Braxton County, West Virginia
Braxton County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,447. The county seat is Sutton. The county was formed in 1836 from parts of Lewis, Kanawha, and Nicholas counties and named for Carter Braxton, a Virginia statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Braxton County | |
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The Braxton County Courthouse in Sutton in 2007 | |
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Seal Logo | |
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia | |
West Virginia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 38°42′N 80°44′W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| Founded | January 15, 1836 |
| Named for | Carter Braxton |
| Seat | Sutton |
| Largest town | Sutton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 516.28 sq mi (1,337.2 km2) |
| • Land | 510.74 sq mi (1,322.8 km2) |
| • Water | 5.54 sq mi (14.3 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 12,447 |
| • Estimate (2021) | 12,247 |
| • Density | 24.37/sq mi (9.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
In 2010, the center of population of West Virginia was in northern Braxton County.
Important salt works were located at Bulltown and here, in 1772, Captain Bull and his family and friendly Delaware Indians were massacred by frontiersmen. Jesse Hughes helped Jeremiah Carpenter track and kill the Indians responsible for the Carpenter massacre. Jeremiah was a notable fiddle player who wrote a song Shelvin’ Rock about the experience of escaping to rock shelter.