Moorefield West Virginia
“A Touch of Heaven”
Town of Moorefield WV
The town of Moorefield is located in Hardy County West Virginia in the South Branch Valley along the South Branch of the Potomac River. Moorefield is the county seat of Hardy County and is an agricultural community. Moorefield offers visitors with great scenic drives, hiking, biking, paddling and fishing, restaurants, delicious local meals and locally brewed beer.
History of Moorefield WV
The town of Moorfield was originally chartered in 1777 and named for Conrad Moore, who owned the land upon which the town was laid out on 62 acres of land. Conrad Moore’s home, the Old Stone Tavern, still stands on Main Street.
English settlers began arriving in the early 18th century, attracted by the fertile land. This early settlement was centered on the community of Old Fields, which is located about five miles to the north of present-day Moorefield. Conflict between the settlers and Native American populations broke out during the French and Indian War. Two fortifications guarded the South Branch Valley in the vicinity of Moorefield. Fort Buttermilk was erected in 1756 and garrisoned by Captain Thomas Waggoner’s Virginia Regiment Company. A second fortress, Fort Pleasant, situated at Henry Van Meter’s Farm at Old Fields, guarded the northern side of the valley and was also garrisoned by Captain Thomas Waggoner’s Virginia Regiment Company. In the spring of 1756, soldiers from Forts Buttermilk and Pleasant clashed with Shawnee warriors under Bemino at the Battle of the Trough.
During the American Civil War, Moorefield was the site of a cavalry engagement between Union Brigadier General William W. Averell and Confederate Brigadier General John McCausland on August 7, 1864.
Moorefield has always been an agricultural community. The early settlers began farming the rich bottom land that surrounded the town, raising cattle, along with corn and hay for feed. From the 1930s, the poultry industry has been a significant economic factor, and Moorefield became known as the Poultry Capital of West Virginia.
- Brighton Park
- Moorefield Historic District
- West Whitehill Winery
- Valley View Golf Course
- George Washington National Forest
- Jefferson National Forest
