Hanging Rock, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hanging Rock, West Virginia
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 Hanging Rock, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Hanging Rock, West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Hampshire |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1539908 |
Hanging Rock is a small, unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses without its own local government. It is located in Hampshire County, West Virginia. The community gets its name from a special rock formation. This rock hangs over a main road called the Northwestern Turnpike (which is also U.S. Route 50).
It's important not to confuse this "Hanging Rock" with another place. The other place is called "Hanging Rocks" and is located north of Romney. That one is near the South Branch Potomac River.
Contents
About Hanging Rock
Where is Hanging Rock?
The community of Hanging Rock is found in Hampshire County. This county is part of the state of West Virginia. The name comes from a large rock outcrop. This rock looks like it is "hanging" over U.S. Route 50.
Originally, the community started in a place called Henderson Hollow. This was a gap in North River Mountain. Today, only a few old buildings remain from that time. The modern Hanging Rock is located where North River Road (County Route 50/21) meets Delray Road (West Virginia Route 29). Here, the North River flows under U.S. Route 50 and then towards the Cacapon River.
A Look at History
Early Events
On April 16, 1756, an important event happened near Hanging Rock. A man named Daniel Morgan was traveling towards Winchester. He was attacked by Native American warriors. Sadly, his two friends who were with him died.
Morgan himself was hurt, getting wounds to his neck and mouth. But he was very brave and managed to stay on his horse. He escaped and rode towards Fort Edwards. This fort was on the Cacapon River, near Capon Bridge.
Civil War Skirmishes
The area around the Hanging Rock formation was also a site of fighting during the American Civil War. In 1861, there were small battles, called skirmishes. These fights happened between soldiers from the Union army and the Confederate army.
These battles are often called "The Battle of Hanging Rocks" or the "Battle of Hanging Rocks Pass." They show that this area was important during the war.
