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Fairmont, West Virginia

Fairmont is a city in and county seat of Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 18,313 at the 2020 census.[2][4] It is the principal city of the Fairmont micropolitan area, which includes all of Marion County in North Central West Virginia, and is the second-largest city of the larger Morgantown–Fairmont combined statistical area.

Fairmont, West Virginia
Downtown Fairmont and the Monongahela River in 2006
Nickname: 
Friendly City
Motto: 
"Spend a Day... Spend a Lifetime"
Location of Fairmont in Marion County, West Virginia.
Coordinates: 39°28′53″N 80°8′36″W / 39.48139°N 80.14333°W / 39.48139; -80.14333Coordinates: 39°28′53″N 80°8′36″W / 39.48139°N 80.14333°W / 39.48139; -80.14333
Country United States
State West Virginia
CountyMarion
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager government
 • MayorThomas Mainella (D)
 • Deputy MayorDonna Blood
 • City ManagerValerie Means
Area
 • Total8.99 sq mi (23.27 km2)
 • Land8.60 sq mi (22.28 km2)
 • Water0.38 sq mi (0.99 km2)
Elevation
984 ft (300 m)
Population
 • Total18,313
 • Estimate 
(2021)[2]
18,209
 • Density2,137.64/sq mi (825.36/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
26554-26555
Area code304
FIPS code54-26452
GNIS feature ID1560581[3]
Websitefairmontwv.gov

History

Beginnings

In the eighteenth century, the earliest development of Fairmont consisted of subsistence farming settlements.[5]

In 1789, Boaz Fleming, a Revolutionary War veteran, migrated to western Virginia and purchased a 254-acre farm from Jonathan Bozarth. In 1808, Fleming made his annual trek to Clarksburg to pay his brother's Harrison County taxes.[6] While in Clarksburg, Fleming attended a social gathering that included his cousin Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison. Fleming complained to Mrs. Madison about having to travel over a hundred miles each year from his home to pay his Monongalia County taxes and his brother's Harrison County taxes. Mrs. Madison supposedly suggested that he create his own county to save him all that travel. In 1814, Fleming circulated a petition to do precisely that, naming the proposed county Madison County in honor of Dolley and James Madison.

Milford, now Rivesville,[7] was the only town within the borders of Fleming's proposed county, so Fleming decided to make Milford the seat of Madison County.[8] However, Milford's citizens preferred to remain part of Monongalia County. As a result, Fleming's petition failed to gain sufficient support to be presented to the Virginia General Assembly. Fleming then focused on creating a new town near his farm, which was located on the west side of the Monongahela River. In 1817, Fleming's sons—William and David—began to clear land on a part of their father's farm to make way for the new town; this part of the farm would later become downtown Fairmont.[citation needed]

1819 to present

 
Child laborers at Monougal Glass Works in Fairmont, 1908. Photo by Lewis Hine.

In 1819, Fairmont was founded as Middletown, Virginia. It was named Middletown because either it was in the middle of two cities, Morgantown and Clarksburg,[9] or Fleming's first wife, Elizabeth Hutchinson, was originally from Middletown, Delaware. That same year, a road was built between those two cities. Fleming's new town was about halfway between the two cities, which made it a resting point. The town was incorporated as Middletown on January 19, 1820.[citation needed]

The current borders of Marion County were established in 1842, and Middletown was named the county's seat. At that time, William Haymond Jr. suggested that the town's name be changed to Fairmont because the town had a beautiful overlook of the Monongahela River, giving it a "fair mount". The Borough of Fairmont was incorporated in 1843 by the Virginia General Assembly.[10]

In 1863, during the American Civil War, Confederate General William E. Jones and his men raided Fairmont and cut the Union's supply lines to take food and horses. They also burned the books from the personal library of Governor Francis Harrison Pierpont.[9]

Many of the first buildings in Fairmont were poorly constructed. By 1852—little more than 30 years after the city's founding—a large portion of Fairmont was reported to be run-down and dilapidated. Reports from 1873 indicate that these buildings had continued to fall into disrepair. On April 2, 1876, a fire destroyed a large portion of the city's business district, as well as many houses in the area. The continuing dilapidation of the city's buildings may have contributed to the fire; the large number of coal mines under Fairmont may have also played a role.[citation needed]

Between 1891 and 1901—in a span of only 10 years—Fairmont's population had increased from 1,000 to 7,000. The City of Fairmont was chartered in 1899; as a result of the charter, the city absorbed the surrounding towns of Palatine (also known as East Side) and West Fairmont. By 1901, Fairmont was an important commercial center. Many railroads—including the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on its way from Cumberland, Maryland to Wheeling—traveled through the city. By this time, Fairmont was also the leading center of the coal trade industry in northern West Virginia, employing some 10,000 workers in the coal mines around Fairmont.[citation needed]

