Martinsburg, West Virginia

Martinsburg
City
Downtown Martinsburg Historic District
Flag Seal
Interactive map of Martinsburg
Martinsburg Martinsburg
Coordinates:39°27′13″N77°59′44″W
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Berkeley
Government
•Mayor	Kevin Knowles (D)
Area
•City	6.65 sq mi (17.22 km2)
• Land	6.63 sq mi (17.17 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	495 ft (151 m)
Population (2020)
•City	18,773
• Estimate (2019)	18,835
• Density	2,632.18/sq mi (1,016.31/km2)
•Urban	43,441
•Metro	260,070 (US:167th)
Time zone	UTC−5(EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP codes	25401–25405
Area code	304681
FIPS code	54-52060
GNISfeature ID	2390615
Website	City of Martinsburg

Martinsburgis a city in and thecounty seatofBerkeley County, West Virginia,United States.The population was 18,773 at the2020 census,making Martinsburg the largest city in theEastern Panhandle of West Virginiaand thesixth-most populous cityin the state. It is a principal city of theHagerstown–Martinsburg metropolitan areaextending intoMaryland,which had 293,844 residents in 2020.

History

Martinsburg was established by an actof the Virginia General Assembly that was adopted in December 1778during the American Revolutionary War. Founder Major GeneralAdam Stephennamed the gateway town to theShenandoah ValleyalongTuscarora Creekin honor of ColonelThomas Bryan Martin,a nephew ofThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.

Aspen Hall,a Georgian mansion, is the oldest house in the city.Part was built in 1745 by Edward Beeson, Sr. Aspen Hall, and its wealthy residents had key roles in the agricultural, religious, transportation, and political history of the region. Significant events related to theFrench and Indian War,the Revolution, and the Civil War took place on the property. Three original buildings are still standing, including the rare blockhouse of Mendenhall's Fort.

The first United States post office in what is now West Virginia was established at Martinsburg in 1792. At that time, Martinsburg and the larger territory were still part ofVirginia.

TheBaltimore and Ohio Railroad(B&O) reached Martinsburg in 1842. TheBaltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shopswere constructed in 1849 and rebuilt after the American Civil War.

According toWilliam Still,"The Father of theUnderground Railroad"and its historian: Mr Robert Brown, alias Thomas Jones, escaped from slavery in Martinsburg on Christmas night in 1856. He rode a horse and had it swim across the freezing Potomac River. After riding forty miles, he walked in cold wet clothes for two days, toHarrisburg, Pennsylvania.He received assistance there from the Underground Railroad and traveled by train toPhiladelphia,and the office of William Still with thePennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society.Brown's wife and four children had been sold; he sought help to find them. He had a likeness of his wife, and locks of hair from each of them.

Civil war

TheBaltimore and Ohio Railroad's Martinsburg Shops three years before the Civil War

In 1854, ten-year-oldIsabelle Boyd,known as "Belle" and later a noted spy for the Confederacy, moved to Martinsburg with her family, where her father Benjamin operated a general merchandise store. After the Civil War began, Benjamin joined the Second Virginia Infantry, which was part of the Stonewall Brigade. His wife Mary was thus in charge of the Boyd home when Union forces under GeneralRobert Pattersontook Martinsburg. When a group of Patterson's men tried to raise a Union flag over the Boyd home, Mary refused. One of the soldiers, Frederick Martin, threatened Mary, and Belle shot him. She was acquitted.

She soon became involved in espionage, sending information to Confederate generalsThomas "Stonewall" JacksonandJ.E.B. "Jeb" Stuart.Often she was helped by Eliza Corsey, a Boyd family slave whom Belle had taught to read and write. In 1863, Belle was arrested in Martinsburg by the Union Army and imprisoned. Boyd's Greek Revival home, which he had built in 1853 and sold in 1855, had numerous owners over the decades. In 1992 it was purchased by the Berkeley County Historical Society. The historical society renovated the building and now operates it as the Berkeley County Museum. It is also known as the Belle Boyd House.

