Great Cacapon ( ) is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) in
Morgan County in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
's
Eastern Panhandle. As of the
2020 census, its population was 315 (down from 386 at the
2010 census).
Great Cacapon takes its name from the
Cacapon River
The Cacapon River ( ; meaning Medicine Waters), located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's eastern panhandle region, is an shallow river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, hunting, and wilderness scenery. As part of the Potoma ...
(from the Native American meaning "medicine water") which empties into the
Potomac River
The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
to the town's east. It was originally known as Cacapon Depot on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...
mainline when a
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
was established here in 1848. In 1876, its name was changed to Great Cacapon to differentiate it from
Little Cacapon which was also on the B&O mainline. It lies four miles down
Cacapon Mountain
Cacapon Mountain ( ) runs northwest through Morgan and Hampshire Counties in West Virginia's eastern panhandle, rising to its greatest elevation of above sea-level at High Point. Cacapon Mountain is a folded mountain ridge, belonging to the A ...
from the
Panorama Overlook along Cacapon Road (
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 on the north edge of Paw Paw, where WV ...
) west of
Berkeley Springs.
References
External links
Great Cacapon on the Washington Heritage Trail
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
West Virginia populated places on the Potomac River
Census-designated places in Morgan County, West Virginia
Census-designated places in West Virginia
West Virginia placenames of Native American origin
{{MorganCountyWV-geo-stub