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B−History
History · Kenova

Kenova dates to 1859, and 29% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 45% of U.S. towns · #38 of 61 in West Virginia. What drives it

Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1903 on, and the census since 1900.

1859founded
0on the National Register
29%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Kenova’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Kenova began

When was Kenova founded?

1859

Kenova dates its founding to 1859 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 863 in 19002020 census: 3,033167 years

How historic is Kenova?

B−

More historic than 45% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1890.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Kenova’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kenova is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #38 of 61 in West Virginia. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kenova’s overall grade.
Founding era1859, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194028.6% of homes (±11.7) · typical WV town 13.0% · U.S. 8.4%A−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical WV town 29.6 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 45%
NewerOlder
West Virginia towns of 2,500+ (61)Ahead of 38%

West Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical West Virginia town has 29.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Kenova’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (17% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1859.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±11.7 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Kenova’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 4,860 in 1970; 3,033 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1904 to 1921, drew every building in Kenova.Old housesHalf of Kenova’s homes were built before 1958.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Kenova’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Kenova’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewKenova Railroad Bridge 1912: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Kenova, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 4,860

Peaked at 4,860 in 1970; 3,033 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Kenova’s Wikipedia page.

Every building

Kenova, building by building, 1904–1921

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Kenova fire insurance map, 1904, sheet 11904Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Kenova came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Kenova.

Read it all →

Founded in 1858, but not incorporated until 1894, the town's early history and development was centered on the railroad industry. It is home to a major Norfolk Southern Ohio River Bridge. CSX Transportation's former Chesapeake and Ohio Kanawha Subdivision travels through the town as well. The city is also near the site of the Southern Airways Flight 932 aviation disaster. In 1970, a plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed on a hillside on approach to the Tri-State Airport, killing all on board. A movie about the tragedy, We Are Marshall, was released in 2006.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Kenova, 1859 to 1970

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1859
    FoundingKenova is established
  3. 1890Post officeThe Kenova post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1903On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1912In the archiveKenova Railroad Bridge 1912
  7. 1932Born hereKoka Booth is born here
  8. 1935Born hereDon Eddy is born here
  9. 1950Born hereLuther F. Carter is born here
  10. 1957Born hereMichael W. Smith is born here
  11. 1970CensusPopulation peaks at 4,860
By decade

Kenova, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s2 items
Kenova Railroad Bridge 19121912Kenova Railroad Bridge 1912Kenova Railroad Bridge 18921913Kenova Railroad Bridge 1892
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
Kenova Rail Bridge 2023a2023Kenova Rail Bridge 2023aBig Sandy River mouth 20232023Big Sandy River mouth 2023Confluence of Ohio and Big Sandy River, South Point, Ohio; Kenova, West Virginia; Ashland, Kentucky2014Confluence of Ohio and Big Sandy River, South Point, …Confluence of Ohio and Big Sandy River, South Point, Ohio; Kenova, West Virginia; Ashland, Kentucky2014Confluence of Ohio and Big Sandy River, South Point, …Joseph S. Miller House at2013Joseph S. Miller House atKenovaWV PumpkinHouse2010KenovaWV PumpkinHouseVirginia point park2007Virginia point parkKenovaWV sign2007KenovaWV signKenovaRRBridge2006KenovaRRBridgeWVMap-doton-Kenova2004WVMap-doton-Kenova
On the map

Kenova on the map, 1903 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kenova. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Kenova on the 1903 USGS mapKenova on the 1985 USGS map1903Kenova sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kenova.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Kenova Railroad Bridge 1912
Retake this viewKenova Railroad Bridge 1912, 1912

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Kenova’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

4 famous people were born in Kenova

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Michael W. SmithAmerican musician and songwriter · b. 1957
D
Don EddyAmerican basketball coach · b. 1935
K
Koka BoothAmerican politician · b. 1932
Luther F. CarterPresident of Francis Marion University · b. 1950
Places that used to be

Places now gone

Kenova’s post office has been open since 1890.

Gone or out of use
Ceredo-Kenova High SchoolschoolFerndale SchoolschoolKenova Christian Schoolschool

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Ceredo4 historic placesB+

Questions about Kenova’s history

What year was Kenova founded?

In 1859, according to Wikidata. Kenova’s post office opened in 1890, and the census of 1900 counted 863 people here.

How does Kenova rank for history?

Kenova is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #38 of 61 in West Virginia. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Kenova?

29% of Kenova’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.7 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1958.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.