Reconstruction

Residents of West Virginia were split in their allegiance during the war, with half of its soldiers serving in the Confederate army.The vote to create a new state in western Virginia was very low, but statehood was approved by Congress and President Lincoln, and the new state was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863.

The city of Martinsburg was incorporated by an act of the newWest Virginia Legislatureon March 30, 1868.

Blockade of engines during theGreat Railroad Strike of 1877

Martinsburg became a center of the railroad industry and its workers. TheGreat Railroad Strike of 1877began July 14, 1877, in this city at theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops.After several unsuccessful attempts to quell the protests, GovernorHenry M. Mathewscalled for federal troops. By the time these troops had restored order, the protest of the rail company had spread across the country.

Telephone service was established in Martinsburg in 1883. In 1889, electricity began to be furnished to Martinsburg as part of a franchise granted to the United Edison Manufacturing Company of New York.

The Interwoven Mills began operations in Martinsburg in 1891.

Construction of the Apollo Civic Theatre was completed in 1913.

World War I and beyond

An engineer waves from a passing B&O freight train in 1969. The B&O's shops employed many locals throughout its 130 years of operation.

Over one thousand (1,039) men from Berkeley County participated in World War I. Of these, forty-one were killed, and twenty-one were wounded in battle. A monument to those who fell in battle was erected in Martinsburg in 1925.

During World War II, the Newton D. Baker Hospital in Martinsburg treated thousands of soldiers wounded in the war. In 1946 this military hospital became a part of theVeterans Administration(VA). The VA Medical Center in Martinsburg still provides care to United States veterans.

Due to restructuring beginning in the late 1940s and continuing through the 1970s, many of the mills and factories operating in Martinsburg shut down and went out of business, dealing a major blow to the local economy. Jobs were moved to the Deep South and later offshore.

Geography

Location and topography

Martinsburg is approximately 18 miles (29 km) southwest ofHagerstown,73 miles (117 km) west ofBaltimore,63 miles (101 km) northwest ofWashington, D.C.,and 134 miles (216 km) east ofMorgantown.U.S. Route 11runs through the center of town, andInterstate 81passes along the northern side of the town.

Martinsburg is 212 miles (341 km) distant from the state capital of Charleston. However, it is closer to no less thanfiveother state capitals: Harrisburg PA - 80 miles (130 km), Annapolis MD - 85 miles (137 km), Dover DE - 132 miles (212 km), Richmond VA - 135 miles (217 km), and Trenton NJ - 179 miles (288 km).

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has a total area of 6.67 square miles (17.28 km²), of which 6.65 square miles (17.22 km²) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²) is water.

Climate

Martinsburg lies in the transitional area betweenhumid subtropical climate(KöppenCfa) andhumid continental climatic zones(KöppenDfa), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold, with a January daily mean temperature of 32.4 °F (0.2 °C) and an average annual snowfall of 26.1 inches (66 cm), while summers are hot and humid with a July daily mean temperature of 75.7 °F (24.3 °C) and 27 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ readings annually. Precipitation is moderate, with winter being the driest period and May thru July the wettest. Extreme temperatures atEastern West Virginia Regional Airportrange from −18 °F (−28 °C) on January 21, 1994, up to 112 °F (44 °C) on July 11, 1936; an even colder −19 °F (−28 °C) was recorded in the city on January 14, 1912.

