St. George, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
St. George
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 St. George
Location in West Virginia
St. George
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Tucker |
| Elevation | 1,562 ft (476 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
26290-Past 26287-Current
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| GNIS feature ID | 1552767 |
St. George is a small community in Tucker County, West Virginia, in the United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. For a while, it was the main town, or "county seat," for Tucker County. You can find St. George right by the Cheat River, where another small stream called Minear Run flows into it.
Contents
History of St. George
Early Settlement and Names
St. George was first settled in 1774. It was started by a German immigrant named John Minear and his son, Jonathan. They had explored the area before deciding to make it their home.
The community had different names over time. It was first known as Fort Minear. Later, it was called Westernford.
Becoming the County Seat
In 1856, when Tucker County was officially created, a law said that the county court should meet on land owned by Enoch Minear. Enoch was a descendant of the original settler, Jonathan Minear.
Because of this, the town was renamed Saint George. This new name honored Henry St. George Tucker, Jr. He was the son of Henry St. George Tucker, Sr., who was the person the county was named after.
Moving the County Government
St. George was the county seat for many years. This meant it was the center of government for Tucker County. However, in 1893, there was a disagreement about where the county seat should be.
On August 1, 1893, people from Parsons wanted to move the county government to their town. They went to the courthouse in St. George. They moved the county records and the courthouse bell to Parsons. Since then, Parsons has been the county seat of Tucker County.
Historic Academy Building
The St. George Academy is an important building in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. This means it's recognized as a place with special historical importance.
Notable People from St. George
Some interesting people have connections to St. George:
- William Ewin (1808 – 1886): He was a lawyer and served as a State Senator.
- Hu Maxwell: He was born in St. George and became a well-known local historian. He wrote about the history of the area.
