Martinsburg is a city in and the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair ...

Berkeley County, West Virginia Berkeley County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia in the United States. The county is part of the Hagerstown- Martinsburg, MD- WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the co ...

, in the tip of the state's Eastern Panhandle region in the lower

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridg ...

. Its population was 18,835 in the 2021 census estimate, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the sixth-largest municipality in the state. Martinsburg is part of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Martinsburg was established by an act of the Virginia General Assembly that was adopted in December 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. Founder Major General Adam Stephen named the gateway town to the

along Tuscarora Creek in honor of Colonel Thomas Bryan Martin, a nephew of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. Aspen Hall, a Georgian mansion, is the oldest house in the city. Part was built in 1745 by Edward Beeson, Sr. Aspen Hall and its wealthy residents had key roles in the agricultural, religious, transportation, and political history of the region. Significant events related to the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

, the Revolution, and the Civil War took place on the property. Three original buildings are still standing, including the rare blockhouse of Mendenhall's Fort. The first United States post office in what is now West Virginia was established at Martinsburg in 1792. At that time, Martinsburg and the larger territory were still part of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

Baltimore and Ohio employees magazine (1912) (14575208137)

The

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

(B&O) reached Martinsburg in 1842. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops were constructed in 1849 and rebuilt after the American Civil War. According to William Still, "The Father of the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

" and its historian: Mr Robert Brown, alias Thomas Jones, escaped from slavery in Martinsburg on Christmas night in 1856. He rode a horse and had it swim across the freezing Potomac River. After riding forty miles, he walked in cold wet clothes for two days, to

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...

. He received assistance there from the Underground Railroad and traveled by train to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, and the office of William Still with the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. Brown's wife and four children had been sold; he sought help to find them. He had a likeness of his wife, and locks of hair from each of them.

Civil war

In 1854, ten-year-old Isabelle Boyd, known as "Belle" and later a noted spy for the Confederacy, moved to Martinsburg with her family; where her father Benjamin operated a general merchandise store. After the Civil War began, Benjamin joined the Second Virginia Infantry, which was part of the Stonewall Brigade. His wife Mary was thus in charge of the Boyd home when Union forces under General

Robert Patterson Robert Patterson (January 12, 1792 – August 7, 1881) was an Irish-born United States major general during the American Civil War, chiefly remembered for inflicting an early defeat on Stonewall Jackson, but crucially failing to stop Confed ...

took Martinsburg. When a group of Patterson's men tried to raise a Union flag over the Boyd home, Mary refused. One of the soldiers, Frederick Martin, threatened Mary, and Belle shot him. She was acquitted. She soon became involved in espionage, sending information to Confederate generals

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nea ...

and J.E.B. "Jeb" Stuart. Often she was helped by Eliza Corsey, a Boyd family slave whom Belle had taught to read and write. In 1863, Belle was arrested in Martinsburg by the Union Army and imprisoned. Boyd's Greek Revival home, which he had built in 1853 and sold in 1855, had numerous owners over the decades. In 1992 it was purchased by the Berkeley County Historical Society. The historical society renovated the building and now operates it as the Berkeley County Museum. It is also known as the Belle Boyd House.

Reconstruction

Residents of West Virginia were split in their allegiance during the war, with half of its soldiers serving in the Confederate army. The vote to create a new state in western Virginia was very low, but statehood was approved by Congress and President Lincoln, and the new state was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863. The city of Martinsburg was incorporated by an act of the new West Virginia Legislature on March 30, 1868. Martinsburg became a center of the railroad industry and its workers. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began July 14, 1877, in this city at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops. After several unsuccessful attempts to quell the protests, Governor

Henry M. Mathews Henry Mason Mathews (March 29, 1834April 28, 1884) was an American military officer, lawyer, and politician in the U.S. State of West Virginia. Mathews served as 7th Attorney General of West Virginia (1873–1877) and 5th Governor of West Virgi ...

called for federal troops. By the time these troops had restored order, the protest of the rail company had spread across the country.Bellesiles, Michael A. (2010). "1877: America's Year for Living Violently. The New Press, 2010. p 149. https://books.google.com/books?id=rf4q5LjLbHIC&pg=PA149 Retrieved November 27, 2012. Telephone service was established in Martinsburg in 1883. In 1889, electricity began to be furnished to Martinsburg as part of a franchise granted to the United Edison Manufacturing Company of New York. The Interwoven Mills began operations in Martinsburg in 1891. Construction of the Apollo Civic Theatre was completed in 1913.

