St. Albans dates to 1816, and 12 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #29 of 61 in West Virginia. What drives it
Most of St. Albans was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1956. 12 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 35 buildings between them. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1909 on, and the census since 1900.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1817.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives St. Albans’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. Albans is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #29 of 61 in West Virginia. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of St. Albans’ overall grade.
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 St. Albans’ 43.7 sits above most of its state (66% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 46 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 points). Two sources give 1816.
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 St. Albans’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
St. Albans was laid out in 1816. Originally, it was known as Philippi, after Philip Thompson, an early settler, the name afterwards being changed to Coalsmouth due to the city's proximity to the mouth of the Coal River. The city was then incorporated as Kanawha City in 1868. The town was renamed in 1872 by H.C. Parsons of the C & O Railroad in honor of his birthplace in St. Albans, Vermont, which is itself named after St. Albans in Hertfordshire, England. The latter town is named for St. Alban, believed to have been the first British Christian martyr.
Passages that mention St. Albans, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia1911 · page 222Read the page →
Read the text
The town of St. Albans was incorporated in 1868 by an act of the Legislature under the name of Kanawha City and a short time afterward the name was changed to St. Albans, the exact date of change of name not being recorded on the town records. The name of St.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia1911 · page 227Read the page →
Read the text
The shipping facilities of St. Albans are exceptionally good, as the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, and the Coal River Railroad enter the place. The latter .was built as an independent line but has been purchased by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and operated as a part of that system. Just across the Kanawha river from St. Albans is Sattes, named
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the Valley. The next tract which he located embraced 2,000 acres, and extended from the mouth of Two and Three -fourth Mile creek to Coal river, including the valuable site for a city whereon the present town of St. Albans now stands. His next warrant covered the wide level bottom extending from the mouth of Pocatalico river down to the mouth of Little Buffalo creek, embracing 7,276 acres of excellent farming lands.
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.
Timeline
St. Albans, 1816 to 1986
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
In 1816, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. St. Albans’ post office opened in 1817, and the census of 1900 counted 816 people here.
How does St. Albans rank for history?
St. Albans is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #29 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.
What is on the National Register in St. Albans?
12 listings: 10 buildings, among them the Chilton House (listed 1977, the first), and 2 historic districts, the St. Albans Main Street Historic District and the St. Albans Railroad Industry Historic District, with 35 contributing buildings. 46 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in St. Albans?
10% of St. Albans’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1956.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (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 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.
1902
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