BARBOURSVILLE BICENTENNIAL Village Of Barboursville Celebrates 200th Birthday
Reported by: Darrah Wilcox
Web Producer: Darrah Wilcox
Reported: Jan. 14, 2013 5:08 PM EST
Updated: Jan. 15, 2013 10:28 AM EST
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Barboursville
, Cabell County
, West Virginia
Two hundred years of history are being celebrated this year in the Village of Barboursville.
Two centuries ago, the courthouse stood where a park downtown does today. It was the hub of what are now Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo and Putnam counties.
"It was a pretty large frontier, and this was where everything was centered at that time," Jeanette Rowsey said.
Several generations of her family grew up in Barboursville. She has been researching and writing a book called "The Lost Village."
Present day Barboursville is also quite a hub, with the Huntington Mall, Meritts Creek shopping center, Barboursville park and a historic downtown area. The village has a $5 million annual budget.
"I think we can be proud that Barboursville has really kept its own character through all of these changes over the centuries," Rowsey said.
Mayor Paul Turman Sr. said officials are planning several activities closer to summertime to celebrate. They will have an extra big Independence Day celebration at the park, and a special Civil Wars Days in May.
"I'm blessed to be here and I'm excited that this is the 200th birthday, but it won't be quiet in the summer," Turman said.
There are also bicentennial calendars available, and Rowsey's book about Barboursville should be published later this year. She encourages everyone from the area to take a look at their own roots around the area.
"They may have ancestors who were part of the story of how Barboursville was formed, of how Barboursville was an important place in the whole region," she said.
You can check out more about the history on her website: http://www.lostvillageofbarboursville.com
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