World War I and beyond

Over one thousand (1,039) men from Berkeley County participated in World War I. Of these, forty-one were killed and twenty-one were wounded in battle. A monument to those who fell in battle was erected in Martinsburg in 1925. During World War II, the Newton D. Baker Hospital in Martinsburg treated thousands of soldiers wounded in the war. In 1946 this military hospital became a part of the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

(VA). The VA Medical Center in Martinsburg still provides care to United States veterans. Due to restructuring beginning in the late 1940s and continuing through the 1970s, many of the mills and factories operating in Martinsburg shut down and went out of business, dealing a major blow to the local economy. Jobs were moved to the Deep South and later offshore.

Geography

Location and topography

Martinsburg is located at (39.459207, −77.967814). Martinsburg is approximately southwest of Hagerstown, west of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

, northwest of Washington, D.C., and east of Morgantown. U.S. Route 11 runs through the center of town, and

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...

passes along the northern side of the town. Martinsburg is distant from the state capital of Charleston. However, it is closer to no less than five other state capitals: Harrisburg PA - , Annapolis MD - , Dover DE - , Richmond VA - , and Trenton NJ - . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Martinsburg lies in the transitional area between

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen ''Cfa'') and humid continental climatic zones (Köppen ''Dfa''), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold, with a January daily mean temperature of and an average annual snowfall of , while summers are hot and humid with a July daily mean temperature of and 27 days of + readings annually. Precipitation is moderate, with winter being the driest period and May thru July the wettest. Extreme temperatures at Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport range from on January 21, 1994, up to on July 11, 1936; an even colder was recorded in the city on January 14, 1912.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2020, there were 18,777 people residing in the city, living in 7,179 total households. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 2,591.7 inhabitants per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 79.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 13.9%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 3.1% two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race was 4.8% of the population. The median household income (in 2019 dollars) was $42,835. The per capita income was $24,970. 29.5% of the population is recorded as being in poverty. 88.5% of households had a computer, with 77.9% having access to broadband internet.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 17,227 people, 7,293 households, and 4,106 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 8,408 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.5%

, 14.9%

, 0.4% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1%

, 2.3% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6.2% of the population. There were 7,293 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.7% were non-families. Of all households, 35.4% were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 37 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 14,972 people, 6,684 households, and 3,689 families residing in the city. The

was 2,977.4 people per square mile (1,149.2/km²). There were 7,432 housing units at an average density of 1,478.0/sq mi (570.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.9%

, 11.6%

, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0%

, 1.3%% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population. There were 6,684 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were

living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,495, and the median income for a family was $36,954. Males had a median income of $29,697 versus $22,212 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,314. About 14.7% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

Commerce

Major private employers in and around Martinsburg include

Quad/Graphics Quad (formerly Quad/Graphics) is an American commercial printing company which offers marketing strategy and management services, based in Sussex, Wisconsin. It was founded as a printing company on July 13, 1971, by Harry V. Quadracci. Since 20 ...

Ecolab Ecolab Inc. is an American corporation that is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It develops and offers services, technology and systems that specialize in treatment, purification, cleaning and hygiene of water in a wide variety of appli ...

, Orgill,

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

, and

FedEx FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...

. In February 2015, it was announced that

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer he ...

planned to build a $500 million facility near the city. The city also has numerous federal government employers, including the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory t ...

(IRS), U.S. Coast Guard C5ISC-Kearneysville, U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center,

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and preven ...

, and the Martinsburg VA Medical Center. The Martinsburg IRS Facility, one of the two Enterprise Computing Centers of the

(the other is in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...

), processes most of the country's electronically filed tax documents from

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separ ...

es, and about one-third of electronically filed

tax return A tax return is the completion of documentation that calculates an entity or individual's income earned and the amount of taxes to be paid to the government or government organizations or, potentially, back to the taxpayer. Taxation is one ...

s. The area is also home to the

167th Airlift Wing The 167th Airlift Wing (167 AW) is a unit of the West Virginia Air National Guard, stationed at Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, Martinsburg, West Virginia. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air For ...

of the West Virginia Air National Guard, based in

Eastern WV Regional Airport Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport , also known as Shepherd Field, is a civilian-owned, public use airport located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) south of the central business district of Martinsburg, a city in Berkeley C ...

. Martinsburg had its own automobile company from 1912 to 1922, called Norwalk, which assembled the longest-made known cars to be built in the state of West Virginia.

