54 & 55. Braxton County Courthouse. Built in 1882, this is one of the earliest remaining courthouses in West Virginia. It was the second brick building in town. The jail was built in 1905.

109 & 110. The Board of Education Garage and the Sutton Town Hall. The town hall is a WPA project constructed in 1940. The garage was built around 1935. The garage is a good example of Art Modern Modern Style.

57. Braxton Motor building 1921.

53. Lee Hardware Building, 1900.

5455

53

60

56

10943 39

23

66

1312

5758

13. Brown Building, 1915, Richardsonian Romanesque.

A full description of all of the buildings is available at the information center.

121. Metal through truss bridge, Canton Bridge Co., 1892

66. Givens Building, ca. 1925.

23. Methodist Episcopal Church South, Gothic Revivial, 1896.

39. PJ Berry Residence, Colonial Revival, 1899.

56. TJ Berry store, Victorian Romanesque, 1890 & 1898.

60. Elk Hotel, 1894, Federal.

58. Juergens and Walker Drug Store, 1910. See the fans and ceiling on the interior.

43. Kelly/Fisher House, portions built 1872, 1917.

121

Sutton Historic District Information Center

City Hall

Sutton Historic District Information Center

City Hall

12. Bank of Sutton building, 1900, Renaissance Revival.

Sutton Historic District

HistoricWalking Tour

History of Sutton, Braxton County

Sutton was first settled in 1792 by Adam O'Brien, from Bath County Virginia. Other settlers followed O'Brien. In 1809 John D. Sutton settled at the confluence of Granny's Creek and the Elk River, within the current boundaries of the downtown. His nephew Felix also came to the settlement, along with others, including, Gustavius Taylor, and Andrew Skidmore. The village of Suttonville, formerly known as Newville, was laid out in 1835 and named for John D. Sutton.

Braxton County was formed in 1836 and named after Carter Braxton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The first court was held in the home of John D. Sutton.

Sutton was situated at the confluence of major transportation routes. The Elk River was navigable at times all the way to Charleston. The Weston to Gauley Bridge Turnpike, chartered in 1848, connected the Staunton to Parkersburg Turnpike in the center of the state to the Kanawha River Valley and the Kanawha James River Road. A wire suspension bridge was constructed across the Elk River on the Turnpike in 1853. Portions of the stone cable anchors still stand in Sutton.

West Virginia was formed out of the conflict of the Civil War. Felix Sutton represented the county in the restored government of Virginia, in Wheeling until the state was created. Due to its location along a major north south turnpike through the center of West(ern) Virginia at the outbreak of the Civil War, Sutton was embroiled in the conflict. On September 5, 1861 the town was occupied by 5,000 troops. Later in 1861, General Rosencrans bivouacked 10,000 troops there, including future President William McKinley. On December 29, 1861 Confederate soldiers burned most of the downtown, leaving only six structures intact.

Sutton slowly rebuilt from the Civil War, but remained a small county seat until the timber industry in the region developed and Sutton became a commercial center. Many of the banks, hotels, shops and other historic buildings in Sutton date from this 1890 to 1920 time period. After this, Sutton once again slowed its development in step with the overall economy of the nation during the great depression.

Braxton CountyWest Virginia

Sutton Historic District Information CenterTown Hall

450 Fourth StreetSutton, WV 26601

(304) 765-5581www.suttonwva.com

suttonwva@yahoo.com

The activity that is the subject of this brochure has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and administered by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Regulations of the US Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in the departmental Federal Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240.

Additional historic sites outside of district

Stonewall Street. Historichomes on south sideof Elk River.

1905 Mural on the TJ Berry Building.Painted by Carol Evans.

Brick paving on Main Street.

Installed around1908.

Suspension Bridge stones.Though overgrown, the original stone anchorsand iron cables still existfrom the 1853 bridge.

Old Sutton High School.This 1906 structure still serves county students.

Sutton DamConstructed in1960 provides recreation forthe county.

Sutton