Duck Run Historic Marker

History
Culture
Adventure
Recreation
Hidden Treasures
   
In This Section:
Historic Landmarks
Gilmer Museums
Gilmer Memorials
Hidden Treasures

 

  

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historic Landmarks

Gilmer County's features ten nationally registered historic landmarks, as well as an early settlement cemetery which includes the burial site of Civil War veterans and at least one War of 1812 veteran. Pisgah Church, (pictured at left) and its historical cemetery can be found along Route 5, west of Glenville. Other registered historical landmarks are highlighted below.

The Arbuckle House, GSC's Alumni House The Arbuckle House

Now known as the GSC Alumni Center, this modified Queen Anne style house was built for John E. Arbuckle, circa 1908. It is located at 213 High Street, Glenville. The two-and-a-half story house's most outstanding characteristics are its octagonal tower, classical porches, and extraordinary interior detail.
   

  
Job's Temple
  
Job's Temple

Begun in 1860 and completed after the Civil War, this hand-hewn log church building is the oldest in the county. Built with local poplar trees and clay chinking, the church is 9.5 miles from Glenville on West Virginia Route 5 West. A paved driveway, parking lot and picnic shelter are available for easy access and recreation.
  

   
Cedarville School Bell
  
Cedarville School

Constructed in 1923 by Albert N. West to meet the needs of a growing population, this school sits on a three-acre site that overlooks the village of Cedarville. The stucco covered school retains many of its original features, including rolled-steel window assemblies, wooden gym floor and state, and school bell in the yard. It is located off of County Route 17, six miles past Cedar Creek State Park.
   

   
Duck Run Cable Suspension Bridge
  
Duck Run
Cable Suspension Bridge

Constructed in 1922 by local residents, this bridge is approximately 350 feet long with a deck ten feet wide. The wooden structure and abutments and piers were made from materials obtained locally, however, steel cables, hangers and anchors were brought down river by boat. The bridge spans the Little Kanawha River at WV 5/CR 30 three miles east of Glenville.
   

   
Little Kanawha Valley Bank
   
Little Kanawha Valley Bank

Constructed circa 1900, this building served as the Little Kanawha Valley Bank from 1901-1906 and as the Kanawha Union Bank until 1916. Moved from its original location on Main Street to 5 Howard Street, the rectangular shaped building has a well-preserved, classically detailed, pressed-metal facade, and is still only one block from the original location.
   

   
The Poor Farm Infantry
The Poor Farm Infirmary

In service from 1909 to 1941, the Infirmary was closed after the Social Security Act in 1935 eliminated the "poor farm" concept. Built around 1845 by the county, the building was designed and constructed at a cost of $6,000. Simple in design, it included sleeping quarters, a clinic and a kitchen. It is located off Sycamore Road on Recreation Center Road, 2.3 miles N-E of the Gilmer County Courthouse.
   

   
Stout's Mills Bridge

   

   
Stouts Mills Bridge

A rare example of "camel back, Baltimore truss design," this bridge spans the Little Kanawha River at WV State Route 5 and County Route 40, Dusk Camp Road. Owned by the WV Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, the bridge is now closed to all traffic.

   
Ruddell General Store

   

   
Ruddell General Store

The interior of this store stands as a timepiece of late 19th commercial design with the decorative tin ceiling still in place. Now owned by the WV State Folk Festival, the store sits on a 40 x 66 foot lot at 6 Court Street Glenville. It now serves as the County Store Museum, a location to learn about the commercial history of the region.
   

   
The Whiting House
   
The Whiting House

Located at 301 E. Main Street, the Whiting House has remained in the Whiting family since 1897. An outstanding example of the Queen Anne style, the house was build from brick made and kilned on the site. The most distinctive feature is the interior oak detailing, made from lumber free of know or wide grain striations.
   

  
Glenville Truss Bridge
  
The Glenville Truss Bridge

An early example of wrought iron, fabricated constructed bridges in the region, for the period from 1885-1948. 240 feet, six inches long, the main span of the bridge is 147 feet with a deck of 15 feet, seven inches. The superstructure is a steel-pinned Pratt Through Truss designed, which had a height restriction on the supports, and is pinned, not welded, together. Open to pedestrian traffic, the bridge is two blocks from Main Street, Glenville.
   

 

 

Information on these landmarks is available from the History Center in the historic Holt House, 302 E. Main Street.

Maps for a
Walking Tour to five of these ten Landmarks are available at Family Resource Network on Main Street.

Want to take a weekend tour of the area's history?
Combine a tour of these landmarks with a drive along the Gilmer's historic Cedar Creek
Road Backway
!

Signs throughout the region mark significant historical locations. For example, at the top of college campus hill once stood Fort Moore, a 30 x 30 foot log fort built in 1864. It was occupied eight months, then later burned to the ground by Confederate soldiers.