Elkins West Virginia
“Base camp for Randolph County WV”
Town of Elkins WV
The city of Elkin is located in Randolph county with tree lined streets and a downtown filled with energy of a small town and large city. The city creates a mixture of history, trade and shopping, a variety of cuisine, and many art galleries. The city’s location is situated near the Monongahela National Forest, a destination for sightseers and outdoor adventure enthusiasts. Outdoor recreation such as skiing, mountain biking, hiking, trout fishing, whitewater river rafting, hunting, and golf courses. Elkin is considered in the top 100 art communities in the United States with the Randolph County Community Arts Center, Augusta Heritage Center, Old Brick Playhouse and the Mountain Arts District.
Elkins is home to Davis and Elkins College and to the Mountain State Forest Festival, held in early October every year.
History of Elkins WV
The city was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. Davis and Elkins developed a railroad lines transporting coal and timber from the city building the WV Central and Pittsburgh Railway into Elkins and opened a vast territory to industrial development in the late 1890’s.
As the railroad expanded, Elkins experienced the luxury of passenger train service. In 1930, 18 passenger trains were arriving and leaving Elkins daily. The air was filled with the coal dust of steam locomotives. By the late 1950s, passenger service was discontinued and by the end of the 1980s all rail service ended. By the turn of the 21st Century, the rail yard began to be vibrant again. With a recently redeveloped depot area and tourist train service.
- Canaan Valley State Park
- Blackwater Falls State Park
- Cass Scenic Railroad
- Seneca Rocks Discovery Center
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory
- Durbin Greenbrier Valley Railroad
- Elkins Depot Welcome Center
- American Mountain Theater
- Gandy Dancer Theatre