By 1978, an issue with Fairmont's land experiencing subsidence appeared because the remains of Fairmont's 19th-century coal mines were crumbling. As a result, over the following years, the federal government along with other institutions spent money to fix the subsidence issue to prevent damage to the town.[11]

Geography

The Tygart Valley River and the West Fork River join in Fairmont to form the Monongahela River. Buffalo Creek, a tributary of the Monongahela River, flows through the northern part of the city.[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.00 square miles (23.31 km2), of which 8.62 square miles (22.33 km2) is land and 0.38 square miles (0.98 km2) is water.[13]

Climate

Fairmont has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) with very warm summers and freezing winters. However, it is not uncommon during winter for warm air from the Gulf of Mexico to raise temperatures above 50 °F or 10 °C, which occurs on average six times each January and over eight in December and February. In contrast, when very cold air from Canada moves into West Virginia temperatures can go below 0 °F or −17.8 °C, which can be expected during 3.2 mornings each winter, but which occurred on twelve mornings during the extremely cold January 1977, whose average temperature of 16.0 °F or −8.9 °C was the coldest month on record by 4.0 °F or 2.2 °C. Despite the abundant precipitation throughout the year, the relative dryness of cold air means that most precipitation is rain even during the winter: the most snowfall in a month being 46.5 inches (1.18 m) is November 1950, and the most in a season 77.4 inches (1.97 m) between July 1950 and June 1951. The least snow in a season has been 12.0 inches (0.30 m) between July 1918 and June 1919, whilst the wettest calendar year has been 1956 with 58.12 inches (1,476.2 mm) and the driest – as with all of West Virginia – 1930 with 26.25 inches (666.8 mm). The hottest temperature has been 108 °F (42.2 °C) on August 8, 1918, and the coldest −21 °F (−29.4 °C) on January 21, 1994.[citation needed]

Climate data for Fairmont, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals; extremes 1905–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 81
(27)
79
(26)
91
(33)
95
(35)
100
(38)
103
(39)
105
(41)
108
(42)
101
(38)
93
(34)
84
(29)
75
(24)
108
(42)
Average high °F (°C) 39.6
(4.2)
43.0
(6.1)
52.4
(11.3)
65.4
(18.6)
73.4
(23.0)
80.2
(26.8)
83.6
(28.7)
82.6
(28.1)
77.1
(25.1)
65.3
(18.5)
53.8
(12.1)
43.6
(6.4)
63.3
(17.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 31.8
(−0.1)
34.3
(1.3)
42.5
(5.8)
53.9
(12.2)
62.5
(16.9)
70.0
(21.1)
73.6
(23.1)
72.6
(22.6)
66.4
(19.1)
54.9
(12.7)
44.7
(7.1)
36.1
(2.3)
53.6
(12.0)
Average low °F (°C) 24.0
(−4.4)
25.5
(−3.6)
32.6
(0.3)
42.4
(5.8)
51.6
(10.9)
59.8
(15.4)
63.7
(17.6)
62.5
(16.9)
55.8
(13.2)
44.5
(6.9)
35.5
(1.9)
28.7
(−1.8)
43.9
(6.6)
Record low °F (°C) −21
(−29)
−12
(−24)
−10
(−23)
10
(−12)
24
(−4)
35
(2)
42
(6)
36
(2)
29
(−2)
17
(−8)
1
(−17)
−16
(−27)
−21
(−29)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.81
(97)
3.22
(82)
4.21
(107)
3.90
(99)
5.09
(129)
4.67
(119)
4.91
(125)
3.80
(97)
3.85
(98)
3.43
(87)
3.15
(80)
3.73
(95)
47.77
(1,213)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 13.5
(34)
9.1
(23)
4.8
(12)
1.0
(2.5)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.51)
1.8
(4.6)
7.4
(19)
37.8
(96)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 15.0 12.8 12.7 13.5 14.4 12.1 12.1 10.4 9.9 10.5 10.7 13.6 147.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 6.9 4.9 2.4 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2 4.4 20.3
Source: NOAA (snow 1981–2010)[14][15][16]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1850683
18607043.1%
1870621−11.8%
188090044.9%
18901,02313.7%
19005,655452.8%
19109,71171.7%
192017,85183.8%
193023,15929.7%
194023,105−0.2%
195029,34627.0%
196027,477−6.4%
197026,093−5.0%
198023,863−8.5%
199020,210−15.3%
200019,097−5.5%
201018,704−2.1%
202018,416−1.5%
2021 (est.)18,209[2]−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 18,416 people and 7,903 households residing in the city. There were 9,045 housing units in Fairmont. The racial makeup of the city was 84.2% White, 7.3% African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% from other races, and 7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.2% of the population.

