Berkeley County West Virginia

Communities

The following are some of the communities that exist
or have existed within the present-day boundaries of Berkeley County

Many of these communities remain today, some with their own elected officials, fire departments, and postal zip codes; others are outskirts of the county seat, Martinsburg, and other larger towns. Still others are but a memory for the older residents of Berkeley County or the birth and final resting place for our ancestors. Over the years, a few of these communities have been referred to by different names, some a variant spelling of what we know today; others were quite different. Hedgesville was once called Skinners Gap, and Gerrardstown has been known as Middle Town and Mills Gap! Darkesville, established in 1791 while still in Berkeley County, Virginia, probably holds the area's records for the greatest number of names - in addition to Darkes, Darkville and present-day Darkseville, it has been known as James Town, Locke and five different variations of Buckellstown.

The United States Geological Survey offers topographical and aerial maps, as well as general area maps at its website. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find maps that sufficiently detail the areas, though the maps provided by the U.S. Census Bureau's Tiger Map Server give one a general idea of where the communities are located. To use the USGS Query, insert the town or community name under Feature Name, enter the state, and use the pull-down menu for feature type. You can also request the county by clicking on the county name once, then accessing the pull-down menu (note: the county menu isn't available until after you've entered the state and clicked once on the county). You can locate everything from airports to woods through the USGS Query Form, including cemeteries, mines, reservoirs, and wells.

Sources of the following information include the USGS, U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Postal Service, and Places Names in West Virginia.

• Allensville (historical post office). Est. 1894. Note: Read about how Allensville was named after Oliver Allen and see the Allen family tree (submitted by Beverly Ann Allen Forrest Stoewer).
  
• Arden, Est. 1775
  
• Baker Heights, Est. 1967
  
• Barlow, Est. 1911-1920
  
• Baxter, Est. 1891-1935. Also known as Petersburgh in 1891.
  
• Bedington (historical post office). Est. 1811. Name changed to Hainesville in 1851; then back to Bedington in 1883. Also known as Bedenton and The Lick (1875).
  
• Berkeley, Est. 1896
  
• Bessemer, Est. 1933
  
• Bessemer Siding, Est. 1917
  
• Bishop Siding, Est. 1917
  
• Blairton, Est. 1917. Also known as Opequan Station.
  
• Boydville
  
• Broad Lane, Est. 1883
  
• Bucklestown - see Darkesville.
  
• Bunker Hill, Est. 1868. 1990 population 5,419; Zip Code 25413. Formerly Mill Creek. Also known as Bunkerhill, Bunkers Hill, Bunkerhill, and Bunkersville.
  
• Cumbo, Est. 1914-1935. Also known as West Cumbo in 1791.
  
• Darkesville (historical post office). Also known as Darkes, Darkville, James Town, Locke, Buckellstown, Buckels Town, Buckelstown, Bucklestown, and Buckletown.
  
• Douglas Grove
  
• Dunningston's Depot, Est. 1848-1850. See Van Clevesville.
  
• Dry Run, Est. 1875
  
• Elyria, Est. 1896-1920
  
• Elk Branch (historical)
  
• Fairview, Est. 1883
  
• Falling Waters, Est. 1815. 1990 population 4,428; Zip Code 25419. Also known as Fallingwater.
  U.S. Census Map of the Falling Waters area

• Fawver, Est. 1911-1935
  
• Files Crossroad
  
• Flagg's, Est. 1896
  
• Flagg's Mill, Est. 1860
  
• Foltz (historical). Est. 1891. Also known as Buttstown and Ruttstown.
  
• Ganotown, Est. 1880. Also known as Jamesburg, Jonesburg.
  
• Gard, Est. 1935
  
• Georgetown (historical post office). Est. 1854. Also known as George Town and Little Georgetown.
  
• Gerrardstown, Est. 1820. 1990 population 2,481; Zip Code 25420. Also known as Gerardstown, Middle Town, and Mills Gap.
  
• Glengary, Est. 1851. Zip Code 25421
  
• Goose Nest
  
• Great Cacapon, Est. 1875
  
• Greensburg, Est. 1875. Also known as Greensburgh and Greenburg.
  
