Here Are Some Of The Oldest Photos Ever Taken In West Virginia And They’re Incredible

West Virginia has a lot of fascinating history, dating back to its statehood and before. Hold old is West Virginia? Not as old as you might think - the state was created as part of a political compromise in 1863. Even so, that means that there are West Virginia historical photos that date back to a time even before statehood. It's fun to think about what life may have been like if we'd lived in another era, and follow clues from the past. We have the remarkable fortune to be able to see well-preserved, historic West Virginia photos depicting life in the 1800s. Life in West Virginia was very different in the past, but looking at these old WV pictures, it's easy to feel the common thread of humanity that binds together generations across time. These are some of the earliest photographs we have that were created in our state.

1. Wheeling Suspension Bridge and flooding Ohio River, circa 1852

2. West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind faculty and staff, circa 1884

3. Green Palm restaurant, Romney, West Virginia

The date on this photo is unknown, but the restaurant was built by 1853.

4. Hanging Rocks viewed from across the river, circa 1890

5. The old Ohio County Court House, Wheeling, West Virginia

The date on this photograph is unknown, but the court house was built in 1839 and razed in 1900 to make room for a new building.

6. Lincoln School in Wheeling, WV, circa 1899.

7. Stereoscopic image of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, taken from Bolivar Heights between 1859 and 1885.

8. Ohio River steamer R.R. Hudson at the Island, Wheeling, WV, circa 1869.

9. Ruins of bridge across the Potomac River in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, circa 1861.

10. A barge and bargemen on the New River at a landing above Stuck's, in West Virginia, taken circa 1872.

Looking back at these old WV pictures really instills a sense of pride in our deep West Virginia roots. Does your family have any old photographs from the 1800s? We'd love to see them!

For more historic West Virginia photos, check out these pictures from West Virginia's mining history in the 1930s.