Climate data for Martinsburg, West Virginia (Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport), 1991−2020 normals,extremes 1891−present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	80 (27)	83 (28)	90 (32)	101 (38)	100 (38)	110 (43)	112 (44)	108 (42)	103 (39)	98 (37)	86 (30)	78 (26)	112 (44)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	64.0 (17.8)	65.9 (18.8)	76.0 (24.4)	85.1 (29.5)	89.7 (32.1)	93.8 (34.3)	96.6 (35.9)	94.3 (34.6)	90.6 (32.6)	83.6 (28.7)	73.7 (23.2)	64.7 (18.2)	97.4 (36.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	41.3 (5.2)	44.7 (7.1)	53.5 (11.9)	65.4 (18.6)	74.0 (23.3)	82.4 (28.0)	86.9 (30.5)	85.0 (29.4)	78.1 (25.6)	66.7 (19.3)	55.1 (12.8)	44.8 (7.1)	64.8 (18.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)	32.4 (0.2)	35.0 (1.7)	42.8 (6.0)	53.6 (12.0)	62.5 (16.9)	71.1 (21.7)	75.7 (24.3)	73.8 (23.2)	66.7 (19.3)	55.2 (12.9)	44.6 (7.0)	36.0 (2.2)	54.1 (12.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	23.5 (−4.7)	25.3 (−3.7)	32.2 (0.1)	41.8 (5.4)	51.0 (10.6)	59.8 (15.4)	64.5 (18.1)	62.5 (16.9)	55.3 (12.9)	43.7 (6.5)	34.2 (1.2)	27.1 (−2.7)	43.4 (6.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	4.3 (−15.4)	9.5 (−12.5)	15.5 (−9.2)	27.2 (−2.7)	36.6 (2.6)	46.7 (8.2)	53.7 (12.1)	52.2 (11.2)	41.3 (5.2)	29.2 (−1.6)	19.3 (−7.1)	12.0 (−11.1)	2.1 (−16.6)
Record low °F (°C)	−19 (−28)	−13 (−25)	−3 (−19)	19 (−7)	26 (−3)	36 (2)	41 (5)	38 (3)	29 (−2)	17 (−8)	6 (−14)	−12 (−24)	−19 (−28)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm)	2.60 (66)	2.14 (54)	3.42 (87)	3.36 (85)	4.05 (103)	3.85 (98)	3.78 (96)	3.02 (77)	4.03 (102)	2.99 (76)	2.73 (69)	3.00 (76)	38.97 (990)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	9.0 (23)	7.2 (18)	4.6 (12)	0.4 (1.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	1.1 (2.8)	3.8 (9.7)	26.1 (66)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in)	10.0	8.9	11.0	11.0	13.0	11.3	10.6	9.1	9.4	9.0	8.5	9.5	121.3
Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in)	3.7	2.1	1.7	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	2.1	10.3
Source:NOAA(snow 1981–2010)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	2,190		—
1860	3,364		53.6%
1870	4,863		44.6%
1880	6,335		30.3%
1890	7,226		14.1%
1900	7,564		4.7%
1910	10,698		41.4%
1920	12,515		17.0%
1930	14,857		18.7%
1940	15,063		1.4%
1950	15,621		3.7%
1960	15,179		−2.8%
1970	14,626		−3.6%
1980	13,063		−10.7%
1990	14,073		7.7%
2000	14,972		6.4%
2010	17,227		15.1%
2020	18,773		9.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

As of thecensusof 2020, there were 18,777 people residing in the city, living in 7,179 total households. Thepopulation densitywas 2,591.7 inhabitants per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 79.9%White,13.9%African American,0.1%Native American,1.3%Asian,0.0%Pacific Islander,and 3.1% two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race was 4.8% of the population.

The median household income (in 2019 dollars) was $42,835. The per capita income was $24,970. 29.5% of the population is recorded as being in poverty. 88.5% of households had a computer, with 77.9% having access to broadband internet.

2010 census

As of thecensusof 2010, there were 17,227 people, 7,293 households, and 4,106 families residing in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 2,590.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,000.2/km²). There were 8,408 housing units at an average density of 1,264.4 per square mile (488.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.5%White,14.9%African American,0.4%Native American,1.2%Asian,0.1%Pacific Islander,2.3% fromother races,and 3.7% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 6.2% of the population.

There were 7,293 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% weremarried couplesliving together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.7% were non-families. Of all households, 35.4% were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 37 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of thecensusof 2000, there were 14,972 people, 6,684 households, and 3,689 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,977.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,149.6/km²). There were 7,432 housing units at an average density of 1,478.0 per square mile (570.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.9%White,11.6%African American,0.4%Native American,0.9%Asian,0%Pacific Islander,1.3%% fromother races,and 2.2% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 6,684 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% weremarried couplesliving together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,495, and the median income for a family was $36,954. Males had a median income of $29,697 versus $22,212 for females. Theper capita incomefor the city was $16,314. About 14.7% of families and 20.0% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Berkeley County Courthouse

Major private employers in and around Martinsburg includeQuad/Graphics,Ecolab,Orgill,Macy's,andFedEx.In February 2015, it was announced thatProcter & Gambleplanned to build a $500 million facility near the city.

