Beverly’s post office opened in 1806, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 153 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1909 on and the census since 1880.
The Beverly post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Hazelwood (1907), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 235 in 18802020 census: 622220 years
Founding year: the first Beverly post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
What stands out about Beverly’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first white settlers in the area that would become Beverly (and in fact in the whole of the Tygart Valley) arrived in 1753 when David Tygart (for whom the valley and river are named) and Robert Files (or Foyle) established cabins at separate choice spots. Although there had been no recent history of conflicts between whites and Indians in that immediate area, that summer a party of Indians traveling the Shawnee Trail discovered the Files cabin and killed seven members of the family. One son escaped and alerted the Tygart family, allowing all to escape. Thereafter, no other white settlement was attempted in present Randolph County until 1772.
Passages that mention Beverly, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Randolph County, West Virginia. From its earliest settlement to the present, embracing records of all the leading families, reminiscences and traditions ..1898 · page 290Read the page →
Read the text
The original name of Beverly was Edmondton, in honor, as is supposed, of Edmond Randolph, after whom the county was named. On December 16, 1790, the Virginia Legislature changed the name to Beverly, in honor of Beverly Randolph. The town occupied 20 acres, laid out on the land of James Westfall, in lots of one-half acre each. They were originally sold at five pounds ($16. 66f) each, and the purchaser bound himself to build a house sixteen feet square, with stone or brick chimney, on the lot within five years from the date of purchase. If he failed to do so, the lot was to be sold
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Randolph County, West Virginia. From its earliest settlement to the present, embracing records of all the leading families, reminiscences and traditions ..1898 · page 190Read the page →
Read the text
At the June term 1787, the earliest mention is found in the court records of the laying off of the town which is now Beverly. No name for the proposed town was given at that time, but the court "permitted " James Westfall to ' ' lay out lots for the purpose of a town, between the fence or lower end of his plantation, the river on the west, Benjamin Wilson's line on the north, and the county road on the east." The lots were to be ready for sale at the August court, 1787. That was three and a half years before the Act of the Assembly was passed for the incorporation of the town of Beverly.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time1916 · page 436Read the page →
Read the text
rence, who was killed by the Indians. Mill Creek was then called Currences Mill Creek. Mr. Rosencranse is a descendant of Hezekiah Rosencranse, who was one of the first trustees of the town of Beverly. He first located in what is now known as the Caplinger settlement and is buried in the Baptist burying ground on the east side of the river near Arnold Station.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time1916 · page 195Read the page →
Read the text
"The junction of the North Fork Turnpike and the Pack Horse Road, across the Alleghanies from Beverly, has grown up a little settlement at this place, consisting of a half dozen families, with the conveniences of a store, postoffice, blacksmith shop, a schoolhouse, and 1 believe a meeting house and apple-jack distillery. There was no tavern or regular place of entertainment, but to atone for this deficiency, any of the householders were ready to take in travelers as a special favor.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (4), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2021
2015
2015
2015
2015
2004