Randolph

Formed October 16, 1787 (8^th county)

Randolph County (27,934), Elkins (6,935)                

The excellent Romanesque Revival stone structure was constructed in 1906 and recently added on.  The courthouse is on Randolph Street at High Street.  Randolph Street is United States Highway 33 in the town.  J. Charles Fulton is the architect.  It features a tower and veteran memorials on the grounds.  An Annex and a Judicial Building support the courthouse.  Randolph County was established on October 16, 1787 from Harrison County as the 8^th county.  It is named for Virginia Governor Edmund Jennings Randolph.  The county seat was named for Senator Stephen Benton Elkins.  Beverly was the first county seat until 1900 when Elkins took over.  Randolph County is the birthplace of 1 West Virginia Governor, W. Wallace Barron. 

Randolph County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Four Circuit Court Judges serve Randolph County and One Family Court Judge and Three Magistrate Court Judges serve Randolph and Tucker counties.  The county is in eastern West Virginia.  Charleston, West Virginia is southwest and Roanoke, Virginia is south of the county.  The county center is 14.2 miles South-Southeast of Elkins nearer Valley Bend.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tucker, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Webster, Upshur, and Barbour counties. 

The area of the county is 1040 square miles.  It is 1 out of 55 in the state.  It ranks 20 out of 55 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.9 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 55 in the state.  Randolph County has 31.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 33 crosses the county from east to west from Pendleton County to Upshur County.  United States Highway 219 enters from the north, Tucker County, and exits to the south, Pocahontas County.  United States Highway 250 comes from Barbour County, northwest, and goes to Pocahontas County, southeast.  The county shape could be described as a military tank driving northeast with three tops.  Elkins is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Elkins is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 24.8% of the county population.

Womelsdorf (Coalton)