• Grubbs Corner, Est. 1967
  
• Haines, Est. 1883
  
• Hainesville. Also known as Morlattsville.
  
• Hedgesville, Est. 1830-1846. Also known as Hedges Villa, North Mountain, and Skinners Gap.
  
• Inwood, Est. 1891. 1990 population 3,646; Zip Code 25428
  
• Jamesburg - see Ganotown
  
• James Twon - see Darkesville
  
• Johnsontown, Est. 1875. Also known as Johnstown, Johnstontown and Soho.
  
• Jonesburg - see Ganotown
  
• Jones Springs. Also known as Jones Spring in 1852.
  
• Lick (The) - see Bedington
  
• Lightsville, Est. 1855-57
  
• Marlowe (historical post office), Est. 1894. Also known as Marlow.
  
• Martinsburg, Established 1778, Berkeley County Seat, 1990 population 14,073; Zip codes 25401, 25402. Also known as Martins Town, Martins-Burgh, Martinsburgh, and Martinsville.
  City of Martinsburg Official Homepage

• Matchless, Est. 1907-1920
  
• Mauers Mills, Est. 1920
  
• Middletown, Est. 1787 - see Gerrardstown
  
• Mill Creek - see Bunker Hill
  
• Mills Gap - see Gerrardstown
  
• Myers (historical), Est. 1933
  
• Nessie, Est. 1920-1935. May have been named Nessle.
  
• Nipetown, Est. 1967. Also known as Niptown.
  
• Nollville, Est. 1894
  
• Northington, Est. 1918
  
• North Mountain (historical post office), Est. 1846. Also known as North Mountain Depot. See Hedgesville
  
• Oakton, Est. 1873-1896
  
• Opequon, Est. 1894-1920. May have changed to Blairton.
• Penry (historical)
  
• Petersburgh - see Baxter
  
• Pikeside, Est. 1924
  
• Plainfield, Est. 1883
  
• Pleasant Creek, Est. 1883
  
• Potomac, Est. 1935
  
• Ridgeway, Est. 1891. Zip Code 25440
  
• Rosemont
  
• Roundtop, Est. 1883
  
• Scrabble, Est. 1851
  
• Shanghai (historical post office), Est. 1854
  
• Shoop, Est. 1920
  
• Smoketown, Est. 1866
  
• Snyder, Est. 1920-1935
  
• Soho, Est. 1886-1933. May have become Johnsontown.
  
• Spring Mills (historical post office), Est. 1885
  
• Sulphur Springs, Est. 1883
  
• Swan Pond (historical post office), Est. 1891-1920. Also known as Swanpond.
  
• Tabb (historical), Est. 1911-1933
  
• Tabbs, Est. 1894
  
• Tabler, Est. 1889-1967. Also known as Tablers.
  
• Tablers Station (historical post office), Est. 1976
  
• Tarico Heights, Est. 1976
  
• Three Runs, Est. 1883
  
• Tomahawk (historical post office), Est. 1860. Also known as Tomahawk Springs in 1844.
  
• Union Corner, Est. 1976
  
• Union Hall, Est. 1976
  
• Union Mills, Est. 1894. See North Mountain
  
• Van Clevesville (historical post office), Est. 1851. Also known as Dunningston's Depot, 1848-1850 and Vanclevesville.
  
• Vainville, Est. 1967
  
• Vanville, Est. 1976
  
• Winebrenners Crossroad, Est. 1986. Also known as Winebrenners Crossroads.
  
• Wynkoop Spring


The USGS listed the following as historical post offices, only: Barlow (located 3 miles south of Holton - an area not mentioned on any of the sources), Elyria (located 2.5 mi southeast of Darkesville), Matchless (near Glengary?), Oakton (located 6.5 mi northwest of Tomahawk Springs), and Soho (located 4.5 mi east of Oakton). If anyone has a source explaining why these would be listed only as historical post offices and not also as communities, please e-mail me. My guess is because they were designated only as pickup and drop-off points for the U.S. mail and didn't develop into communities, although I went ahead and listed them because of Mary M. Jenkins' Place Names in West Virginia.

U.S. Census Bureau Berkeley County Map

1895 Map of West Virginia


Back to Berkeley County GenWeb

Copyright © 2002-2009 by Marilyn Gouge



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