Benwood, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benwood, West Virginia
City
Flag Seal
Location of Benwood in Marshall County, West Virginia.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Marshall
Area
• Total	1.86 sq mi (4.82 km2)
• Land	1.30 sq mi (3.36 km2)
• Water	0.56 sq mi (1.46 km2)
Elevation	646 ft (197 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,269
• Estimate  (2021)	1,245
• Density	984.59/sq mi (380.27/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	26031
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-06340
GNIS feature ID	1553863

Benwood is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States. It is located along the Ohio River. Benwood is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2020, 1,269 people lived there.

The city of Benwood was officially started in 1853 and became an incorporated city in 1895. Its name comes from "Ben's Woods." This land belonged to Benjamin McMechen (1777–1855). He built his home there after inheriting the land from his father, William McMechen. The nearby city of McMechen is named after William McMechen and his family. They were some of the first people to settle in this area.

Where is Benwood?

Benwood is located at 40°00′46″N 80°44′02″W / 40.012748°N 80.734008°W / 40.012748; -80.734008.

The city covers a total area of about 1.86 square miles (4.82 square kilometers). Most of this area, 1.30 square miles (3.36 square kilometers), is land. The rest, 0.56 square miles (1.46 square kilometers), is water.

How Many People Live in Benwood?

Benwood's population has changed over the years. Here's a look at how many people have lived there during different census years:

Benwood in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,420 people living in Benwood. They lived in 654 households, with 357 of these being families. The city had about 1,092 people per square mile (421 people per square kilometer). There were 761 housing units in total.

About 22.9% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in the city was 40.5 years. There were slightly more females (52.6%) than males (47.4%).

Parts of Benwood

Benwood is divided into four main areas: North Benwood, Center Benwood, South Benwood, and Boggs Run. You can travel between these areas using Marshall Street or West Virginia Route 2.

North Benwood

North Benwood is the main business area of the city. It has several shops and fast food restaurants. This part of Benwood is often affected by floods from the Ohio River.

Center Benwood

South of North Benwood is Center Benwood. This is mostly a residential area where many people live. It is home to Saint John Roman Catholic Church, Benwood City Park, and the city's main buildings. These include the fire, water, and police departments, and the post office.

Center Benwood used to experience severe floods from the Ohio River. However, a large flood wall was built in 1982. This wall now protects this part of Benwood from river floods.

South Benwood

South Benwood is located below Center Benwood. This area is mainly used for industrial businesses.

Boggs Run

The Boggs Run area stretches from Marshall Street to where Boggs Run creek meets Browns Run creek. This land became part of Benwood in 1944. The creek is named after John Boggs, who settled there in 1774.

Boggs Run has had many flash floods over the years. Some of the worst floods happened in 1975, 1990, 2004, and 2017. When the Ohio River floods, the mouth of Boggs Run also floods. This happens because the river's high water backs up the creek's flow.

Churches in Benwood

Benwood once had three churches, but two are still active today.

Saint John Roman Catholic Church

Saint John Roman Catholic Church is located in Center Benwood. It officially became a parish in 1875. The first church building was built around 1868. It was damaged by a flood in 1884 and later torn down.

A new church was built on the same spot between 1891 and 1892. This church served the community for 124 years until a fire destroyed it in 2015. A third church was built on the same site and was completed in 2017. It was blessed and dedicated in September 2017.

Many people in the parish are descendants of immigrants from various European countries. These families settled in Benwood in the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Saint John Church is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Since 1995, it has shared a pastor with Saint James Roman Catholic Church in McMechen.

Saint Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church

Saint Matthew Lutheran Church is located in the Boggs Run area, just outside Benwood's city limits. It used to be in Center Benwood. The church moved to its current building on Boggs Run in 1941.

Schools in Benwood

Benwood once had several public schools and two private Catholic schools. Today, Marshall County Schools runs the public schools in the area.

Public Schools

There was a public elementary school in Center Benwood. It was housed in three different buildings over time, with the last one built in 1901. This school closed in 1953.

North Benwood also had a public elementary school, which closed in 1953. South Benwood had a public elementary school too, but it was destroyed by fire in the early 1910s.

Boggs Run Elementary School is located on Boggs Run Road, outside Benwood. It closed in 1990. The brick school building is still standing and now houses a Halloween museum.

Union High School was in South Benwood. It was formed in 1913 by combining Benwood High School and McMechen High School. Union High School operated for 55 years, graduating its last class in 1968. It then became a junior high school until it closed in 2003.

In 1968, Union High School combined with other high schools to form John Marshall High School in Glen Dale. John Marshall High School is still open today.

Private Schools

Saint James and Saint John School was a Catholic elementary and middle school in Center Benwood. It had a long history, dating back to 1860. The school building was built in 1952–1953. In 1971, it combined with Saint James School in McMechen.

After the Saint John Church fire in 2015, the school moved to Moundsville and was renamed All Saints Catholic School. All Saints Catholic School closed in 2017. The old Saint James and Saint John School building was torn down in 2015.

Saint Catherine School was another Catholic elementary and middle school in North Benwood. It was founded by Croatian immigrants and operated from 1929 until it closed in 1962.

Many students from these Catholic schools later attended Bishop Donahue Memorial High School in McMechen, which was founded in 1955. Bishop Donahue High School closed in 2017.

Mayors of Benwood

Here are some of the people who have served as mayor of Benwood:

• James L. Brown (1882–1889)
• Joseph Mahood (1889–1895, 1906–1910)
• Thomas Shepard (1895–1904)
• John Manley (1904–1905, 1910–1912)
• John Scanlon (1912–1914)
• Clark Sprouts (1914–1921)
• John Cox (1922–1926)
• Henry Healy (1928–1936)
• Raphael Deegan (1936–1959)
• Henry A. Musilli, Sr. (1959–1962)
• Anthony J. Scaffidi (1962–1996)
• Lawrence C. Ferrera, Jr. (1996–2003)
• Edward M. Kuca, Jr. (2003–2020)
• Walter W. Yates (2020–present)

Coal Mine Disasters

Benwood has been the site of two tragic coal mine disasters.

1924 Benwood Mine Disaster

On April 28, 1924, an explosion happened at the Wheeling Steel Corporation's coal mine in Benwood. All 119 men working in the mine at that time died. Many of these miners were recent immigrants from various European countries. This was one of the worst mine disasters in West Virginia's history.

1942 Hitchman Mine Disaster

Eighteen years later, on May 18, 1942, another coal mine explosion occurred in Benwood. This happened at the Hitchman Coal & Coke Company mine, and 5 men lost their lives.

Media

Benwood is home to WDUQ-LP, a radio station that is supported by its listeners and does not have commercials.