Rippon, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rippon, West Virginia
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Post office
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 Rippon, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Rippon, West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Jefferson |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 223 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
25441
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| GNIS ID | 1545760 |
Rippon is a small, unincorporated community in Jefferson County, West Virginia. An "unincorporated community" means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own official local government like a city or town. It's located south of Charles Town.
Rippon grew in the mid-1800s where several important roads met. The community was named after a nearby place called Ripon Lodge. An extra "p" was added to the name to avoid confusion with a town in Wisconsin. In the year 2000, about 223 people lived in Rippon.
Contents
History of Rippon
In 1852, a map showed that Rippon had a school, two shops, a store, and several homes. One of the most important places was Barney Ott's shop. Local farmers used to meet there. A post office was set up in Rippon in October 1852, and it was called "Newburg."
Many large, old farmhouses still stand around Rippon. These homes have been there since the first settlers arrived in the county. Some of these historic homes include:
- Ripon Lodge: Built in 1833 by William E. Turner.
- Wayside and Glenwood: Built by Daniel Hefflebower in the early 1800s.
- Fairview: Built by Gourdon Pendleton. His brother was the famous Civil War General William Nelson Pendleton. The LaRue family owned Fairview for over 100 years.
Rippon During the Civil War
Several battles and military actions happened near Rippon during the American Civil War.
On November 9, 1862, Union General John W. Geary led a scouting mission from Harpers Ferry. About five miles from Rippon, his troops found several Confederate army camps. These camps were used by four or five regiments of the 12th Virginia Cavalry. The Union soldiers attacked, forcing the Confederates to leave their camps and retreat. General Geary then returned to Harpers Ferry.
Another event happened on October 18, 1863. Confederate General John Imboden attacked Charles Town to remove the Union soldiers stationed there. His attack was successful, and he captured many Union soldiers. As Imboden moved south, a Union force from Harpers Ferry attacked him. General Imboden set up a defense line just north of Rippon. He successfully stopped the Union attack. Both sides had soldiers killed and wounded in this fight.
One of the biggest cavalry battles in Jefferson County during the war took place near Rippon. On November 18, 1864, Union Captain Richard Blazer and his scouts were looking for Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby's Partisan Rangers. Lieutenant Adolphus (Dolly) Richards, who served under Mosby, learned that Blazer was approaching. In the battle that followed, Richards' Rangers had one soldier killed and four wounded. Captain Blazer's side lost 24 men, had 12 wounded, and 62 were captured, including Blazer himself.
Life in Rippon After the War
After the Civil War, the Shenandoah Valley Railroad was built just west of Rippon in the late 1870s. A train station was built there. This was helpful because it connected Rippon to other areas like Myerstown and Kabletown.
Churches in Rippon
St. John's Episcopal Church was started in 1873. The first church building was replaced in 1890 with the Gothic-style building you can still see today on U.S. Route 340. A bell tower, porch, and choir room were added in 1893. In 1910, land was bought to build a parish hall. This hall was later replaced in the 1970s with a modern building attached to the church.
In 1890, Rippon also had a Presbyterian church about a mile from the village. There were also two Baptist churches for black residents:
- The Old School Baptist Church, later called the Second Zion Primitive Baptist Church. It was founded in the late 1800s.
- The New School Baptist Church, which changed its name to Sylvannah Baptist Church in 1908.
Schools in Rippon
A school for white children in Rippon was built in 1874. It was located where Meyerstown Road and U.S. Route 340 meet. The first known school for black students was a one-room school near the railroad tracks. We don't know exactly when it started.
In 1900, a new one-room brick school for white students was built. It was later made bigger to have two rooms and was used until 1971. Today, this building is a private home. Also in 1900, the school on Meyerstown Road became the Rippon Colored School. This school stayed open until 1939, but the building is no longer there.
Even though some buildings have changed or disappeared, Rippon still looks a lot like it did in the early 1900s.
Historic Sites
- Ripon Lodge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical building in the United States.
- Saint John's Church
