Jackson County was formed from parts of Mason, Wood and Kanawha counties. A petition to form a new county was presented to the General Assembly of Virginia on December 18 1830, but the request was not granted until March 31, 1831. The new county was named Jackson in honor of Andrew Jackson, president of the United States. On December 19, 1832, a charter was granted and Ripley was designated as the county seat.
Located in the western part of the state, Ripley is said to be named after Harry Ripley, a circuit riding Methodist minister, who with a wedding license in his pocket, drowned in Mill Creek in 1830.
Ephraim Evans and Robert Lowther laid out the town with the courthouse as its center. The courthouse square remains the center of activity within the district. The four streets around the courthouse were named for the four compass points: North, East, South and West Streets. North Street is the only street today to retain its original name. South Street is now Main Street; West Street is now Maple Street; and East Street is now Court Street, directly in front of the courthouse.
Starting in the 1840s, English, French, Swiss and German immigrants began to settle in the town and more prosperous times arrived with them and their skills. Isiah Vail established a woodworking shop in 1844. He made furniture and coffins, as was typical of the time period. Eventually, the businesses separated and they remain in business to this day with the furniture store still being owned and operated by the Vail family.
Charles H. Progler came in 1848 from Switzerland via New York City. He operated a hotel early on but later became a designer and builder of many of the homes, churches and businesses in Ripley. Progler also constructed a planning mill in 1878 for the purpose of planning the lumber he used in his construction work. He also operated a woolen mill with fellow immigrants from Switzerland.
Progler deserves further mention as he was responsible for many of the historic buildings that still stand today. In addition to the woolen mill and planning mill, he operated a factory for the manufacture of buggies, wagons, spokes and hubs. His most common style is Folk Victorian but several of his houses are in the Queen Anne style. Many of these homes retain their original character defining elements and stand firmly within the period of significance.
The first newspaper to be published in Ripley was The Jackson Democrat, which began in 1864. It was later named The Jackson Herald. To fit with the changing architectural styles of the time period and to be known as a progressive business, the Herald constructed a new building in the downtown in 1930. The Herald still operates today in another downtown building.
Early transportation in the area consisted of narrow horse paths which grew to wagon roads. These roads allowed Ripley access to the Ohio River and all points beyond. The first railroad to arrive in Ripley was the Ripley and Mill Creek Valley Railroad in 1888. The first paved street was from Bridge to Church Streets. The water works and sewage plant were built prior to 1910 while gas for domestic use was implemented around that time.
Many of the commercial buildings within the downtown area also date to the period after 1920 when Federal Route 21 was built through Ripley. US Route 33 was constructed through Ripley from 1920 through 1922 and in 1945 the route was paved from the courthouse westward toward the town of Evans. The northern end of Church Street was built up with single family residences during this road building process. All of the transportation enhancements were beneficial to the growth of Ripley as more people traveled into and through the town.
Downtown Ripley has always been the heart of activity for Jackson County. Citizens from outlying areas of the county come to Ripley to purchase goods, do banking and take care of legal matters.
Ripley is truly a great place to live, work and raise a family. We invite you to visit our community and discover the charm.
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