There were 7,903 households, of which 37.1% were married couples living together, 30.6% had a female householder with no spouse present, 23% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 34.4 years. With 18.3% of the city being under 18. The median household income in the city was $47,618 and the poverty rate was 19.9%.[18]

2010 census

At the 2010 census,[19] there were 18,704 people, 8,133 households and 4,424 families living in the city. The population density was 2,169.8 inhabitants per square mile (837.8/km2). There were 9,200 housing units at an average density of 1,067.3 per square mile (412.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.9% White, 7.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 8,133 households, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.6% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age was 36.8 years. 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 16.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 19,097 people, 8,447 households and 4,671 families living in the city. The population density was 2,438.5 per square mile (941.7/km2). There were 9,755 housing units at an average density of 1,245.6 per square mile (481.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.16% White, 7.26% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.[citation needed]

There were 8,447 households, of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.83.[citation needed]

18.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.[citation needed]

The median household income was $25,628 and the median family income was $37,126. Males had a median income of $27,944 and females $20,401. The per capita income was $16,062. About 12.6% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.[citation needed]

Arts and culture

 
The current Country Club Bakery location in 2020

Fairmont is home to Country Club Bakery, which is where the pepperoni roll snack originates. The bakery continues to serve the roll along with their various other baked goods.[20][21][22] Fairmont has considered itself to be the "pepperoni roll capital of the world".[23]

Landmarks

Government

 
The Marion County Courthouse in Fairmont

Fairmont has a Council-manager government, whereby the mayor serves as chairman of the city council and the city manager takes care of the day-to-day operations. The current mayor is Thomas Mainella [26] and the current city manager is Valerie Means.[27]

City council

Josh Rice, District 1 Term expires: 2022

Anne Bolyard, District 2 Term expires: 2024

Karl "David" Kennedy, District 3 Term expires: 2022

Richard "Rick" Garcia, District 4 Term expires: 2024

Barry Bledsoe, District 5 Term expires: 2022

Gia Deasy, District 6 Term expires: 2024

Nick "Nicky" Cinalli, District 7 Term expires: 2022

Thomas Mainella, Mayor, District 8 Term expires: 2022

Donna Blood, Deputy Mayor, District 9 Term expires: 2022

[28]

Past mayors

  • William Elza Arnett, 1906–1908
  • Matthew M. Neely, 1908–1910
  • William Conaway
  • A.C. West
  • Fred T. Wilson, 1935–1940
  • Fred T. Wilson, 1944–1945
  • Albert F. Robertson, 1947–1950
  • James H. Hanway, 1951–1955
  • William G. Meyer, 1959
  • Forrest L. Springer
  • Albert F. Robinson
  • J. Richard Davis
  • William M. Hawkins
  • James L. Turner, 1979
  • Robert K. Powell, 1980
  • James L. Turner, 1981
  • Robert K. Powell, 1982
  • Gregory T. Hinton, 1982-1984
  • Robert M. Drummond Sr., 1984–1985
  • Carl J. Snyder, 1985–1986
  • Robert M. Drummond Jr., 1986–1990
  • Wayne A. Stutler, 1990–1994
  • Charles G. Manly II, 1994–1996
  • Nick L. Fantasia, 1996–2006
  • S. Scott Sears, 2007–2009
  • Matt Delligatti, 2009–2010
  • Bill Burdick, 2011–2012
  • Ronald J. Straight Sr. 2013–2016
  • Thomas Mainella, 2017–2019
  • Brad Merrifield, 2019–2020
  • Thomas Mainella, 2021-present

Education

 
Fairmont Senior High School in 2018

Fairmont Senior High School

Fairmont Senior High School is a public high school that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[29] The school was established in the late 1800s, and the school was relocated in 1905 and 1928. The current iteration of the school, which is located on Loop Park Dr, was designed by the architect William B. Ittner.

Fairmont State University

Fairmont State University is a public university with an approximate enrollment of 3,800 students. The institution offers master's degrees in business, education, teaching, criminal justice, and nursing, in addition to 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees. Originally established as a school for teachers, the college was named Fairmont Normal School, and was located on the corner of Fairmont Avenue and Second Street and moved to its present location in 1917.[30]

Dunbar School

 
Dunbar School in 2015

Dunbar School is a historic building in Fairmont, West Virginia, that used to be an all-black high school. The school was designed by the architect William B Ittner. The school was built in 1928.[31]

Infrastructure

Highways

Fairmont is located in the North-Central region of the state, along West Virginia's I-79 High Tech Corridor. Major highways include:

Airports

Fairmont Municipal Airport (Frankman Field) is a public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southwest of the central business district of Fairmont. It is owned by the Fairmont-Marion County Regional Airport Authority.[32]

