Braxton County, West Virginia

Braxton County
The Braxton County Courthouse in Sutton in 2007
The Braxton County Courthouse in Sutton in 2007
Official seal of Braxton County
Official logo of Braxton County
Map of West Virginia highlighting Braxton County
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°42′N 80°44′W / 38.7°N 80.73°W / 38.7; -80.73
Country United States
State West Virginia
FoundedJanuary 15, 1836
Named forCarter Braxton
SeatSutton
Largest townSutton
Area
 • Total516.28 sq mi (1,337.2 km2)
 • Land510.74 sq mi (1,322.8 km2)
 • Water5.54 sq mi (14.3 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total12,447
 • Estimate 
(2021)
12,247 Decrease
 • Density24.37/sq mi (9.41/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.braxtoncountywv.gov

Braxton County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,447.[1] The county seat is Sutton.[2] The county was formed in 1836[3] from parts of Lewis, Kanawha, and Nicholas counties and named for Carter Braxton, a Virginia statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

In 2010, the center of population of West Virginia was in northern Braxton County.[4]

Important salt works were located at Bulltown and here, in 1772, Captain Bull and his family and friendly Delaware Indians were massacred by frontiersmen.[5] Jesse Hughes helped Jeremiah Carpenter[6] track and kill the Indians responsible for the Carpenter massacre. Jeremiah was a notable fiddle player who wrote a song Shelvin’ Rock about the experience of escaping to rock shelter.

  1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 23, 2001. Retrieved July 23, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Centers of Population by State: 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  5. ^ The Border Settlers of Northwestern Virginia from 1768 to 1795 1915 The Republican Publishing Company Hamilton, OH
  6. ^ "e-WV | Carpenter Family". West Virginia Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 21, 2020.