The city also has numerous federal government employers, including theInternal Revenue Service(IRS),U.S. Coast GuardC5ISC-Kearneysville,U.S. Coast GuardNational Maritime Center,Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,and theMartinsburg VA Medical Center.

The Martinsburg IRS Facility, one of the two Enterprise Computing Centers of theInternal Revenue Service(the other is inMemphis, Tennessee), processes most of the country's electronically filed tax documents frombusinesses,and about one-third of electronically filedtax returns.

The area is also home to the167th Airlift Wingof theWest Virginia Air National Guard,based inEastern WV Regional Airport.

Martinsburg had its own automobile company from 1912 to 1922, called Norwalk, which assembled the longest-made known cars to be built in the state of West Virginia.

Sports

Major League Baseball Hall of FamerHack Wilsonbegan his storied professional career in his adopted hometown with theMartinsburg Blue Sox,a low-level minor-league baseball team. Wilson would go on to set the yet-to-be-broken major league record for RBI in a season (191) with theChicago Cubsin 1930.

After his playing career ended in 1935, Hack went back home to Martinsburg, played some ball with the town's semipro team and opened a recreation and pool hall in town with a partner. He later moved to Baltimore in 1941 where he later died November 23, 1948. Originally scheduled to be interred in Baltimore, Wilson was buried — in a donated plot — in Martinsburg,

Education

Martinsburg High School

Elementary and intermediate schools

• Rocky Knoll Adventist School
• Back Creek Valley Elementary
• Bedington Elementary
• Berkeley Heights Elementary
• Bunker Hill Elementary
• Burke Street Elementary
• Gerrardstown Elementary
• Hedgesville Elementary
• Inwood Elementary
• Marlowe Elementary
• Opequon Elementary
• Rosemont Elementary
• Spring Mills Elementary
• Tuscarora Elementary
• Valley View Elementary
• Winchester Avenue Elementary
• Mountain Ridge Intermediate
• Potomac Intermediate
• Orchard View Intermediate
• Mill Creek Intermediate
• Eagle School Intermediate
• Tomahawk Intermediate
• St. Joseph Catholic School

Middle schools

• North Middle
• South Middle
• Spring Mills Middle
• Hedgesville Middle
• Mountain Ridge Middle
• Musselman Middle

High schools

• Martinsburg High School
• Musselman High School
• Hedgesville High School
• Spring Mills High School
• Berkeley STEM Academy

Colleges and universities

• Blue Ridge Community and Technical College,Martinsburg
• James Rumsey Technical Institute,Martinsburg
• Shepherd University-Martinsburg
• Valley College of Technology, Martinsburg Campus

Media

Print

Martinsburg has one daily community newspaper,The Journaland also is regionally covered byThe Herald-Mailout ofHagerstown, Maryland.Martinsburg has a bi-monthly magazine,Around the Panhandlemagazine.

Radio

The city is home toWEPM/1340 AM,WRNR/740 AM,WICL/95.9 FM,WLTF/97.5 FM,andWVEP/88.9 FMradio stations.

Television

Martinsburg is home to W08EE-D Channel 8 (West Virginia Public Broadcasting) andWWPX60 (ION), all part of theHagerstownsub-market that is further grouped under the Nielsen-designated Washington, D.C.-Hagerstown, Md. market, the ninth largest market in the nation.

Martinsburg was the setting of theX-Filesepisode "Small Potatoes"(Season 4, episode 20). However, the filming did not take place in the vicinity. Martinsburg was also the setting for thereality televisionseriesGypsy SistersonTLC.

