Philippi is a city located in Barbour County, West Virginia, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,870. It is the county seat of Barbour County, and lies along the Tygart Valley River. In 1861 the Battle of Philippi Races took place here.
Philippi is the home of Alderson-Broaddus College, a four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches.
The town has a weekly newspaper, The Barbour Democrat.
Philippi is located at 39°9'6" North, 80°2'36" West (39.151569, -80.043472).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 km2 (2.9 mi2). 7.4 km2 (2.8 mi2) of it is land and 0.3 km2 (0.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 3.40% water.
Most of the town is located in a valley, but part of it, including the college campus, is on the mountain above.
A railroad line runs through Philippi, but is now used only by freight trains; the old passenger-rail station has been turned into a museum. The town also has a private airport.
As of the census of 2000, there are 2,870 people, 1,119 households, and 668 families residing in the city. The population density is 390.2/km2 (1,010.6/mi2). There are 1,260 housing units at an average density of 171.3/km2 (443.7/mi2).
The racial makeup of the city is 94.77% White, 1.11% African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. In addition to these officially recognised categories, however, the town has a significant population of brown-skinned, blue-eyed people, known locally as 'the Chestnut Ridge people', whose racial/ethnic origins are uncertain. They are thought by some scholars to be related to the Melungeons found elsewhere in Appalachia.
There are 1,119 households out of which 27.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% are married couples living together, 11.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% are non-families. 36.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 19.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.25 and the average family size is 2.92.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 18.0% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 78.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 74.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $21,528, and the median income for a family is $31,473. Males have a median income of $27,262 versus $20,579 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,176. 30.7% of the population and 21.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 39.0% of those under the age of 18 and 24.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Residents tend to be slower than average to adopt modern conveniences; for example, some households did not have telephones installed until the 1990s.
Philippi's economy was originally based on coal mining and the railroad industry, but both have declined severely since the mid-20th century. The town's major employers now include Alderson-Broaddus College and Broaddus Hospital. Many inhabitants work in the service industry, particularly in call centers.
Three miners from Philippi were killed in the 2006 Sago mine disaster.
The first white settlements at modern-day Philippi were established around 1780. The area was then part of Virginia, and would remain so until West Virginia became a separate state in 1863. The town was first called Anglin's Ford and then Booth's Ferry before being named Philippi in honour of the jurist Phillip Pendleton Barbour. Philippi was established by charter in 1844.
In 1852 Lemuel Chenoweth, a well-known Appalachian architect and carpenter, built a covered bridge in Philippi to provide a link on the turnpike running between Beverly and Fairmont. The bridge is the town's main landmark. It was nearly destroyed by fire in 1989, but was restored to its original appearance.
Philippi was the scene of an early, minor battle in the American Civil War, the Battle of Philippi Races. The town promotes itself as the scene of the 'first land battle of the Civil War', but there were several other skirmishes at roughly the same time that have been assigned this title. The Philippi battle was the occasion of the war's first amputation after a Confederate soldier was hit in the leg by a cannonball. The battle is reenacted every June during the town's 'Blue and Gray Reunion.'
Throughout its history, Philippi has suffered from floods because of its nearness to the river and the relatively low elevation of most of the town. The most damaging of these came in November 1985, when much of downtown Philippi was destroyed. The town has since adopted a flood plain management plan.
Source:
PhilippiWestVirginia.com
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