Paw Paw, West Virginia

For the unincorporated community, see Paw Paw, Marion County, West Virginia.

Paw Paw, West Virginia
Town
WV 9 in Paw Paw
WV 9 in Paw Paw
Location of Paw Paw in Morgan County, West Virginia.
Location of Paw Paw in Morgan County, West Virginia.
Coordinates: 39°31′53″N 78°27′19″W / 39.53139°N 78.45528°W / 39.53139; -78.45528
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyMorgan
Area
[1]
 • Total
0.53 sq mi (1.37 km2)
 • Land0.53 sq mi (1.37 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
561 ft (171 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total
410
 • Density928.30/sq mi (358.32/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
25434
Area code304
FIPS code54-62332[4]
GNIS feature ID2391352[2]
Websitewww.townofpawpaw.com
Meanders in the Potomac River with Paw Paw just above center.

Paw Paw is a town in Morgan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 410 at the 2020 census. The town is known for the nearby Paw Paw Tunnel. Paw Paw was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Morgan County on April 8, 1891, and named after pawpaw,[5] a wild fruit that grows in abundance throughout this region. On September 14, 2024 a group of local citizens organized by Maria Gloyd hosted the inaugural Pawpaw Festival in the Town Park. Hundreds of people attended the festival to hear lectures on how to grow and cultivate Pawpaw fruit, and listen to Appalachian music performed by the Paw Paw Community Choir, Ben Townsend, the Critton Hollow String Band, and Mary Hott with the Carpenter Ants.[6] Paw Paw is the westernmost incorporated community in Morgan County, and the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Paw Paw is located along the section of the Potomac River known as the Paw Paw Bends. The Paw Paw Valley is surrounded by the ridges of Sideling Hill, Green Ridge, Purslane Mountain and Town Hill.[7]

While the town's name is usually associated with the nearby Paw Paw Tunnel which was part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, it is more likely the town was named for the Paw Paw Tunnel constructed by the B&O railroad in the 1830's through the Paw Paw Ridge east of the town. The construction of the Paw Paw tunnel across the river in Maryland began in 1836 and was completed in 1850, 12 years behind schedule.[8] Today, the tunnel and nearby canal are part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Paw Paw, West Virginia
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference wwwcensusgov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ 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. 476.
  6. ^ Markland, Tom (September 15, 2024). "Paw Paw festival draws hundreds to celebrate town's namesake". The Journal. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  7. ^ Stanton, Richard L. (1993). Potomac Journey: Fairfax Stone to Tidewater. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 15.
  8. ^ Morgan County, West Virginia, and Its People. Berkeley Springs, WV: Morgan County Historical and Genealogical Society. 1981. p. 12.