Petersburg, WV

Petersburg is Grant County's seat in the South Branch Potomac country, a town that has changed names without losing its courthouse role. Jacob Peterson opened the settlement's first store around 1745, and the place became Petersburg; in 1833 the post office switched to Lunice Creek because Virginia already had a Petersburg, then the original name returned after West Virginia formed. Petersburg incorporated in 1845 and later appeared as Grant Court House before settling back into Petersburg. Today the city's practical center includes the county courthouse, library, hospital, schools, fire department, shops, and city park. Farms, timber, and the South Branch landscape surround it, while fishing brings people through. Petersburg is a small county seat with a surprisingly busy naming history and a town map built around government, river country, and its old trading role.