Notable people

 
Mary Lou Retton, the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title

See also

References

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ . National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ^ West Virginia SHPO (November 29, 2001). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Fleming-Watson Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ Dilger, Robert (2003). . The West Virginia Public Affairs Reporter. Institute of Public Affairs. 20 (1): 15–26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  7. ^ Butcher, Bernard (1912). Genealogical and Personal History of the Upper Monongahela Valley, West Virginia. New York, NY: Clearfield Company. p. 514. ISBN 9780806348490.
  8. ^ Burkett, Connie (2015). "Fairmont, Marion County WV (history)". Marion County WVGenWeb. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  9. ^ a b McMillan, Debra Ball (1996). An Ornament to the City: Historic Architecture in Downtown Fairmont, West Virginia. Terra Alta, WV: Headline Books, Inc. p. 10. ISBN 0929915186.
  10. ^ Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. p. 236.
  11. ^ Wicker, Tom (23 November 1980). "Fairmont, W. Va., Lives in Peril As Old Mines Under It Crumble; Cracks in the Wall Possible Domino Effect". The New York Times.
  12. ^ West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1997. p. 25. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
  13. ^ . United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
  14. ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  15. ^ "Station: Fairmont, WV". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  16. ^ "Station: Fairmont, WV". U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1981-2010). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  17. ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  18. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  19. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
  20. ^ Virginian, Scott Gillespie | Times West. "Fairmont's pepperoni roll legacy now enshrined". Times West Virginian. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  21. ^ "The Pepperoni Roll, a West Virginia Secret, created in Marion County". Marion County CVB. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  22. ^ Virginian, Scott Gillespie | Times West. "Fairmont's pepperoni roll legacy now enshrined". Times West Virginian. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  23. ^ Smith, Vicki (March 28, 2004). "Meaty Snack Puts W.Va. Town on the Map". The Washington Post.
  24. ^ "About IV&V | NASA". Nasa.gov. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
  25. ^ "NOAA center in Fairmont, WV, continues supercomputing, cybersecurity work; High Technology Foundation". wvhtf.org. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  26. ^ "City Council | Fairmont, WV - Official Website".
  27. ^ "City Manager | Fairmont, WV - Official Website".
  28. ^ "City Council | Fairmont, WV - Official Website".
  29. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  30. ^ Images of America: Marion County by Thomas J. Koon
  31. ^ Erin Riebe (November 2014). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Dunbar School" (PDF). West Virginia Division of Culture and History State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  32. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for 4G7 PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective May 31, 2012.
  33. ^ "Former Philly Councilwoman Augusta Clark Dies at 81". WCAU. 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  34. ^ . Archived from the original on 2010-05-15. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  35. ^ West Virginian, Matt Welch Times. "Darius Stills garners national recognition". Times West Virginian. Retrieved 2021-05-17.

