Fairmont in Marion County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Graves of the Pierponts
In Memoriam
Francis H. Pierpont, governor of the Restored Government of Virginia and the "Father of West Virginia" died on March 24, 1899. He is buried here with his wife, Julia Augusta Robertson Pierpont. They first met when he interviewed her in 1847 for a governess's position for his neighbor Judge Thomas Haymond. She accepted the position. In 1854, she married Pierpont. Three of their four children also are buried here. The fourth, Mary Augusta, died in Laurel, Maryland, where the family lived while Pierpont served as Virginia's governor in Alexandria. Two West Virginia governors, 113 Civil War veterans, and West Virginia's first state school superintendent are buried elsewhere in the cemetery.
Pierpont and his family returned from Richmond, Virginia to Fairmont and their Quincy Street house in 1868 when his term as governor ended. He resumed his career as an attorney, served in the West Virginia legislature, and taught school for Fairmont's African Americans. Becoming ill in 1896, he lived with his daughter Anna Siviter in Pittsburgh until his death.
Julia Pierpont died in Fairmont on March 25, 1886. While in Richmond, in May 1866 she and her children and several friends cleaned and decorated the neglected graves of Union soldiers in Hollywood Cemetery. In this event and others elsewhere are the origins of our nation's Memorial Day.
On April 20, 1910, during day long ceremonies in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Governor William E. Glasscock presented a statue of Pierpont to the United States Congress. In his presentation address, Glasscock said of Pierpont, "He was the benefactor of Virginia, assisting her... to rise, phoenix-like, from her own ashes. Had there been no restored government [of Virginia], there would have been no State of West Virginia."
Erected by West Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Government & Politics • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the West Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 24, 1899.
Location. 39° 29.354′ N, 80° 8.218′ W. Marker is in Fairmont, West Virginia, in Marion County. Marker is at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue (U.S. 19), on the left when traveling east on Maple Avenue. Located at the entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 335 Maple Avenue, Fairmont WV 26554, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Veterans Monument (here, next to this marker); Woodlawn Cemetery Chapel (a few steps from this marker); Woodlawn Cemetery Historic District (a few steps from this marker); Veterans Memorial (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Alpheus F. Haymond / Thomas S. Haymond (approx. ¼ mile away); Francis H. Pierpont Home (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Marion County Veterans (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fairmont.
Also see . . . Francis H. Pierpont. Encyclopedia Virginia website entry (Submitted on October 8, 2010, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 29, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2010, by Gena Wagaman of Fairmont, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,293 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on May 1, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on September 6, 2010, by Gena Wagaman of Fairmont, West Virginia. 2. submitted on June 21, 2014. 3. submitted on March 8, 2017, by Gena Wagaman of Fairmont, West Virginia. 4. submitted on October 1, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 5, 6. submitted on May 1, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 7, 8, 9. submitted on March 22, 2017, by Gena Wagaman of Fairmont, West Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.