A rock emblazoned with the date of West Virginia’s statehood — June 20, 1863 is shown.
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — A rock that once sat in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse is set to be sold in an auction slated for June 10 because of expressed interest, yet its origins remain unclear.
The rock, which features an engraving of the date of West Virginia’s statehood, has been in a storage shed at the Jefferson County Maintenance Department in Bardane for the past couple years, but Jefferson County Administrator Stephanie Grove said individuals have approached her with interest in owning the mysterious relic.
“When the front of the courthouse was renovated, (the rock was removed),” Grove said in a Wednesday telephone interview. “Since then, people will come in from the street asking about the rock. At least three individuals have asked about it (in the past year). There has been a lot of interest in people buying it.”
Grove said it is her understanding that the rock was donated to the Jefferson County Commission in the 1960s after it appeared as a prop on a Kiwanis float during a local parade, which may or may not have been part of a centennial celebration in the county.
Doug Perks, historian at the Jefferson County Museum in Charles Town, has a slightly different explanation for the rock’s enigmatic existence.
According to Perks, community members wanted a way to commemorate the centennial anniversary of West Virginia’s birth, and that was the intended purpose of the rock.
“They went down to the Shenandoah River and got the rock. They had it carved and inscribed and put it in front of the courthouse. The front of the courthouse lawn was renovated, and they put in new flagpoles and pulled out old boxwoods,” Perks said. “This rock had been put there in 1963, and I think everybody was just sure it was put there during the Civil War, but that’s not the case.”
Grove said during courthouse lawn renovations, the commission was informed to remove the rock because it was not original to the historic structure.
During a Jefferson County Commission meeting on March 31, commissioners unanimously voted in favor to allow the rock to be sold in an upcoming sheriff’s sale, which will be held in the parking lot between the Sheriff’s Office and the Maintenance Department in Bardane.
Perks said the rock represents a lost era in commemoration and community-mindedness.
“Years ago, the community would put on weeklong commemorative celebrations, and every day was different,” Perks said. “We don’t do that anymore. I think (the reason why) is because of the growth in the county. There are more people now who aren’t familiar with local history than there are who are familiar with local history. Dynamics change. When I was a kid, our fields grew wheat and corn, and now they grow houses. Things have changed.”
Perks said he thinks it is quite possible that someone will buy the rock.
“It’s a relic now, and somebody will probably very proudly display it on their front lawn,” Perks said.
The evening of the auction, gates will open at 5:30, and the sale will begin promptly at 6 p.m. Parking will be available in the customer parking lot at the sheriff’s office.
In addition to the famed rock, various other items including county and unclaimed property will be sold at the auction. For a full list of items, visit bit.ly/2846KQr.
Staff writer Emily Daniels can be reached at 304-263-8931, ext. 132, or twitter.com/emilykdaniels.