External links

  • City of Fairmont website

fairmont, west, virginia, fairmont, city, county, seat, marion, county, west, virginia, united, states, population, 2020, census, principal, city, fairmont, micropolitan, area, which, includes, marion, county, north, central, west, virginia, second, largest, c. Fairmont is a city in and county seat of Marion County West Virginia United States The population was 18 313 at the 2020 census 2 4 It is the principal city of the Fairmont micropolitan area which includes all of Marion County in North Central West Virginia and is the second largest city of the larger Morgantown Fairmont combined statistical area Fairmont West VirginiaCityDowntown Fairmont and the Monongahela River in 2006FlagNickname Friendly CityMotto Spend a Day Spend a Lifetime Location of Fairmont in Marion County West Virginia Coordinates 39 28 53 N 80 8 36 W 39 48139 N 80 14333 W 39 48139 80 14333 Coordinates 39 28 53 N 80 8 36 W 39 48139 N 80 14333 W 39 48139 80 14333Country United StatesState West VirginiaCountyMarionGovernment TypeCouncil manager government MayorThomas Mainella D Deputy MayorDonna Blood City ManagerValerie MeansArea 1 Total8 99 sq mi 23 27 km2 Land8 60 sq mi 22 28 km2 Water0 38 sq mi 0 99 km2 Elevation984 ft 300 m Population 2020 2 Total18 313 Estimate 2021 2 18 209 Density2 137 64 sq mi 825 36 km2 Time zoneUTC 5 Eastern EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT ZIP codes26554 26555Area code304FIPS code54 26452GNIS feature ID1560581 3 Websitefairmontwv wbr gov Contents 1 History 1 1 Beginnings 1 2 1819 to present 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 3 Demographics 3 1 2020 census 3 2 2010 census 3 3 2000 census 4 Arts and culture 4 1 Landmarks 5 Government 5 1 City council 5 2 Past mayors 6 Education 6 1 Fairmont Senior High School 6 2 Fairmont State University 6 3 Dunbar School 7 Infrastructure 7 1 Highways 7 2 Airports 8 Notable people 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksHistory EditBeginnings Edit In the eighteenth century the earliest development of Fairmont consisted of subsistence farming settlements 5 In 1789 Boaz Fleming a Revolutionary War veteran migrated to western Virginia and purchased a 254 acre farm from Jonathan Bozarth In 1808 Fleming made his annual trek to Clarksburg to pay his brother s Harrison County taxes 6 While in Clarksburg Fleming attended a social gathering that included his cousin Dolley Madison wife of President James Madison Fleming complained to Mrs Madison about having to travel over a hundred miles each year from his home to pay his Monongalia County taxes and his brother s Harrison County taxes Mrs Madison supposedly suggested that he create his own county to save him all that travel In 1814 Fleming circulated a petition to do precisely that naming the proposed county Madison County in honor of Dolley and James Madison Milford now Rivesville 7 was the only town within the borders of Fleming s proposed county so Fleming decided to make Milford the seat of Madison County 8 However Milford s citizens preferred to remain part of Monongalia County As a result Fleming s petition failed to gain sufficient support to be presented to the Virginia General Assembly Fleming then focused on creating a new town near his farm which was located on the west side of the Monongahela River In 1817 Fleming s sons William and David began to clear land on a part of their father s farm to make way for the new town this part of the farm would later become downtown Fairmont citation needed 1819 to present Edit Child laborers at Monougal Glass Works in Fairmont 1908 Photo by Lewis Hine In 1819 Fairmont was founded as Middletown Virginia It was named Middletown because either it was in the middle of two cities Morgantown and Clarksburg 9 or Fleming s first wife Elizabeth Hutchinson was originally from Middletown Delaware That same year a road was built between those two cities Fleming s new town was about halfway between the two cities which made it a resting point The town was incorporated as Middletown on January 19 1820 citation needed The current borders of Marion County were established in 1842 and Middletown was named the county s seat At that time William Haymond Jr suggested that the town s name be changed to Fairmont because the town had a beautiful overlook of the Monongahela River giving it a fair mount The Borough of Fairmont was incorporated in 1843 by the Virginia General Assembly 10 In 1863 during the American Civil War Confederate General William E Jones and his men raided Fairmont and cut the Union s supply lines to take food and horses They also burned the books from the personal library of Governor Francis Harrison Pierpont 9 Many of the first buildings in Fairmont were poorly constructed By 1852 little more than 30 years after the city s founding a large portion of Fairmont was reported to be run down and dilapidated Reports from 1873 indicate that these buildings had continued to fall into disrepair On April 2 1876 a fire destroyed a large portion of the city s business district as well as many houses in the area The continuing dilapidation of the city s buildings may have contributed to the fire the large number of coal mines under Fairmont may have also played a role citation needed Between 1891 and 1901 in a span of only 10 years Fairmont s population had increased from 1 000 to 7 000 The City of Fairmont was chartered in 1899 as a result of the charter the city absorbed the surrounding towns of Palatine also known as East Side and West Fairmont By 1901 Fairmont was an important commercial center Many railroads including the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on its way from Cumberland Maryland to Wheeling traveled through the city By this time Fairmont was also the leading center of the coal trade industry in northern West Virginia employing some 10 000 workers in the coal mines around Fairmont citation needed By 1978 an issue with Fairmont s land experiencing subsidence appeared because the remains of Fairmont s 19th century coal mines were crumbling As a result