Sports

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer

Hack Wilson Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson (April 26, 1900 – November 23, 1948) was an American Major League Baseball player who played 12 seasons for the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite his diminutive statur ...

began his storied professional career in his adopted hometown with the Martinsburg Blue Sox, a low-level minor-league baseball team. Wilson would go on to set the yet-to-be-broken major league record for RBI in a season (191) with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

in 1930. After his playing career ended in 1935, Hack went back home to Martinsburg, played some ball with the town's semipro team and opened a recreation and pool hall in town with a partner. He later moved to Baltimore in 1941 where he later died November 23, 1948. Originally scheduled to be interred in Baltimore, Wilson was buried — in a donated plot — in Martinsburg,

Healthcare

* Berkeley Medical Center (formerly WVUH-East City Hospital and City Hospital) * Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Shopping

Retail centers/areas in Martinsburg include: * Foxcroft Towne Center: Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Party City. There was originally a shopping mall there, but it shut down in late 2016 .Location: Foxcroft Avenue, Interstate 81 Exit 12 & 13. * The Commons Shopping Center: anchored by Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, T.J. Maxx, Famous Footwear, Books-A-Million, Bed Bath and Beyond, Michael's, Petsmart and Five Below. Opened in 2009. Location: Retail Commons Parkway, Interstate 81 Exit 12. * Old Courthouse Square: anchored by Martin's Food and Super Shoes. Opened in 1987. Location: Edwin Miller Blvd. * Apple Harvest Drive: Shop 'n Save, Lowe's, Verizon, Aspen Dental, Harbor Freight and Gabe's. * North Queen Street: Dairy Queen, Weis Markets, Tractor Supply, and Planet Fitness. * Other shopping areas in the city are the Berkeley Plaza on Williamsport Pike, Martinsburg Plaza on Winchester Ave, and Meadow Lane Plaza on Meadow Lane.

Education

Elementary and intermediate schools

* Rocky Knoll Adventist School * Back Creek Valley Elementary * Bedington Elementary * Berkeley Heights Elementary * Bunker Hill Elementary * Burke Street Elementary * Gerrardstown Elementary * Hedgesville Elementary * Inwood Elementary * Marlowe Elementary * Opequon Elementary * Rosemont Elementary * Spring Mills Elementary * Tuscarora Elementary * Valley View Elementary * Winchester Avenue Elementary * Mountain Ridge Intermediate * Potomac Intermediate * Orchard View Intermediate * Mill Creek Intermediate * Eagle School Intermediate * Tomahawk Intermediate * St. Joseph Catholic School

Middle schools

* North Middle * South Middle * Spring Mills Middle * Hedgesville Middle * Mountain Ridge Middle * Musselman Middle

High schools

Martinsburg High School Martinsburg High School is a public high school located in the upper Shenandoah Valley in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The school is an active member of the WVSSAC. The principal of the school is Trent Sherman. History and academics MHS strug ...

* Musselman High School *

Hedgesville High School Hedgesville High School is located in Hedgesville, West Virginia, United States. Enrollment is around 1,300. Its mascot is the Eagle, and its colors are blue and gold. History Hedgesville High School began as a one-room log schoolhouse in 1866 ...

Spring Mills High School Spring Mills High School is the fourth high school in the Berkeley County, West Virginia school system, which opened in fall of 2013. On opening, the student body was formed from about one-half of the student body of each of Martinsburg High Scho ...

* Berkeley STEM Academy

Colleges and universities

* Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, Martinsburg *

James Rumsey Technical Institute The James Rumsey Technical Institute (JRTI) is a technical institute in Martinsburg, West Virginia. It is named after James Rumsey, an American mechanical engineer and inventor from Shepherdstown, West Virginia. JRTI was founded on March 25, 19 ...

, Martinsburg * Shepherd University-Martinsburg * Valley College of Technology, Martinsburg Campus

Transportation

Roads and highways

Martinsburg is served by several significant highways. The most prominent of these is

, which is the main north–south highway through the region. I-81 connects northward to Hagerstown and

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...

, and continues southward to

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

and Roanoke. U.S. Route 11, the former primary regional north–south highway, now serves as a local service road to I-81, and travels through downtown Martinsburg. The main highway serving regional east–west travel is

West Virginia Route 9 West Virginia Route 9 (WV 9) is a major east–west state highway located in the eastern extents of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The western terminus of the route is at the Maryland state line north of Paw Paw, where WV 9 becomes ...

