Lowell, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Lowell is an unincorporated community in Summers County
, West Virginia
, United States
. Lowell is located on the Greenbrier River
east of Hinton
and southwest of Alderson
. The community was first settled in 1770 and is the oldest community in Summers County.
at an elevation of 1519 feet (463 m). Lowell is located on the Greenbrier River
, which runs north-south through the community; other streams in the area are Kelly Creek and Wind Creek, both tributaries of the Greenbrier.
The nearest post office to Lowell is in Talcott
, which is 1.9 miles (3.1 km) west of Lowell and has ZIP code
24981. The nearest incorporated town to Lowell is Alderson
, located 10.9 miles (17.5 km) to the northeast in Greenbrier
and Monroe
Counties. Lowell is 12.5 miles (20.1 km) west of Hinton
, the county seat
of Summers County.
, who killed three members of Mr. Graham's household and kidnapped his daughter, whom Graham did not recover for eight years.
In 1871 or 1872, the brothers A.C. Lowe and Erastus Preston Lowe settled in Lowell, built a hotel, and entered business in the community. The settlement, which was unnamed prior to then, was ultimately named Lowell after the Lowe family. Lowell was an important point of commerce during this period, as it was the shipping point for the Red Sulphur Springs
until 1904. Lowell once had a post office
, which had been established by 1908 and is now closed.
, the Col. James Graham House
and the Samuel Gwinn Plantation
. The Col. James Graham House was built by Graham upon his settlement in Lowell in 1770. It is a log cabin
and was considered one of the finest houses in the area upon its construction. The Samuel Gwinn Plantation was established in 1770 as the home of the Gwinn family. It consists of a manor house built in 1868 and eight other buildings, which together encompass 4 acres (16,187.4 m²).
West Virginia Route 3 and West Virginia Route 12 on the west side of the Greenbrier River and Summers County Route 15 on the east side. Other county roads in the community include Route 3/42, Route 3/44, Route 3/46, Route 15/1, and Route 15/2. Route 3/42 is a bridge over the Greenbrier River and connects the eastern and western parts of Lowell. The nearest Interstate Highway to Lowell is Interstate 64
, which has an exit in Sandstone
to the northwest of Lowell.
A CSX
line runs through Lowell, crossing the Greenbrier River on a bridge in the community. This line also carries Amtrak
's Cardinal service; its nearest stations to Lowell are in Alderson
and Hinton
.
Summers County, West Virginia
Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,927. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Lowell is located on the Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
east of Hinton
Hinton, West Virginia
Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,880 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named for John "Jack" Hinton, a prominent lawyer of Summers County and husband of...
and southwest of Alderson
Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, a town in the US State of West Virginia, is split geographically by the Greenbrier River, with portions in both Greenbrier and Monroe Counties. Although split physically by the river, the town functions as one entity, including that of town government...
. The community was first settled in 1770 and is the oldest community in Summers County.
Geography
Lowell is located at 37°39′16"N 80°43′44"W. It is situated in the Ridge-and-Valley AppalachiansRidge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
at an elevation of 1519 feet (463 m). Lowell is located on the Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
, which runs north-south through the community; other streams in the area are Kelly Creek and Wind Creek, both tributaries of the Greenbrier.
The nearest post office to Lowell is in Talcott
Talcott, West Virginia
Talcott is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States.It lies along West Virginia Route 3 and the Greenbrier River to the east of the city of Hinton, the county seat of Summers County. Its elevation is 1,526 feet , and it is located at about...
, which is 1.9 miles (3.1 km) west of Lowell and has ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
24981. The nearest incorporated town to Lowell is Alderson
Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, a town in the US State of West Virginia, is split geographically by the Greenbrier River, with portions in both Greenbrier and Monroe Counties. Although split physically by the river, the town functions as one entity, including that of town government...
, located 10.9 miles (17.5 km) to the northeast in Greenbrier
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,453 people, 14,571 households, and 9,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile . There were 17,644 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
and Monroe
Monroe County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,583 people, 5,447 households, and 3,883 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 7,267 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
Counties. Lowell is 12.5 miles (20.1 km) west of Hinton
Hinton, West Virginia
Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,880 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named for John "Jack" Hinton, a prominent lawyer of Summers County and husband of...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Summers County.
History
Lowell was first settled in 1770 by Colonel James Graham; it was the first settlement in what is now Summers County. Samuel and James Gwinn, longtime neighbors of Mr. Graham, soon settled in Lowell as well. The Keller family, another prominent family in early Summers County, also settled in Lowell soon after the Grahams and Gwinns. In 1777, Lowell was attacked by IndiansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, who killed three members of Mr. Graham's household and kidnapped his daughter, whom Graham did not recover for eight years.
In 1871 or 1872, the brothers A.C. Lowe and Erastus Preston Lowe settled in Lowell, built a hotel, and entered business in the community. The settlement, which was unnamed prior to then, was ultimately named Lowell after the Lowe family. Lowell was an important point of commerce during this period, as it was the shipping point for the Red Sulphur Springs
Red Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Red Sulphur Springs is a small unincorporated community in Monroe County, West Virginia, USA. It once boasted the Red Sulphur Springs Hotel. It is located on West Virginia Route 12, close to Indian Creek.-History:...
until 1904. Lowell once had a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, which had been established by 1908 and is now closed.
Historic sites
Lowell contains two sites listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, the Col. James Graham House
Col. James Graham House
The Col. James Graham House is a historic log cabin located on West Virginia Route 3 in Lowell, West Virginia. It was built in 1770 as a home for Col. James Graham, the first settler of Lowell, and his family. It was later the site of an Indian attack on the Graham family in 1777. The house was...
and the Samuel Gwinn Plantation
Samuel Gwinn Plantation
The Samuel Gwinn Plantation is a historic plantation in Lowell, West Virginia. The main house was built in circa 1868, although the plantation was begun in the late 18th Century, with secondary structures, such as the meat curing house, dating to the 1770s. It was added to the National Register of...
. The Col. James Graham House was built by Graham upon his settlement in Lowell in 1770. It is a log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
and was considered one of the finest houses in the area upon its construction. The Samuel Gwinn Plantation was established in 1770 as the home of the Gwinn family. It consists of a manor house built in 1868 and eight other buildings, which together encompass 4 acres (16,187.4 m²).
Transportation
The main roads through Lowell are the concurrentConcurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
West Virginia Route 3 and West Virginia Route 12 on the west side of the Greenbrier River and Summers County Route 15 on the east side. Other county roads in the community include Route 3/42, Route 3/44, Route 3/46, Route 15/1, and Route 15/2. Route 3/42 is a bridge over the Greenbrier River and connects the eastern and western parts of Lowell. The nearest Interstate Highway to Lowell is Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
, which has an exit in Sandstone
Sandstone, West Virginia
Sandstone is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. It lies along West Virginia Route 20 and the New River to the north of the city of Hinton, the county seat of Summers County. Its elevation is 1,352 feet...
to the northwest of Lowell.
A CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
line runs through Lowell, crossing the Greenbrier River on a bridge in the community. This line also carries Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Cardinal service; its nearest stations to Lowell are in Alderson
Alderson (Amtrak station)
Alderson Station is an Amtrak station in Alderson, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. It is located at 1 C&O Plaza, and functions as a request stop...
and Hinton
Hinton (Amtrak station)
Hinton is an Amtrak station in Hinton, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. The station is a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway depot.Due to a bend in the adjacent New River, eastbound trains actually head southwest when passing the station .Of the ten West Virginia stations served by Amtrak,...
.