Lowell, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
  Lowell, West Virginia  Lowell, West Virginia | |
| Coordinates:37°39′16″N80°43′44″W / 37.65444°N 80.72889°W /37.65444; -80.72889 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Summers |
| Elevation | 1,519 ft (463 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 304 & 681 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1555005[1] |
Lowell is anunincorporated community inSummers County,West Virginia, United States. Lowell is located on theGreenbrier River, east ofHinton and southwest ofAlderson. The community was first settled in 1770 and is the oldest community in Summers County.
Lowell is located at37°39′16″N80°43′44″W / 37.65444°N 80.72889°W /37.65444; -80.72889.[1] It is situated in theRidge-and-Valley Appalachians at an elevation of 1,519 feet (463 m). Lowell is located on theGreenbrier River, which runs north-south through the community; other streams in the area include Kelly Creek and Wind Creek, both tributaries of the Greenbrier.[2]
The nearest post office to Lowell is inTalcott, which is 1.9 miles (3.1 km) west of Lowell and hasZIP code 24981.[3][4] The nearest incorporated town to Lowell isAlderson, located 10.9 miles (17.5 km) to the northeast inGreenbrier andMonroe counties.[5] Lowell is 12.5 miles (20.1 km) west ofHinton, thecounty seat of Summers County.[6]
Lowell was first settled in 1770 by Colonel James Graham; it was the first settlement in what is now Summers County.[7][8] 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 byIndians, who killed three members of Mr. Graham's household and kidnapped his daughter, whom Graham did not recover for eight years.[9]
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.[10] Lowell was an important point of commerce during this period, as it was the shipping point for theRed Sulphur Springs until 1904. Lowell once had apost office, which had been established by 1908 and is now closed.[11][12]
Lowell contains two sites listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, theCol. James Graham House and theSamuel Gwinn Plantation. The Col. James Graham House was built by Graham upon his settlement in Lowell in 1770. It is alog cabin and was considered one of the finest houses in the area upon its construction.[13] 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 (16,000 m2).[14]
The main roads through Lowell are theconcurrentWest Virginia Route 3 andWest 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 isInterstate 64, which has an exit inSandstone to the northwest of Lowell.[2]
ACSX line runs through Lowell, crossing the Greenbrier River on a bridge in the community. This line also carriesAmtrak'sCardinal service; its nearest stations to Lowell are inAlderson andHinton.
lowell, summers county.
Municipalities and communities ofSummers County, West Virginia,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Unincorporated communities |
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| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |