You are here

West Virginia » Capital Center and South Central West Virginia » Nicholas County » Summersville » Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park

Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park

-A A +A
Mid-19th century. Nicholas County 23 (Carnifex Ferry Rd.), 1 mile south of intersection with WV 129, 5 miles northwest of intersection with U.S. 19

The idyllic setting of this state park disguises its moment in history as a battlefield. On the grounds of Henry Patteson's farm, high above a ferry across the Gauley River, entrenched Confederate troops engaged Union forces in a four-hour battle on September 10, 1861. When darkness fell, the outnumbered Confederates withdrew, abandoning their attempt to retake control of the Kanawha valley. The battle was paramount in saving western Virginia for the Union and ultimately helped lead to the formation of West Virginia.

In 1931 the West Virginia legislature created the Carnifex Battlefield Park Commission to examine the site, make recommendations for historical markers, and to purchase land “out of moneys which may hereafter be appropriated.” The Patteson farm was acquired in 1935, but it was not until the 1950s that funds became available to restore the house.

Writing Credits

Author: 
S. Allen Chambers Jr.
×

Data

What's Nearby

Patteson House
Summersville Dam and Lake
Nicholas County High School (Old Main)
Nicholas County Courthouse
Old Stone House (Tyree Tavern)

Citation

S. Allen Chambers Jr., "Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park", [Summersville, West Virginia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WV-01-NI4.

If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.

SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.

,