• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

ObserverWV

Local News & Events in Jefferson County WV

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Print Issues
  • Observer Weekly
  • Data Centers

Primary Sidebar

Latest Stories

Observer Weekly — June 11, 2026

Ranson Updates Zoning Map

Shepherdstown To Buy Former School Property

Observer Weekly — June 4, 2026

Shepherdstown 2026 Election Results

Ranson 2026 Election Results

Observer Weekly — May 28, 2026

Observer Weekly — May 21, 2026

Observer Weekly — May 14, 2026

Public Hearing On School Budget Set For May 26

Observer Weekly — May 7, 2026

2026 School Board Candidates Respond To Questions From The Observer

Read all stories

census

Looking At Growth

September 1, 2021 Tagged With: census, economic development, editor's note, McMurran Hall, Shepherd University

Looking east from the outskirts of the newly-constructed Aspen Green subdivision off Flowing Springs Road north of Ranson, with the Blue Ridge Mountains (in Maryland) in the distance.

McMurran Hall was built in 1859 as a town hall for Shepherdstown. During the Civil War, it served as the courthouse for Jefferson County until it was abandoned in 1871 when Charles Town reclaimed its role as the seat of the county government. Quickly repurposed into the home of the new Shepherd College, it still stands as a reminder of community spirit shared between a town and institution. Read the Full Story >>

Census Numbers Drive Redistricting

August 25, 2021 Tagged With: census, economic development, housing, WV Legislature

The 2021 West Virginia House of Delagate's district map.

According to the 2020 Census results, West Virginia is a lot less crowded than it was a decade ago. With an overall drop of over 59,000 residents since 2010 (a 3.3% decrease), the state’s population decline stands out even from the other two states to lose population over the past decade, Mississippi (down 0.2%) and Illinois (down 0.1%). However, the story is a bit different in the Eastern Panhandle. Read the Full Story >>

Footer

Topics

  • Community
  • Economy & Environment
  • Government
  • Events & Activities

Sightline Stories

  • Solar in Jefferson County
  • Remembering Hartstown

Quick Links

  • Observer Weekly
  • Print Archive
  • WV Perspectives
  • Nature
  • Local History

The Observer

  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Connect With Us
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook

Copyright © 2026 WV Independent Observer LLC · Log in