. From Martinsburg eastwards, WV 9 follows an expressway, connecting the city to Charles Town and Leesburg. WV 9 follows US 11 through downtown Martinsburg. To the west, WV 9 continues to

Berkeley Springs Berkeley Springs is a town in, and the county seat of, Morgan County, West Virginia, United States, in the state's Eastern Panhandle. "Berkeley Springs" is also commonly used to refer to the area in and around the Town of Bath. In 1776, the Virg ...

and Paw Paw.

West Virginia Route 45 West Virginia Route 45 (WV 45) is a state highway in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The state highway runs from the Virginia state line near Glengary east to WV 230 and WV 480 in Shepherdstown. WV 45 connects the communities of Glengary ...

is the other state highway serving Martinsburg. WV 45 extends westward into rural areas of western Berkeley County, and continues eastward to Shepherdstown.

Mass transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

provides service to Martinsburg on its Washington-Chicago ''

Capitol Limited The ''Capitol Limited'' is a daily Amtrak train between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, running via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's ''Capitol Limited'' which ended in 197 ...

'' route. The city's passenger rail station is located downtown at 229 East Martin Street.

MARC Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...

, Maryland's commuter rail system, operates trains on weekdays on its which terminates in Martinsburg. Service is provided to

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

in Washington, D.C. Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority (EPTA) operates public bus transit routes in Martinsburg, surrounding Berkeley County, and neighboring

Jefferson County, West Virginia Jefferson County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. It is the easternmost county of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 57,701. Its county seat is Charles Tow ...

, south of the city, handles general aviation and Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base is located at this airport. The closest airport with commercial air service is

Hagerstown Regional Airport Hagerstown Regional Airport ( Richard A. Henson Field) is in Washington County, Maryland, five miles north of Hagerstown, Maryland and a half mile (800 m) from the Maryland/Pennsylvania border. The airport is off Interstate 81 at exit 10 and ...

, that is about driving distance north. The closest international airport is

Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Eastern United States, loc ...

near D.C., which is about driving distance east.

Media

Print

* Martinsburg has one daily community newspaper, ''The Journal'' and also is regionally covered by ''The Herald-Mail'' (Hagerstown, MD) * Martinsburg has a bi-monthly magazine, ''Around the Panhandle'' magazine.

Radio

* The city is home to WEPM/1340 AM, WRNR/740 AM, WICL/95.9 FM, WLTF/97.5 FM, and WVEP/88.9 FM radio stations.

Television

* Martinsburg is home to W08EE-D Channel 8 (

West Virginia Public Broadcasting West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) is the public television and radio state network serving the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is owned by the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Authority, an agency of the state government that holds the li ...

) and

WWPX WWPX-TV (channel 60) is a television station licensed to Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the northwestern portion of the Washington, D.C. television market. Owned and operated by Ion Media, the ...

60 (

ION An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conve ...

), all part of the Hagerstown sub-market that is further grouped under the Nielsen-designated Washington, D.C.-Hagerstown, Md. market, the ninth largest market in the nation. * Martinsburg, WV was the setting of the '' X-Files'' episode " Small Potatoes" (Season 4, episode 20). However, the filming did not take place in the vicinity. * Martinsburg is the setting for the

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

series ''

Gypsy Sisters ''Gypsy Sisters'' was an American reality television series on TLC. The series debuted on February 10, 2013. It follows the daily life of Romanichal women located in Martinsburg, West Virginia Martinsburg is a city in and the seat of Berkeley ...

'' on ''

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

''.

Notable people

Newton D. Baker Newton Diehl Baker Jr. (December 3, 1871 – December 25, 1937) was an American lawyer, Georgist,Noble, Ransom E. "Henry George and the Progressive Movement." The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 8, no. 3, 1949, pp. 259–269. w ...

, Secretary of War and

Mayor of Cleveland The mayor of Cleveland is the head of the executive branch of Local government in the United States, government of the Cleveland, City of Cleveland, Ohio. As the chief executive in Cleveland's Mayor–council government#Strong-mayor government fo ...

* Harold H. Bender (1882–1951), professor of philology at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

* Charles Boarman (1828–1880), physician *

Belle Boyd Isabella Maria Boyd (May 9, 1844The date in the Boyd Family Bible is May 4, 1844 (), but Boyd insisted that it was 1844 and that the entry was in error. () See also . Despite Boyd's assertion, many sources give the year of birth as 1844 and the ...

(1844-1900) Confederate spy in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

* Scott Bullett, former

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

Vicky Bullett Victoria Andrea Bullett (born October 4, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and current women's basketball head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNB ...

