Map of Union town, West Virginia

Union is a town in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States. Union’s population is 427 as of 2020. It is the county seat of Monroe County.

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Union location map. Where is Union town?

History

Monroe County was established by an act of the Assembly of Virginia on January 14, 1799, occupying land formerly a part of Greenbrier County. Union did not yet exist when the county’s first court convened in 1799. However, shortly after Monroe County was created, James Alexander offered 25 acres of land, including a lot for a courthouse which in time became the town of Union. On January 6, 1800, the Virginia Assembly passed an act creating the town of Union and naming William Haynes, John Gray, John Byrnside, James Handley, Michael Erskine, John Hutchinson, and Isaac Estill trustees.

By 1810, at least sixteen lots had been sold in the newly laid out town of Union and a courthouse and jail were built at its center. In 1835, Union had 400 inhabitants and supported two hotels, two tanneries, a school, two churches, and two physicians. Union’s location on stage coach lines which carried settlers across the Allegheny Mountains helped to fuel the region’s growth, as did the several mineral spring resorts which operated in Monroe County, including Sweet Springs, Red Sulphur Springs, and Salt Sulphur Springs, all within a twenty-five mile radius of Union. Little activity during the American Civil War occurred around Union other than troop movements, especially in 1864 when regiments of the U.S. Army under General Crook encamped near the town. Small skirmishes occurred throughout the war in the vicinity of Union and Monroe County. A majority of the citizens of Union supported the Confederacy and opposed the creation of West Virginia which included Monroe County. Union was incorporated in 1868.

The town of Union retains much of its historic architecture, with many structures dating to the antebellum period when the local economy was thriving from the resort industry. The present Monroe County Courthouse, built in 1881, displays the fashionable Romanesque style of the late-19th century. Historic churches in Union include the Old Baptist Church (1845), Old Methodist Episcopal Church/Ames Clair Hall (1857), All Saints Episcopal Church (1875), Union United Methodist Church (1889), and the Union Presbyterian Church (1922). The Monroe County Historical Society preserves several historic structures in the town, including the Caperton Law Office, Owen Neel House, Clark-Wisemen House, Ames Clair Hall, and the Old Baptist Church. In recognition of the history of Union and the integrity of its preserved streetscape, the Union Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

East of Union is Rehoboth Church, built in 1784 and believed to be the oldest Protestant church west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Union Road Map

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Geography

Union is located at 37°35′28″N 80°32′35″W / 37.59111°N 80.54306°W / 37.59111; -80.54306 (37.591211, -80.543022).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.45 square miles (1.17 km), all land.

See also