over the following years the federal government along with other institutions spent money to fix the subsidence issue to prevent damage to the town 11 Geography EditThe Tygart Valley River and the West Fork River join in Fairmont to form the Monongahela River Buffalo Creek a tributary of the Monongahela River flows through the northern part of the city 12 According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 9 00 square miles 23 31 km2 of which 8 62 square miles 22 33 km2 is land and 0 38 square miles 0 98 km2 is water 13 Climate Edit Fairmont has a humid continental climate Koppen Dfa with very warm summers and freezing winters However it is not uncommon during winter for warm air from the Gulf of Mexico to raise temperatures above 50 F or 10 C which occurs on average six times each January and over eight in December and February In contrast when very cold air from Canada moves into West Virginia temperatures can go below 0 F or 17 8 C which can be expected during 3 2 mornings each winter but which occurred on twelve mornings during the extremely cold January 1977 whose average temperature of 16 0 F or 8 9 C was the coldest month on record by 4 0 F or 2 2 C Despite the abundant precipitation throughout the year the relative dryness of cold air means that most precipitation is rain even during the winter the most snowfall in a month being 46 5 inches 1 18 m is November 1950 and the most in a season 77 4 inches 1 97 m between July 1950 and June 1951 The least snow in a season has been 12 0 inches 0 30 m between July 1918 and June 1919 whilst the wettest calendar year has been 1956 with 58 12 inches 1 476 2 mm and the driest as with all of West Virginia 1930 with 26 25 inches 666 8 mm The hottest temperature has been 108 F 42 2 C on August 8 1918 and the coldest 21 F 29 4 C on January 21 1994 citation needed Climate data for Fairmont West Virginia 1991 2020 normals extremes 1905 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 81 27 79 26 91 33 95 35 100 38 103 39 105 41 108 42 101 38 93 34 84 29 75 24 108 42 Average high F C 39 6 4 2 43 0 6 1 52 4 11 3 65 4 18 6 73 4 23 0 80 2 26 8 83 6 28 7 82 6 28 1 77 1 25 1 65 3 18 5 53 8 12 1 43 6 6 4 63 3 17 4 Daily mean F C 31 8 0 1 34 3 1 3 42 5 5 8 53 9 12 2 62 5 16 9 70 0 21 1 73 6 23 1 72 6 22 6 66 4 19 1 54 9 12 7 44 7 7 1 36 1 2 3 53 6 12 0 Average low F C 24 0 4 4 25 5 3 6 32 6 0 3 42 4 5 8 51 6 10 9 59 8 15 4 63 7 17 6 62 5 16 9 55 8 13 2 44 5 6 9 35 5 1 9 28 7 1 8 43 9 6 6 Record low F C 21 29 12 24 10 23 10 12 24 4 35 2 42 6 36 2 29 2 17 8 1 17 16 27 21 29 Average precipitation inches mm 3 81 97 3 22 82 4 21 107 3 90 99 5 09 129 4 67 119 4 91 125 3 80 97 3 85 98 3 43 87 3 15 80 3 73 95 47 77 1 213 Average snowfall inches cm 13 5 34 9 1 23 4 8 12 1 0 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 51 1 8 4 6 7 4 19 37 8 96 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 15 0 12 8 12 7 13 5 14 4 12 1 12 1 10 4 9 9 10 5 10 7 13 6 147 7Average snowy days 0 1 in 6 9 4 9 2 4 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 4 20 3Source NOAA snow 1981 2010 14 15 16 Demographics EditHistorical population CensusPop Note 1850683 18607043 1 1870621 11 8 188090044 9 18901 02313 7 19005 655452 8 19109 71171 7 192017 85183 8 193023 15929 7 194023 105 0 2 195029 34627 0 196027 477 6 4 197026 093 5 0 198023 863 8 5 199020 210 15 3 200019 097 5 5 201018 704 2 1 202018 416 1 5 2021 est 18 209 2 1 1 U S Decennial Census 17 2020 census Edit As of the 2020 census there were 18 416 people and 7 903 households residing in the city There were 9 045 housing units in Fairmont The racial makeup of the city was 84 2 White 7 3 African American 0 6 Asian 0 3 Native American 0 5 from other races and 7 from two or more races Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2 2 of the population There were 7 903 households of which 37 1 were married couples living together 30 6 had a female householder with no spouse present 23 had a male householder with no spouse present The average household and family size was 2 83 The median age in the city was 34 4 years With 18 3 of the city being under 18 The median household income in the city was 47 618 and the poverty rate was 19 9 18 2010 census Edit At the 2010 census 19 there were 18 704 people 8 133 households and 4 424 families living in the city The population density was 2 169 8 inhabitants per square mile 837 8 km2 There were 9 200 housing units at an average density of 1 067 3 per square mile 412 1 km2 The racial makeup of the city was 88 9 White 7 5 African American 0 2 Native American 0 6 Asian 0 4 from other races and 2 3 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1 4 of the population There were 8 133 households of which 24 1 had children under the age of 18 living with them 37 7 were married couples living together 12 5 had a female householder with no husband present 4 2 had a male householder with no wife present and 45 6 were non families 36 0 of all households were made up of individuals and 14 1 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 16 and the average family size was 2 83 The median age was 36 8 years 18 of residents were under the age of 18 16 2 were between the ages of 18 and 24 25 were from 25 to 44 24 4 were from 45 to 64 and 16 5 were 65 years of age or older The gender makeup of the city was 48 2 male and 51 8 female 2000 census Edit At the 2000 census there were 19 097 people 8 447 households and 4 671 families living in the city The population density was 2 438 5 per square mile 941 7 km2 There were 9 755 housing units at an average density of 1 245 6 per square mile 481 0 km2 The racial makeup of the city was 90 16 White 7 26 African American 0 26 Native American 0 61 Asian 0 02 Pacific Islander 0 20 from other races and 1 49 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0 82 of the population citation needed There were 8 447 households of which 21 4 had children under the age of 18 living with them 40 2 were married couples living together 11 7 had a female householder with no husband present and 44 7 were non families 36 4 of all