Exhibit 31.1
                                  CERTIFICATION

I, William A. Loving, Jr., certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Allegheny
      Bancshares, Inc.;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement
      of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
      statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
      were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
      report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this report, fairly present in all material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
      the issuer as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.    The issuer's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the issuer and
      we have:

      a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
         disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
         supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
         issuer, including its consolidated subsidiary, is made known to us by
         others within that entity, particularly during the period in which this
         report is being prepared;

      b) evaluated the effectiveness of the issuer's disclosure controls and
         procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

      c) disclosed in this report any change in the issuer's internal control
         over financial reporting that occurred during the issuer's most recent
         fiscal quarter (the issuer's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
         annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
         materially affect, the issuer's internal control over financial
         reporting; and

5.    The issuer's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
      most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
      the issuer's auditors and the audit committee of the issuer's board of
      directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

      a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
         operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
         reasonably likely to adversely affect the issuer's ability to record,
         process, summarize and report financial information; and

      b. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
         employees who have a significant role in the issuer's internal control
         over financial reporting.



                                   /s/ WILLIAM A. LOVING, JR.
                                   ----------------------------------
                                   William A. Loving, Jr.
                                   Executive Vice-President and Chief
                                   Executive Officer

Date:   August 13, 2004