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Jefferson County

Jefferson County, the easternmost county in West Virginia, was officially established on October 26, 1801, when it was formed from the eastern portion of Berkeley County by the Virginia General Assembly. It was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, reflecting the region’s strong early ties to prominent figures of the founding era. The area’s earliest permanent European settlements date to the early 1700s, and its communities grew around key geographic features such as the Potomac River and the Blue Ridge Mountains, which still define its borders. Charles Town—founded in 1789 by Charles Washington, brother of George Washington—became the county seat and remains its largest city. The county also includes historically significant towns such as Harpers Ferry, incorporated in 1851, which later became a pivotal site in national history due to John Brown’s 1859 raid and its strategic role during the Civil War.

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