, Olympic gold medalist in women's basketball *

Kathe Burkhart Kathe Burkhart (born 1958, Martinsburg, West Virginia) is an American interdisciplinary artist, painter, writer and art critic. Described as both a conceptual artist and an installation artist, she uses various media in her work, combining collag ...

, artist, writer, feminist * Summers Burkhart (1859–1932), attorney * Harry Flood Byrd, Sr.,

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and

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Robert Lee Castleman Robert Lee Castleman (born July 14, 1952) is a Nashville singer and songwriter. He released his debut album, ''Crazy as Me,'' on Rounder Records in 2000. At the Grammy Award in 2002, he won Best Country Song category as the writer of the song ...

, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter *

Danny Casolaro Joseph Daniel Casolaro (June 16, 1947 – August 10, 1991) was an American freelance writer who came to public attention in 1991 when he was found dead in a bathtub in room 517 of the Sheraton Hotel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, his wrists slashe ...

, committed suicide in Martinsburg *

Charles James Faulkner Charles James Faulkner (September 21, 1847January 13, 1929) was a United States senator from West Virginia. Early life Born on the family estate, "Boydville," near Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). His father was Charles James Faulk ...

from West Virginia *

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, former D.C. insider turned Libertarian and appropriate technology activist, relocated to the Martinsburg area in the 1970s. *

Corey Hill Corey Cornelius Hill (October 3, 1978 – May 15, 2015) was an American mixed martial artist. In high school in Florida he won state wrestling championships on multiple occasions and was a two-time national finalist college wrestler. Mixed marti ...

, UFC fighter *

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, (1911-1985), fifth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling * Charles Porterfield Krauth (1823–1883), Lutheran theologian"Ensign Frazer, Hugh Carroll". Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved 2014-August-23 *

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, drummer for the hard rock band Godsmack * Edward F. McClain, member of the

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, author *

John Quincy Adams Nadenbousch John Quincy Adams Nadenbousch (31 October 1824 – 13 September 1892) was a businessman, Confederate officer during the American Civil War and local politician in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Early life Born in Berkeley County, Virginia (later ...

, colonel in

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* Mary Elizabeth Price (1877–1965), impressionist painter * Ronald Radosh, ex-New Left, ex-libertarian, now neoconservative author * Anthony Senecal, butler of

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, was mayor of Martinsburg from 1990 to 1992 *

Absalom Willis Robertson Absalom Willis Robertson (May 27, 1887 – November 1, 1971) was an American politician from Virginia who served over 50 years in public office. A member of the Democratic Party and lukewarm ally of the Byrd Organization led by fellow U.S. Senat ...

, U.S. Senator from Virginia *

David Hunter Strother David Hunter Strother (September 26, 1816 – March 8, 1888) was an American journalist, artist, brevet Brigadier General, innkeeper, politician and diplomat from West Virginia. Both before and after the American Civil War (in which he was init ...

(aka Porte Crayon), artist *

Fulton Walker Fulton Luther Walker Jr. (April 30, 1958 – October 12, 2016) was a professional American football cornerback who played for the Miami Dolphins (1981-1985) and Los Angeles Raiders (1985-1986) in the National Football League (NFL). He played ...

, former football player for the

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Garland Wilson Garland Lorenzo Wilson (June 13, 1909 – May 31, 1954) was an American jazz pianist, perhaps best known for his work with Nina Mae McKinney. Wilson was a boogie-woogie and stride pianist. Life and career Garland Wilson was born in Martinsburg ...

(1909–1954), jazz pianist *

, Hall of Fame baseball player *

Mary Ann Shaffer Mary Ann Shaffer (née Fiery; December 13, 1934 – February 16, 2008) was an American writer, editor, librarian, and a bookshop worker. She is noted for her posthumously published work ''The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'', whi ...

(1934-2008), writer, editor, librarian and noted for her posthumously published work ''

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ''The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'' is a historical novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows that was published in 2008. It was adapted into a film in 2018 featuring Lily James as Juliet Ashton and Matthew Goode as Sidne ...

'' * J.R. Clifford (1848-1933), First African-American attorney in West Virginia. Newspaper publisher and editor, school teacher, principal. Civil War veteran. Civil Rights pioneer. Founding member of the Niagara Movement (forerunner to the NAACP).

References

External links

*
Official website

Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce

Martinsburg, Virginia, During the Civil War in ''Encyclopedia Virginia''
{{Authority control Cities in West Virginia Cities in Berkeley County, West Virginia County seats in West Virginia Populated places established in 1778