Alderson, WV

Alderson sits on both sides of the Greenbrier River, with the town extending across Greenbrier and Monroe counties. Elder John Alderson settled here in 1777, founded the first Baptist church in the Greenbrier Valley, and gave the town its name. The Alderson Bridge and the town’s historic district still make the river crossing the clearest way to understand the place.

Alderson’s calendar is unusually large for a town this size. The weeklong Fourth of July celebration brings a parade, fireworks, river races, a fireman’s rodeo, and other events, while the Alderson Strawberry Festival arrives on Memorial Day weekend. The Greenbrier River supplies the backdrop for canoe races and other festival events. The Federal Reformatory for Women, established in 1927, is another major part of the town’s history and remains part of the regional map. Downtown homes and shops serve residents, camps, and vacation properties along the river. The local scoop is a river town whose church history, prison history, and summer festivals all meet at the same bridge.