Transportation

Roads and highways

I-81 southbound in Martinsburg

Martinsburg is served by several significant highways. The most prominent of these isInterstate 81,which is the main north–south highway through the region. I-81 connects northward toHagerstownandHarrisburg,and continues southward toWinchesterandRoanoke.U.S. Route 11,the former primary regional north–south highway, now serves as a local service road to I-81, and travels through downtown Martinsburg. The main highway serving regional east–west travel isWest Virginia Route 9.From Martinsburg eastwards, WV 9 follows an expressway, connecting the city toCharles TownandLeesburg.WV 9 follows US 11 through downtown Martinsburg. To the west, WV 9 continues toBerkeley SpringsandPaw Paw.West Virginia Route 45is the other state highway serving Martinsburg. WV 45 extends westward into rural areas of western Berkeley County, and continues eastward toShepherdstown.

Mass transportation

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops

See also:Martinsburg station

Amtrakprovides service to Martinsburg on its Washington-ChicagoCapitol Limitedroute. The city's passenger rail station is located downtown at 229 East Martin Street.MARC,Maryland's commuter rail system, operates trains on weekdays on itsBrunswick Linewhich terminates in Martinsburg. Service is provided toWashington Union StationinWashington, D.C.

Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority (EPTA) operates public bus transit routes in Martinsburg, surrounding Berkeley County, and neighboringJefferson County, West Virginia.

Eastern WV Regional Airport,south of the city, handles general aviation andShepherd Field Air National Guard Baseis located at this airport. The closest airport with commercial air service isHagerstown Regional Airport,that is about 25 miles (40 km) driving distance north. The closest international airport isWashington Dulles International Airportnear D.C., which is about 60 miles (97 km) driving distance east.

Healthcare

Martinsburg is home to two hospitals, namely the Berkeley Medical Center and the MartinsburgVeterans Affairs Medical Center.

Notable people

• Tyson Bagent— quarterback for theChicago Bears
• Newton D. Baker— Secretary of War andMayor of Cleveland
• Harold H. Bender(1882–1951) — professor of philology atPrinceton University
• Charles Boarman(1828–1880) — physician
• Belle Boyd(1844–1900) —Confederate spyin theAmerican Civil War
• Scott Bullett— formeroutfielderfor thePittsburgh Pirates,Chicago Cubs
• Vicky Bullett— Olympic gold medalist in women's basketball
• Kathe Burkhart— artist, writer, feminist
• Summers Burkhart(1859–1932) — attorney
• Harry Flood Byrd — Sr.,U.S. SenatorandGovernor of Virginia
• Danny Casolaro— allegedly committed suicide in Martinsburg
• Robert Lee Castleman— Grammy-winning singer/songwriter
• J.R. Clifford(1848-1933) — first African-American attorney in West Virginia
• Charles James Faulkner—U.S. Senatorfrom West Virginia
• Karl Hess— former D.C. insider, relocated to the Martinsburg area in the 1970s
• Corey Hill— UFC fighter
• Joseph Howard Hodges(1911–1985) — fifth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling
• Charles Porterfield Krauth(1823–1883) — Lutheran theologian
• Shannon Larkin— drummer for the hard rock band Godsmack
• Edward F. McClain— member of theWisconsin State Assembly
• Walter Dean Myers— author
• John Quincy Adams Nadenbousch— colonel inConfederate States Army
• Tim Pool— American YouTuber and political commentator
• Mary Elizabeth Price(1877–1965) — impressionist painter
• Ronald Radosh— author
• Absalom Willis Robertson— U.S. Senator from Virginia
• Christian Rose— racing driver
• Anthony Senecal— butler ofDonald Trump
• Mary Ann Shaffer(1934–2008) — writer, editor, librarian
• David Hunter Strother(aka Porte Crayon) — artist
• Fulton Walker— former football player for theMiami Dolphins
• Trevon Wesco— tight end for theTennessee Titans
• Garland Wilson(1909–1954) — jazz pianist
• Hack Wilson— Hall of Fame baseball player

External links

• Martinsburg, West Virginiatravel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website
• Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce
• Martinsburg, Virginia, During the Civil War inEncyclopedia Virginia