20: Charleston becomes part of new U.S. state of West Virginia.^[4]
1870
- City of Charleston incorporated.^[7]
- Charleston designated West Virginia state capital.^[7]
1872 – Kanawha Chronicle newspaper begins publication.^[3]
1875 – State capital moves from Charleston to Wheeling.^[7]
1885
- State Capital moves from Wheeling back to Charleston.^[7]
- State Capitol building expanded.^[2]
1890
- West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society headquartered in Charleston.^[8]^[9]
- Population: 6,742.^[6]
1891
- Burlew Opera House in business.^[10]
- West Virginia Colored Institute founded near Charleston.^[4]
1892 – Capitol City Commercial College founded.^[10]
1897 – Sacred Heart Church built.
1900 – Chamber of Commerce organized.^[10]

20th century

1905 – State Bureau of Archives and History headquartered in Charleston.^[8]
1906 – Mason School of Music founded.^[11]
1909
- Charleston Public Library opens.^[12]
- Stalnaker Drugstore in business.^[2]
1910 – Population: 22,996.^[6]
1913 – Chemical manufactory begins operating.^[2]
1916 – Libbey-Owens-Ford glass manufactory^[13] and Charleston High School built.
1917 – Owens Bottle Company manufactory in business in Kanawha City.^[13]
1919 – Town of South Charleston incorporated near Charleston.
1920 – Charleston Daily Mail newspaper in publication.^[3]
1921 – Charleston City Hall built.
1922 – Kearse Theater in business.^[14]
1923 – Sacred Heart High School established.
1925 – West Virginia Governor's Mansion built.^[2]
1927
- WCHS radio begins broadcasting.^[15]
- Garnett Library (public library branch) opens.^[2]
- Union Carbide manufacturer buys Blaine Island in South Charleston, near city of Charleston.
1929 – Charleston Municipal Airport established.^[4]
1930 – Population: 60,408.^[6]
1932 – State Capitol building rebuilt.^[2]
1934 – Kanawha County Public Library established.^[12]
1935 – Morris Harvey College relocates to Charleston.^[16]
1939
- Charleston Municipal Auditorium built.^[2]
- WGKV radio begins broadcasting.^[15]
- State Theatre in business.^[14]
1940 – Stonewall Jackson High School built.
1941 – Kanawha Boulevard constructed (approximate date).^[2]
1947 – Kanawha Airport, now known as Yeager Airport, begins operating.^[1]
1954 – WCHS-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[17]
1957 – WBOY-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[17]
1959 – Charleston Civic Center, now known as the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, opens.
1960 – Population: 85,796.^[18]
1961
- July 19: Kanawha River flood.^[4]
- Sunrise Art Museum established.^[4]
1978 – Morris Harvey College renamed University of Charleston.^[16]
1983 – Charleston Town Center shopping mall in business.
1998 – City website online (approximate date).^[19]^[20]

21st century

2003 – Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia opens.^[1]
2005 – West Virginia Music Hall of Fame established^[21]
2010 – Population: 51,400.
2015 – Charleston Gazette-Mail newspaper is formed by the merger of the Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail .
2020 – Population: 48,864
2021 – Population: 48,018

References

1 2 3 Richard A. Andre. "Charleston". West Virginia Encyclopedia. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017. (Includes timeline)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Federal Writers' Project 1941.
1 2 3 "U.S. Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Hellmann 2006.
↑ Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Archived from the original on March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
1 2 3 4 "Number of Inhabitants - West Virginia" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
1 2 3 4 Britannica 1910.
1 2 "West Virginia State Archives". West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
↑ Appleton Prentiss Clark Griffin (1907), Bibliography of American Historical Societies, Annual Report of the American Historical Association (2nd ed.), Washington DC: Government Printing Office, pp. 942+, hdl:2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t7dr2pp5f, West Virginia
1 2 3 Chamber of Commerce 1901, p. ^{[ page needed ]}.
↑ History of West Virginia, Old and New. Chicago: American Historical Society, Inc. 1923. OCLC 42346040. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017.
1 2 "About Us: History". Charleston: Kanawha County Public Library. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
1 2 "West Virginia Encyclopedia". Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
1 2 "Movie Theaters in Charleston, WV". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
1 2 Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: West Virginia", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636
1 2 "Our History". University of Charleston. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017. (Timeline)
1 2 Charles A. Alicoate, ed. (1960), "Television Stations: West Virginia", Radio Annual and Television Year Book, New York: Radio Daily Corp., OCLC 10512206
↑ "Number of Inhabitants - West Virginia" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
↑ "City of Charleston, West Virginia". Archived from the original on December 5, 1998 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
↑ Kevin Hyde; Tamie Hyde (eds.). "United States of America: West Virginia". Official City Sites. Utah. OCLC 40169021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2000.
↑ Lilly, John (January 21, 2016). "West Virginia Music Hall of Fame". West Virginia Encyclopedia. West Virginia Humanities Council. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.

