| The West Virginia state capital was moved twice between Wheeling and Charleston in its first 12 years. In 1877, the legislature decided to let the people choose the capital's permanent site. Legislators narrowed down an initial list of twelve sites to three cities: Charleston, Clarksburg, and Martinsburg. Interestingly, Wheeling did not make the final ballot. |  |
On August 6, 1877, state voters chose Charleston by a large margin, followed by Clarksburg and Martinsburg.
Charleston
41,243
Clarksburg 29,442
Martinsburg 8,046
If the referendum were held today, which city would you choose to be the state capital?
Please select one of the cities listed OR write in your choice in the space provided below.
As of October 21, 2002, the present standings are:
Charleston 721
Huntington 128
Clarksburg 95
Martinsburg 84
Morgantown 77
Richwood 74
Wheeling 73
Sissonville 51
Winfield 29
St. Mary’s 25
Parkersburg 12
Beckley 10
Fairmont 10
Hurricane 10
Elkins 9
Flatwoods 9
Sutton 9
Big Ugly 9
Williamstown 8
Grafton 7
Princeton 7
Summersville 7
Nitro 6
Spencer 6
Goldtown 5
Kenova 5
Salem 5
Berkeley Springs 4
Bretz 4
Buckhannon 4
Lewisburg 4
New Creek 4
Shepherdstown 4
Arthurdale 3
Bluefield 3
Cashmere 3
Charles Town 3
Clay 3
Danville 3
Miami 3
Paw Paw 3
Pinch 3
Pineville 3
Poca 3
Richmond, VA 3
Ripley 3
Big Otter 2
Bramwell 2
Bruceton Mills 2
Ceredo 2
Craigsville 2
Dunbar 2
Elizabeth 2
Elkview 2
Fayetteville 2
Fenwick 2
Gallagher (formerly Mucklow) 2
Glenville 2
Helvetia 2
Jane Lew 2
Japah 2
Keyser 2
Las Vegas, NV 2
Left Hand 2
Mannington 2
Moorefield 2
New Orleans, LA 2
New York, NY 2
Oak Hill 2
Philippi 2
Point Pleasant 2
St. Albans 2
Shrewsbury 2
Smithers 2
Weston 2
Zenith 2
Akron, OH 1
Barrackville 1
Belle 1
Belmont 1
Big Valley 1
Bomont 1
Boomer 1
Caldwell 1
Chester 1
Chloe 1
Clendenin 1
Colfax 1
Columbus, OH 1
Cowen 1
Crab Orchard 1
East Bank 1
Eccles 1
Erbacon 1
Falls Mill 1
Finzel, MD 1
Frost 1
Gassaway 1
Glen Daniel 1
Grantsville 1
Harpers Ferry 1
Hewell 1
Hinton 1
Holcomb 1
Huttonsville 1
Jefferson 1
Jolo 1
Julian 1
Logan 1
Madison 1
Malden 1
Man 1
Marlinton 1
Masontown 1
Milton 1
Mink Shoals 1
Monongah 1
Mullens 1
Nimitz 1
Peterstown 1
Peytona 1
Pickens 1
Pisgah 1
Reedy 1
Ridgeley 1
Romney 1
Ronceverte 1
Scott Depot 1
Shady Spring 1
Shenandoah Junction 1
Sinks Grove 1
Snowshoe 1
South Charleston 1
Tioga 1
Van 1
Virginia Beach, VA 1
Wallace 1
Walton 1
War 1
Webster 1
Webster Springs 1
Wendia 1
Whitesville 1
Winifrede 1
Winston 1
Yates 1
View photos of the various Capitols