Kenova, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenova, West Virginia
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Joseph S. Miller House
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| Nickname(s):
Western Gate of the Mountain State
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| Motto(s):
Vox popoli vox Dei
(English: The voice of the people is the voice of God) |
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Location of Kenova in Wayne County, West Virginia.
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| Country | United States | ||||
| State | West Virginia | ||||
| County | Wayne | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Type | Mayor–council | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 1.66 sq mi (4.30 km2) | ||||
| • Land | 1.32 sq mi (3.42 km2) | ||||
| • Water | 0.34 sq mi (0.88 km2) | ||||
| Elevation | 558 ft (170 m) | ||||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,030 | ||||
| • Estimate
(2021)
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2,978 | ||||
| • Density | 2,244.88/sq mi (866.71/km2) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||||
| ZIP code |
25530
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| Area code(s) | 304 | ||||
| FIPS code | 54-43180 | ||||
| GNIS feature ID | 1541155 | ||||
| Website | https://kenovawv.com/ | ||||
Kenova is a city in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. It is located where the Ohio River and the Big Sandy River meet. The city's name is a mix of "Kentucky," "Ohio," and "Virginia." This is because it's near where these three states used to meet before West Virginia became its own state. In 2020, about 3,030 people lived there. Kenova is part of the larger Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area.
Contents
A Look Back at Kenova's History
Kenova was founded in 1859, but it became an official city in 1894. Its early growth was mostly due to the railroad industry. A big bridge for the Norfolk Southern train company crosses the Ohio River here. Another train line, CSX Transportation's former Chesapeake and Ohio Kanawha Subdivision, also goes through the city.
Kenova is also near the site of a sad event from 1970. A plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed on a nearby hillside. Everyone on board was lost. A movie about this tragedy, We Are Marshall, was released in 2006.
Kenova's Location and Size
Kenova is located in West Virginia, right where two important rivers meet. These are the Ohio River and the Big Sandy River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers a total area of about 1.60 square miles (4.14 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.26 square miles (3.26 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.34 square miles (0.88 square kilometers), is water.
Who Lives in Kenova?
In 2020, the city of Kenova had a population of 3,030 people. The population density was about 2,244.88 people per square mile (866.71 people per square kilometer). Most residents are White, with smaller numbers of African American, Native American, and Asian people. About 1% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
The average age in Kenova in 2010 was about 40.6 years old. About 22% of the people were under 18, and 18.6% were 65 or older.
Fun Things to Do in Kenova
Dreamland Pool: A Giant Swimming Spot
Dreamland Pool first opened in 1926. It was once the biggest swimming pool east of the Mississippi River in the United States! It measures 250 feet (76 meters) long by 125 feet (38 meters) wide. When it was first built, it had a three-story building next to it with a dance floor. Famous bands like Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra used to play there in the 1930s and 1940s. A fire destroyed the building in 1972, but the pool itself survived.
The city of Kenova now runs the pool. It's about the size of a football field and has two floating platforms in the middle for swimmers to rest. Dreamland Pool was updated in 2015.
The Famous Pumpkin House
The Joseph S. Miller House is a beautiful Victorian-style house built in 1891. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Even a president, Grover Cleveland, once visited it!
Today, this house is famous as "The Pumpkin House." Every Halloween, the owner, Ric Griffith, decorates it with over 3,000 hand-carved Jack-o'-lanterns. Ric Griffith is also the town's former mayor and a pharmacist. The Pumpkin House has been featured on national TV shows like NBC's The Today Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ric Griffith also owns Griffith and Feil Drug Store, an old-fashioned pharmacy with a restored soda fountain from the early 1900s.
Learning in Kenova
Kenova Elementary is the only public school located within Kenova city limits. This school has won several national awards for its excellent academic achievements. Other schools, Buffalo Elementary and Buffalo Middle schools, are very close by, just outside the city.
In 1998, two local high schools, Ceredo-Kenova High School and Buffalo-Wayne High School, closed. Their students then joined with students from Vinson High School in Huntington to form a new school called Spring Valley High School. The old Ceredo-Kenova High School building was taken down in 2015, and the Buffalo-Wayne High School building was removed in 2019.
Well-Known People from Kenova
- Jeff Baldwin, a professional baseball player
- Don Robinson, a professional baseball pitcher
- Brad D. Smith, who is the President of Marshall University and used to be the boss of Intuit (a big software company)
- Michael W. Smith, a famous musician, pastor, and actor
- Charlie Snyder, a former head coach for the Marshall Thundering Herd football team
Images for kids
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A sign welcoming people to Kenova along U.S. Route 60.
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The Norfolk Southern Bridge as seen from Kenova.
See also
In Spanish: Kenova para niños
