Finding aid for Romney subjects
This is an unordered list of several of the pages
that concern the Town of Romney
Early Romney
Romney, England - our namesake
History of Romney Lots from Various Sources
Important Dates and Places from Historic Romney: 1762-1937
Early Deeds of Romney Lots and Adjoining Lots
Map of Romney Lot Numbers both in-lots and out-lots
Well known map of Mitchel's survey of Romney 1790; .gif file, 219 kb.
Romney Lot Owners Over Time - maps NEW
Names of men who spoke for Romney Lots around time of founding
Romney Lot Owners in c.1799 after Fairfax's death
Romney's Oldest Cemetery - gone
Romney's Old Presbyterian Cemetery - gone
Later Romney
Links to NRHP sites
Romney City Boundary References
1909 Survey of Town boundary - shows old Indian Mound Cemetery outside town
Romney historic maps see listing on main web page
Destroyed Places - Landmarks that have passed
Romney, the county seat (see also History above) - Old page
The Hampshire County Courthouse
Building the Current Courthouse a Review article by Rob Wolford
Photographs - Romney scenes
Cemeteries - see four listings on main page
Antebellum Romney - article by Rob Wolford
New Judicial Center (2008)
Old reservoir for either the WVSDB or the Town of Romney. There are possibly more old waterworks on the hill.
Armstrong Colored Cemetery in Romney; supposedly removed. Map
Hampshire Review articles:
"Corporation of Romney" reference
Romney Barrel Factory, RR Motor Cars & Fruit Package Factory 1922
Large fire in Romney in November, 1927
Romney City Council meeting - new officers 1935
Sale of Dr. Martin House 10-17-34
New Jail Opening November, 1934
Wendel Lots, building the Co-op, A & P, Coffman & Fisher
Deeds and Miscellaneous Documents:
Corporation of Romney statement in Romney City Council Minute book
Corporation of Romney minutes - bonds
Romney - Rannells Airport Agreement
Bid for new City building
From our namesake in England:
Proclamation from the Cinque Port Mayors to the Mayor of Romney, 1936
New Romney Proclamation on Romney's 250th anniversary
Sanborn Maps of Romney
Sanborn Fire Map Color Legend
Sanborn Fire Map of Romney 1894
Note: the following are large maps of the center of Romney; you can click on them and your browser will show them or you can right click on the link and save it to your computer for viewing later or for editing since it more than fills your screen. They are large files (180-280kb) which take some time to download. We hope to upload the other sections of town at some later date (2028 to 2041 or thereabouts unless we get some help).
Sanborn Map of center of Romney 1899
Sanborn Map of center of Romney 1915
Sanborn Map of center of Romney 1923
Sanborn Map of center of Romney 1931
Large, color Sanborn Maps for downloading
The maps in this section were edited for more modern Internet speeds and computer monitors. The images are approximately 3200x3800 pixels and at 150 dip will print out as 22x26 inches. They are approximately 660-860Kb in size, so they take time to download. Although they can be viewed in your browser, they are best viewed and edited by downloading them to your computer and using an image viewer program or Photoshop. Make sure you notice the compass arrow pointing North in each map segment of the page since some segments are different than others. These images are half the size of the originals.
1894 Sanborn Map of part of town
1899 Sanborn Map WVSDB, Depot, parts of town
1899 Sanborn Map Courthouse area
1908 Sanborn Map Index, Depot, WVSBD
1908 Sanborn Map Marsham St. West
1908 Sanborn Map Marsham St. East
1915 Sanborn Map Index, Depot, Farmers Exchange
1915 Sanborn Map west side of town
1915 Sanborn Map Courthouse area
1915 Sanborn Map east and west end; water from spring
1923 Sanborn Map Index, Birch, Bolton, Depot
1923 Sanborn Map Marsham St. West
1923 Sanborn Map Marsham St. East
1923 Sanborn Map South, East, West, WVSDB
1931 Sanborn Map Index, Depot, Farmers Exchange, schools
1931 Sanborn Map west side of town
1931 Sanborn Map Courthouse area
1931 Sanborn Map east and west sides; WVSDB
1928 Town Water system black & white pan and zoomable
1928 Water system map - blueprint
Miscellaneous
Walking Tour of Romney - a work in progress
Archived page: Romney 250th Anniversary
Archived page: Photo Album of Romney 250th Anniversary
Demonstration of murals in Romney - what it might look like.
Items of note for the Romney Historic Landmarks Commission
Suggestions for the Romney Historic Landmarks Commission
Old W.V.S.D.B. Dairy Barn preservation project
Blank West Virginia Historic Property Inventory Form for sites inventory use - pdf file you can download
Romney's Historic District-?? - preserving W. Va.'s oldest town?
WV Historic Property Form filled in for some Romney sites
Timeline:
Note: this is an abbreviated timeline; check web site index for county "Timeline" and page on "Tidbits of History."- 1729(?) first settlers enter the South Branch River Valley.
- April 15, 1748 (approx.) Lot 18 on the South Branch is surveyed by James Genn; the Grant Book records "Laid off in a Town called Romney." [CRUP-Rice 2:165; 6:6-9]
- by 1748 200 persons reside at Pearsall's Flats.
- Thursday, Dec. 23, 1762 Gov. Fauquier signs Act establishing the Town of Romney.
- Oct-Nov 1770 George Washington's last visit to Hampshire county; he and Dr. James Craik spend night in Romney.
- 1786 State road from Winchester to Romney.
- 1796 Post Office established at Romney.
- January 30, 1819 The Polemic Society of Romney (later Literary Society of Romney) was organized in the office of Dr. John Temple. M&SHHC p.430
- Dec. 12, 1824 first Presbyterian Church dedicated by Dr. William Henry Foote on lots 59 & 60 at corner of High Street and Gravel Lane.
- by 1834 the Northwestern Pike reached Romney; by 1838 it reached Parkersburg on the western edge of the state.
- 1837 New courthouse built in Romney; it survived until 1920.
- December 12, 1846 The Virginia Legislature passed an act empowering the Literary Society to "establish at or near the town of Romney, a seminary of learning..."
- April 1861 Committee of Safety meets in Romney and begins to prepare for the coming war.
- 1869 original Methodist Church built on lot 56 in Romney.
- Sept. 1, 1884 the B & O Railroad opens 16.29 miles of track from Green Spring (main line of the B & O Railroad) and Romney
- August 4, 1896 William McKinley registers during his campaign for the Presidency [see Keller Hotel Registers]
- Oct. 30, 1896 William Jennings Bryan registers while campaigning for the Presidency [see Keller Hotel Registers]
- 1898 Telephone lines completed from Cumberland to Romney and Romney to Capon Bridge.
- Feb. 24, 1909 Interstate Natural Gas Co. has made application to the Town Council of Romney for a franchise by which it will be empowered to lay, construct, maintain, and operate through the streets and alleys of the town its mains and pipe lines for supplying natural gas for lighting, heating, and other purposes. Council will take up the franchise on April 5. [from Hampshire History, February 2004]
- July 26, 1920 During renovation the east wall of the Courthouse collapses burying a small child, Tom Duncan. The county will finally vote to construct a new Courthouse.
- 1959 Hampshire Memorial Hospital opens to patients on Center Lane off Depot Street in Romney.
- September 2008 The new Hampshire County Judicial Center is dedicated by Gov. Joe Manchin.
- May, 2011 the new Hampshire Memorial Hospital has an open house