Darkesville, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Darkesville Historic District
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | US 11 at Middle Creek, Darkesville, West Virginia |
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| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic, Federal |
| MPS | Berkeley County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80004410 |
| Added to NRHP | December 10, 1980 |
Darkesville is a small, unincorporated community in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States. It was officially established in 1791. Today, Darkesville is famous for being a nationally recognized historic district. This means it has many old buildings and places that are important to history.
Long ago, Darkesville had its own post office and a school. Both of these are now closed. The community is a quiet place with a rich past.
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Where is Darkesville Located?
Darkesville is found in West Virginia. It sits right between two other towns: Inwood and Martinsburg. You can find it along U.S. Route 11, which is a major road.
The community is about 535 feet (163 meters) above sea level. A small stream called Middle Creek flows right through the middle of Darkesville.
How Darkesville Got Its Name
Darkesville was officially created on December 7, 1791. The land for the town belonged to a man named James Buckells. The community was named after William Darke. He was a military officer from Virginia. William Darke used to have his headquarters right in this area.
Over the years, Darkesville has been called by several different names. It also had many different spellings. For example, an atlas from 1895 showed the community as "Buckletown." Other names included "Buckellstown" and "Buckle Town." These names all referred to James Buckles, who helped start the town. He laid out the town in 1790. People also sometimes called it "James Town" or "Locke." Even its current name has been spelled "Darkes" or "Darkville."
Darkesville's Historic Status
In 1980, Darkesville received a special honor. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is officially recognized as an important historic district. The community was celebrated for its amazing old buildings.
Darkesville has about twenty-five buildings that are very old. Many of these were built as log cabins around 1810 or even earlier. These historic buildings help tell the story of what life was like long ago. They show different styles of architecture, like Greek Revival and Gothic Revival.
Images for kids
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A view of the Darkesville Historic District.
