Note: No two pieces of wood look alike. Within a board, two sections can have different coloration. The wood samples below are generic swatches to give you some idea about whether the wood is dark or light. The actual woods may vary in color.
Each of the fifty-five counties in WV has its own unique courthouse. These are symbolic of the localization of the workings of governmental functions in WV. Many of the courthouses have been maintained from the era of the Civil War and even the settlement of WV. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
| Wood Source | History of Wood | Wood Sample |
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| Barbour County Courthouse – Window Pine |
The Barbour County Courthouse n Philippi, WV was constructed between 1903 and 1905. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This wood was reclaimed in 2015 and was part of an old window frame. Photo By Valerius Tygart [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
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| Boone County Courthouse Red Oak |
This wood was reclaimed from the Boone County Courthouse in Madison, WV. Construction began in 1917 and it was completed four years later. Its dome was gold-leafed in 1977. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Photo By Tim Kiser
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| Braxton County Courthouse Oak |
This wood was reclaimed for a joist in the Braxton County Court House which was built in 1881-2 in Sutton, WV. It is one of the earliest remaining courthouses in the state. Photo By Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], from Wikimedia Commons |
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| Doddridge County Courthouse Oak |
The Doddridge County Courthouse was designed in the Victorian Romanesque style by J. Charles Fulton and was built in 1899. This wood was reclaimed from a baseboard in the main entrance to the courthouse. Photo By John Margolies [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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| Gilmer County Courthouse Oak |
This wood was reclaimed from the Gilmer County Courthouse which was built in 1923. It replaced the first which was built in 1850 and the second built in 1872. Photo By Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], from Wikimedia Commons |
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| Harrison County Courthouse Pine |
Completed in 1932, the current Harrison County Courthouse stands on the site of three of the four courthouses raised in Clarksburg. The plaza is home to a statue of “Stonewall” Jackson and the flagstaff of the U.S.S. West Virginia, sunk at Pearl Harbor. Photo By Upstateherd [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
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| Monongalia County Court House Redwood |
Erected in 1932, the current Monongalia County Courthouse is the fourth courthouse built on the same site. This redwood was reclaimed in 2017 from benches in the courtyard . The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Photo By Stryker33 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
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| Randolph County Courthouse Oak |
This wood was reclaimed from the attic of the Randolph County Courthouse which was built between 1902 and 1904. It is constructed of brick and faced with stone with contrasting smooth and textured stone trim. The tower flanking the entrance stands 150 feet tall. Photo By Carol M. Highsmith [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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| Upshur County Courthouse Pine |
This pine was reclaimed from the clock tower of the Upshur County Courthouse which was built in 1899. The Courthouse is part of the Buckhannon Downtown Historic District which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Photo By :
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| Wetzel County Courthouse - Attic Oak |
This wood was reclaimed from the attic of the Wetzel County Courthouse which was built in 1901 to replace the wooden one which stood on the same site. The tower in the center is the tallest part of any building in Wetzel County. Photo By Carol M. Highsmith [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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| Wetzel County Courthouse - Judge's Chambers Oak | This wood was reclaimed from the judge’s chambers of the Wetzel County Courthouse which was built in 1901. The tower in the center is the tallest part of any building in Wetzel County.
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