Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Welcome to the City of Martinsburg

Founded in 1778 by General Adam Stephen

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 15, 2019

1. Welcome to the City of Martinsburg Marker

Inscription. The Founder Born around 1720 in Scotland, Stephen received a surgeon's degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1746. He came to America in 1748, settling in Fredericksburg, Va., where he practiced as a doctor. In 1754 he joined the Virginia colonial troops and rose to the rank of colonel during the French and Indian War. During the 1760s he served as a member of the House of Burgesses and participated in negotiations with Native American Indians. In the 1770s he served on the church vestry of the new Norbome Parish, became the sheriff of Berkeley County, and donated land for the county courthouse. During the Revolutionary War, Stephen was elevated to the rank of Major General. He served as a delegate favoring ratification of the new U.S. Constitution at the Virginia constitutional convention in 1788. Stephen died in Martinsburg in 1791 and is buried at the Monument lot on South Queen Street.

The Town Martinsburg began as a settlement of a few houses and buildings along the Tuscarora Creek in the early 1750s. Adam Stephen planned the town and sold lots after the creation of Berkeley County in 1772. It was chartered

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by the Virginia Assembly as the town of Martinsburg in 1778 and was named for Thomas Bryan Martin, a nephew of Lord Fairfax. The Town's location at the intersection of the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road and the Alexandria-to-Warm Springs Road and its central location in the newly-formed county made it an important site for development of early industries and agriculture. The construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and its shops here after 1840 made the town a strategic pawn during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865 but later supported many industries including textile, cement, distilling and fruit growing.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1720.

Location. 39° 27.373′ N, 77° 57.831′ W. Marker is in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in Berkeley County. It is at the intersection of East King Street and South Queen Street (U.S. 11), in the median on East King Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 204 South Queen Street, Martinsburg

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 15, 2019

2. Welcome to the City of Martinsburg Marker

WV 25401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Eastern Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Avenue of Flags Monument (a few steps from this marker); Civil War Martinsburg (within shouting distance of this marker); Boarman House (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Joseph's Catholic Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Market House (about 500 feet away); Girlhood Home of Belle Boyd (about 500 feet away); Old Methodist Church (about 600 feet away); Harry Flood Byrd (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Martinsburg.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 684 times since then and 44 times this year. Last updated on February 26, 2021, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 17, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.