households were made up of individuals and 16 8 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 16 and the average family size was 2 83 citation needed 18 4 of the population were under the age of 18 14 9 from 18 to 24 24 1 from 25 to 44 22 2 from 45 to 64 and 20 4 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 39 years For every 100 females there were 87 0 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83 3 males citation needed The median household income was 25 628 and the median family income was 37 126 Males had a median income of 27 944 and females 20 401 The per capita income was 16 062 About 12 6 of families and 20 1 of the population were below the poverty line including 22 0 of those under age 18 and 9 7 of those age 65 or over citation needed Arts and culture Edit The current Country Club Bakery location in 2020 Fairmont is home to Country Club Bakery which is where the pepperoni roll snack originates The bakery continues to serve the roll along with their various other baked goods 20 21 22 Fairmont has considered itself to be the pepperoni roll capital of the world 23 Landmarks Edit Fairmont s National White Collar Crime Center provides nationwide support to law enforcement agencies involved in prevention investigation and prosecution of economic and high tech crime NASA Independent Verification and Validation Facility governed by the Goddard Space Flight Center houses more than 150 full time employees and more than 20 in house partners and contractors 24 NOAA Robert H Mollohan Research Facility which receives weather data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites and houses more than 100 full time employees 25 The Jacobs Hutchinson Block building also known as Peoples National Bank and Friendly Furniture StoreGovernment Edit The Marion County Courthouse in Fairmont Fairmont has a Council manager government whereby the mayor serves as chairman of the city council and the city manager takes care of the day to day operations The current mayor is Thomas Mainella 26 and the current city manager is Valerie Means 27 City council Edit Josh Rice District 1 Term expires 2022Anne Bolyard District 2 Term expires 2024Karl David Kennedy District 3 Term expires 2022Richard Rick Garcia District 4 Term expires 2024Barry Bledsoe District 5 Term expires 2022Gia Deasy District 6 Term expires 2024Nick Nicky Cinalli District 7 Term expires 2022Thomas Mainella Mayor District 8 Term expires 2022Donna Blood Deputy Mayor District 9 Term expires 2022 28 Past mayors Edit William Elza Arnett 1906 1908 Matthew M Neely 1908 1910 William Conaway A C West Fred T Wilson 1935 1940 Fred T Wilson 1944 1945 Albert F Robertson 1947 1950 James H Hanway 1951 1955 William G Meyer 1959 Forrest L Springer Albert F Robinson J Richard Davis William M Hawkins James L Turner 1979 Robert K Powell 1980 James L Turner 1981 Robert K Powell 1982 Gregory T Hinton 1982 1984 Robert M Drummond Sr 1984 1985 Carl J Snyder 1985 1986 Robert M Drummond Jr 1986 1990 Wayne A Stutler 1990 1994 Charles G Manly II 1994 1996 Nick L Fantasia 1996 2006 S Scott Sears 2007 2009 Matt Delligatti 2009 2010 Bill Burdick 2011 2012 Ronald J Straight Sr 2013 2016 Thomas Mainella 2017 2019 Brad Merrifield 2019 2020 Thomas Mainella 2021 presentEducation Edit Fairmont Senior High School in 2018 Fairmont Senior High School Edit Fairmont Senior High School is a public high school that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places 29 The school was established in the late 1800s and the school was relocated in 1905 and 1928 The current iteration of the school which is located on Loop Park Dr was designed by the architect William B Ittner Fairmont State University Edit Fairmont State University is a public university with an approximate enrollment of 3 800 students The institution offers master s degrees in business education teaching criminal justice and nursing in addition to 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees Originally established as a school for teachers the college was named Fairmont Normal School and was located on the corner of Fairmont Avenue and Second Street and moved to its present location in 1917 30 Dunbar School Edit Dunbar School in 2015 Dunbar School is a historic building in Fairmont West Virginia that used to be an all black high school The school was designed by the architect William B Ittner The school was built in 1928 31 Infrastructure EditHighways Edit Fairmont is located in the North Central region of the state along West Virginia s I 79 High Tech Corridor Major highways include Interstate 79 U S Highway 19 U S Highway 250 West Virginia Route 310 West Virginia Route 273Airports Edit Fairmont Municipal Airport Frankman Field is a public use airport located two nautical miles 4 km southwest of the central business district of Fairmont It is owned by the Fairmont Marion County Regional Airport Authority 32 Notable people Edit Mary Lou Retton the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all around title Tony Adamle played in NFL for Cleveland Browns 1947 1951 1954 Max Balchowsky prominent 1950s and 1960s American race car builder and driver Frank J Breth United States Marine Corps brigadier general David Carpenter professional baseball player Atlanta Braves New York Yankees Joe Cerisano singer songwriter musician Be All That You Can Be Hands Across America Augusta Clark librarian politician and lawyer second African American woman on Philadelphia City Council 1980 2000 33 Ann K Covington former chief justice of Supreme Court of Missouri first woman to hold that position Frank Kendall Everest Jr U S Air Force officer best remembered as aeroengineer and test pilot during 1950s once known as Fastest Man Alive Ron Everhart assistant basketball coach West Virginia University head coach at Duquesne Northeastern and McNeese State Art Finley North American television and radio personality mostly in San Francisco and Vancouver remembered by many as Mayor Art host of children s show aired on KRON TV in San Francisco from 1959 to 1966 Aretas B Fleming 8th Governor of West Virginia