St. Clairsville in Belmont County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Belmont County
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Groundbreaking Site of the National Road in Ohio
Photographed by Grant & Mary Ann Fish, February 20, 2021
1. Belmont County side of the marker
Belmont County. On September 7, 1801, Belmont County became the ninth county in what became the State of Ohio. On April 1, 1803, the state’s first General Assembly appointed a commission to determine if it was necessary to move the county seat from Pultney (south of Bellaire). The commission found that St. Clairsville was the “most proper place” and the county seat moved in April 1804. Around 1857, the need for repairs to the “Old Courthouse” sparked a county seat “war” between Pultney and St. Clairsville that lasted 25 years. The Ohio General Assembly ended the dispute in 1883 by “indefinitely postponing” a bill to move the seat to Bellaire. The present courthouse and adjoining sheriff’s office and jail were completed by 1888 and are part of the St. Clairsville Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Groundbreaking Site of the National Road in Ohio. Near this site on July 4, 1825 ground was broken in Ohio for the National Road. The National Road was America’s first federally planned and funded highway and linked the east coast of the United States to Old Northwest Territory. Albert Gallatin, President Thomas Jefferson’s Secretary of the Treasury, conceived the idea for the road and advocated for it. Construction began in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, but was interrupted
this page online
Erected 2017 by Ohio National Road Association; Rotary Club of St. Clairsville; The Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 20-7.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Political Subdivisions • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection, the Rotary International, and the The Historic National Road series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is July 4, 1825.
Location. 40° 4.834′ N, 80° 54.051′ W. Marker is in St. Clairsville, Ohio, in Belmont County. It is at the intersection of West Main Street (U.S. 40) and South Market Street, on the left when traveling east on West Main Street. The marker is front of the Belmont County Courthouse, to the right of the main stairway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 W Main St, Saint Clairsville OH 43950, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest, 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 Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
Photographed by Grant & Mary Ann Fish, February 20, 2021
2. Groundbreaking Site of the National Road in Ohio side of the marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Milestone Marks where Extension of National Road… (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Grant & Mary Ann Fish
3. Marker location in front of courthouse
Photographed by Grant & Mary Ann Fish, February 20, 2021
4. Present day Belmont County courthouse constructed in 1886
This marker is visible on the right behind the red antique clock.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 22, 2021, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. This page has been viewed 908 times since then and 41 times this year. Last updated on January 22, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 22, 2021, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. 4. submitted on February 23, 2021, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
