Grafton, WV

Set along the banks of the Tygart Valley River, Grafton is a welcoming small town in north-central West Virginia that serves as the Taylor County seat. Home to under 5,000 residents, the community grew as a major hub for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the nineteenth century. Today, those historic roots give the town its character, offering a quiet, unhurried pace of life with convenient highway access to nearby cities like Clarksburg and Morgantown via U.S. 50 and U.S. 119.

ATTRBrian M. Powell (user Bitmapped on en.wikipedia ) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Grafton holds a unique place in American history as the birthplace of Mother's Day, which began at the local church that now houses the International Mother's Day Shrine. Long-standing annual traditions, including the state's oldest Memorial Day parade, reflect the town's strong sense of community. For everyday downtime, residents can head just down the road to Tygart Lake State Park for boating, fishing, camping, and scenic hiking trails in the surrounding hills.