Carrie Watson Fleming First Lady of West Virginia 1890 1893 Frank Cruise Haymond Judge of West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals 1945 1972 Thomas Haymond 19th Century congressman and lawyer Philip C Jimeno member of Maryland State Legislature Johnnie Johnson piano player and blues musician member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Rashod Kent NFL player Fuzzy Knight film and television actor appeared in over 180 films between 1929 and 1967 usually as a cowboy hero s sidekick John Knowles author of A Separate Peace Alan Mollohan U S Representative from West Virginia s 1st District Stephen Montague classical composer lived in Fairmont as a child from 1952 to 1957 Luella Mundel professor and McCarthyism victim Michael Oliverio II member of state senate representing 13th District Francis H Pierpont Governor of union controlled parts of Virginia during American Civil War known as father of West Virginia Doris Piserchia science fiction writer Raphiael Putney born 1990 basketball player for Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli National League Mary Lou Retton gymnast 1984 Olympic gold medalist member of President s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports 34 George S Roberts combat fighter pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen Nick Saban current head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama Dante Stills American football defensive lineman for the West Virginia Mountaineers Darius Stills American football defensive tackle for the West Virginia Mountaineers 35 Robert Tinnell screenwriter director producer author of comic books and graphic novels Clarence Wayland Watson founded several companies that became Consolidation Coal and Mining Companies was U S Senator from West Virginia from 1911 to 1913 Hershel W Williams awarded Medal of Honor for his outstanding heroism in Battle of Iwo JimaSee also EditFairmont Marion County Transit AuthorityReferences Edit 2019 U S Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau Retrieved August 7 2020 a b c d Bureau US Census City and Town Population Totals 2020 2021 Census gov US Census Bureau Retrieved 3 July 2022 US Board on Geographic Names United States Geological Survey 2007 10 25 Retrieved 2008 01 31 Find a County National Association of Counties Archived from the original on 2011 05 31 Retrieved 2011 06 07 West Virginia SHPO November 29 2001 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Fleming Watson Historic District PDF National Park Service a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Dilger Robert 2003 The Early History of North Central West Virginia The West Virginia Public Affairs Reporter Institute of Public Affairs 20 1 15 26 Archived from the original PDF on 2010 06 26 Retrieved 2017 03 24 Butcher Bernard 1912 Genealogical and Personal History of the Upper Monongahela Valley West Virginia New York NY Clearfield Company p 514 ISBN 9780806348490 Burkett Connie 2015 Fairmont Marion County WV history Marion County WVGenWeb Retrieved 6 April 2016 a b McMillan Debra Ball 1996 An Ornament to the City Historic Architecture in Downtown Fairmont West Virginia Terra Alta WV Headline Books Inc p 10 ISBN 0929915186 Kenny Hamill 1945 West Virginia Place Names Their Origin and Meaning Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains Piedmont WV The Place Name Press p 236 Wicker Tom 23 November 1980 Fairmont W Va Lives in Peril As Old Mines Under It Crumble Cracks in the Wall Possible Domino Effect The New York Times West Virginia Atlas amp Gazetteer Yarmouth Me DeLorme 1997 p 25 ISBN 0 89933 246 3 US Gazetteer files 2010 United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on 2012 01 25 Retrieved 2013 01 24 NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved June 10 2021 Station Fairmont WV U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved June 10 2021 Station Fairmont WV U S Monthly Climate Normals 1981 2010 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved June 10 2021 United States Census Bureau Census of Population and Housing Retrieved August 27 2013 Explore Census Data data census gov Retrieved 2023 03 01 U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved 2013 01 24 Virginian Scott Gillespie Times West Fairmont s pepperoni roll legacy now enshrined Times West Virginian Retrieved 2020 09 10 The Pepperoni Roll a West Virginia Secret created in Marion County Marion County CVB Retrieved 2020 09 10 Virginian Scott Gillespie Times West Fairmont s pepperoni roll legacy now enshrined Times West Virginian Retrieved 2021 03 05 Smith Vicki March 28 2004 Meaty Snack Puts W Va Town on the Map The Washington Post About IV amp V NASA Nasa gov 9 March 2015 Retrieved 2017 06 30 NOAA center in Fairmont WV continues supercomputing cybersecurity work High Technology Foundation wvhtf org 24 April 2019 Retrieved 2022 10 26 City Council Fairmont WV Official Website City Manager Fairmont WV Official Website City Council Fairmont WV Official Website National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service April 15 2008 Images of America Marion County by Thomas J Koon Erin Riebe November 2014 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Dunbar School PDF West Virginia Division of Culture and History State Historic Preservation Office Retrieved September 14 2015 FAA Airport Form 5010 for 4G7 PDF Federal Aviation Administration Effective May 31 2012 Former Philly Councilwoman Augusta Clark Dies at 81 WCAU 2013 10 14 Retrieved 2013 11 23 Biography Archived from the original on 2010 05 15 Retrieved 2011 11 13 West Virginian Matt Welch Times Darius Stills garners national recognition Times West Virginian Retrieved 2021 05 17 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairmont West Virginia Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Fairmont West Virginia City of Fairmont website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fairmont West Virginia amp oldid 1142280379, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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