Bibliography

J. A. Gibbons (1872). Kanawha Valley: Its Resources and Developments; Also, Special Business Directory of Charleston and Other Cities. Charleston: Gibbens, Atkinson & Co., Printers.
D.H. Strother (1872). Capital of West Virginia and the Great Kanawha Valley. Charleston: Journal Office.
J.H. Chataigne, ed. (1882). "Charleston". Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Directory. Richmond, VA. pp. 349–356. OCLC 23244118.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
"Charleston". West Virginia State Gazetteer and Business Directory. Detroit: R.L. Polk & Co. 1882.
History of Kanawha County, and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men. Charleston: Miller & Graham. 1885.
Charleston Chamber of Commerce (1901). Century Chronicle, Devoted to the Capital City. The Chamber.
Chisholm, Hugh (1910), "Charleston", Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th ed.), New York, OCLC 14782424 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
W. S. Laidley (1911), History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia, and Representative Citizens, Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., OCLC 3645365, OL 25173948M
Thomas Condit Miller; Hu Maxwell (1913). "Kanawha County". West Virginia and Its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.
Code of Ordinances of the City of Charleston, West Virginia. Laws, etc. (Code of ordinances : 1921 ed.). Tribune Print. Co. 1921.
Federal Writers' Project (1941). "Charleston". West Virginia: A Guide to the Mountain State. American Guide Series. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 177+ – via Google Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) + chronology
Jean Callahan (August 1978). "Cancer Valley". Mother Jones . San Francisco.
George Thomas Kurian (1994), "Charleston, West Virginia", World Encyclopedia of Cities, vol. 1: North America, Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, OL 1431653M – via Internet Archive (fulltext)
Stan Bumgardner (2006). Charleston. Postcard History Series. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 978-0-7385-4265-2.
Paul T. Hellmann (2006). "West Virginia: Charleston". Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 1-135-94859-3.

External links

Items related to Charleston, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).
"Research Guides: Genealogy in Kanawha County". Charleston: Kanawha County Public Library.

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[Andre-1] 1 2 3 Richard A. Andre. "Charleston". West Virginia Encyclopedia. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017. (Includes timeline)

[FOOTNOTEFederal_Writers'_Project1941-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Federal Writers' Project 1941.

[LOC-3] 1 2 3 "U.S. Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.

[FOOTNOTEHellmann2006-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hellmann 2006.

[davies-5] Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Archived from the original on March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2017.

[:0-6] 1 2 3 4 "Number of Inhabitants - West Virginia" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

[FOOTNOTEBritannica1910-7] 1 2 3 4 Britannica 1910.

[StateArchives-8] 1 2 "West Virginia State Archives". West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.

[9] Appleton Prentiss Clark Griffin (1907), Bibliography of American Historical Societies, Annual Report of the American Historical Association (2nd ed.), Washington DC: Government Printing Office, pp. 942+, hdl:2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t7dr2pp5f, West Virginia

[FOOTNOTEChamber_of_Commerce1901[[Category:Wikipedia_articles_needing_page_number_citations_from_September_2022]]<sup_class="noprint_Inline-Template_"_style="white-space:nowrap;">&#91;<i>[[Wikipedia:Citing_sources|<span_title="This_citation_requires_a_reference_to_the_specific_page_or_range_of_pages_in_which_the_material_appears.&#32;(September_2022)">page&nbsp;needed</span>]]</i>&#93;</sup>-10] 1 2 3 Chamber of Commerce 1901, p. ^{[ page needed ]}.

[11] History of West Virginia, Old and New. Chicago: American Historical Society, Inc. 1923. OCLC 42346040. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017.

[Library-12] 1 2 "About Us: History". Charleston: Kanawha County Public Library. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.

[WVE-13] 1 2 "West Virginia Encyclopedia". Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.

[cinema-14] 1 2 "Movie Theaters in Charleston, WV". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.

[Alicoate1939-15] 1 2 Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: West Virginia", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636

[UC-16] 1 2 "Our History". University of Charleston. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017. (Timeline)

[Alicoate1960-17] 1 2 Charles A. Alicoate, ed. (1960), "Television Stations: West Virginia", Radio Annual and Television Year Book, New York: Radio Daily Corp., OCLC 10512206

[18] "Number of Inhabitants - West Virginia" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 31, 2022.

[19] "City of Charleston, West Virginia". Archived from the original on December 5, 1998 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.

[20] Kevin Hyde; Tamie Hyde (eds.). "United States of America: West Virginia". Official City Sites. Utah. OCLC 40169021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2000.

[21] Lilly, John (January 21, 2016). "West Virginia Music Hall of Fame". West Virginia Encyclopedia. West Virginia Humanities Council. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.

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