Fairmont, West Virginia

Fairmontis a city in and the county seat ofMarion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 18,313 at the2020 census, making it theeighth-most populous cityin the state.It is the principal city of theFairmont micropolitan area, which includes all of Marion County inNorth Central West Virginiaand had a population of 56,205 in 2020. Fairmont is also a principal city of the largerMorgantown–Fairmont combined statistical area.
In the eighteenth century, the earliest development of Fairmont consisted ofsubsistence farmingsettlements.
In 1789, Boaz Fleming, aRevolutionary Warveteran, migrated to westernVirginiaand purchased a 254-acre farm from Jonathan Bozarth. In 1808, Fleming made his annual trek toClarksburgto pay his brother's Harrison County taxes.While in Clarksburg, Fleming attended a social gathering that included his cousinDolley Madison, wife of PresidentJames Madison. Fleming complained to Mrs. Madison about having to travel over a hundred miles each year from his home to pay his Monongalia County taxes and his brother's Harrison County taxes. Mrs. Madison supposedly suggested that he create his own county to save him all that travel. In 1814, Fleming circulated a petition to do precisely that, naming the proposed county Madison County in honor of Dolley and James Madison.
Milford, nowRivesville,was the only town within the borders of Fleming's proposed county, so Fleming decided to make Milford the seat of Madison County.However, Milford's citizens preferred to remain part of Monongalia County. As a result, Fleming's petition failed to gain sufficient support to be presented to theVirginia General Assembly. Fleming then focused on creating a new town near his farm, which was located on the west side of theMonongahela River. In 1817, Fleming's sons—William and David—began to clear land on a part of their father's farm to make way for the new town; this part of the farm would later become downtown Fairmont.
In 1819, Fairmont was founded as Middletown, Virginia. It was named Middletown because either it was in the middle of two cities,MorgantownandClarksburg,or Fleming's first wife, Elizabeth Hutchinson, was originally fromMiddletown,Delaware. That same year, a road was built between those two cities. Fleming's new town was about halfway between the two cities, which made it a resting point. The town was incorporated as Middletown on January 19, 1820.
The current borders of Marion County were established in 1842, and Middletown was named the county's seat. At that time, William Haymond Jr. suggested that the town's name be changed to Fairmont because the town had a beautiful overlook of the Monongahela River, giving it a "fair mount". The Borough of Fairmont was incorporated in 1843 by the Virginia General Assembly.
In 1863, during theAmerican Civil War, Confederate GeneralWilliam E. Jonesand his men raided Fairmont and cut the Union's supply lines to take food and horses. They also burned the books from the personal library of GovernorFrancis Harrison Pierpont.
Many of the first buildings in Fairmont were poorly constructed. By 1852—little more than 30 years after the city's founding—a large portion of Fairmont was reported to be run-down and dilapidated. Reports from 1873 indicate that these buildings had continued to fall into disrepair. On April 2, 1876, a fire destroyed a large portion of the city'sbusiness district, as well as many houses in the area. The continuing dilapidation of the city's buildings may have contributed to the fire; the large number ofcoalminesunder Fairmont may have also played a role.
Between 1891 and 1901—in a span of only 10 years—Fairmont's population had increased from 1,000 to 7,000. The City of Fairmont was chartered in 1899; as a result of the charter, the city absorbed the surrounding towns of Palatine (also known as East Side) and West Fairmont. By 1901, Fairmont was an important commercial center. Manyrailroads—including theBaltimore and Ohio Railroadon its way fromCumberland,MarylandtoWheeling—traveled through the city. By this time, Fairmont was also the leading center of the coal trade industry in northern West Virginia, employing some 10,000 workers in the coal mines around Fairmont.
By 1978, an issue with Fairmont's land experiencingsubsidenceappeared because the remains of Fairmont's 19th-centurycoal mineswere crumbling. As a result, over the following years, the federal government along with other institutions spent money to fix the subsidence issue to prevent damage to the town.
TheTygart Valley Riverand theWest Fork Riverjoin in Fairmont to form theMonongahela River.Buffalo Creek, a tributary of the Monongahela River, flows through the northern part of the city.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.00 square miles (23.31 km), of which 8.62 square miles (22.33 km) is land and 0.38 square miles (0.98 km) is water.
Fairmont has ahumid continental climate(KöppenDfa) with very warm summers and freezing winters. However, it is not uncommon during winter for warm air from the Gulf of Mexico to raise temperatures above 50 °F or 10 °C, which occurs on average six times each January and over eight in December and February. In contrast, when very cold air from Canada moves into West Virginia temperatures can go below 0 °F or −17.8 °C, which can be expected during 3.2 mornings each winter, but which occurred on twelve mornings during the extremely cold January 1977, whose average temperature of 16.0 °F or −8.9 °C was the coldest month on record by 4.0 °F or 2.2 °C. Despite the abundant precipitation throughout the year, the relative dryness of cold air means that most precipitation is rain even during the winter: the most snowfall in a month being 46.5 inches (1.18 m) is November 1950, and the most in a season 77.4 inches (1.97 m) between July 1950 and June 1951. The least snow in a season has been 12.0 inches (0.30 m) between July 1918 and June 1919, whilst the wettest calendar year has been 1956 with 58.12 inches (1,476.2 mm) and the driest – as with all of West Virginia – 1930 with 26.25 inches (666.8 mm). The hottest temperature has been 108 °F (42.2 °C) on August 8, 1918, and the coldest −21 °F (−29.4 °C) on January 21, 1994.
As of the2020 census, there were 18,416 people and 7,903 households residing in the city. There were 9,045 housing units in Fairmont. The racial makeup of the city was 84.2%White, 7.3%African American, 0.6%Asian, 0.3%Native American, 0.5% fromother races, and 7% fromtwo or more races.Hispanics or Latinosof any race were 2.2% of the population.
There were 7,903 households, of which  37.1% weremarried couplesliving together, 30.6% had a female householder with no spouse present, 23% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 34.4 years. With 18.3% of the city being under 18. The median household income in the city was $47,618 and the poverty rate was 19.9%.
At the2010census,there were 18,704 people, 8,133 households and 4,424 families living in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 2,169.8 inhabitants per square mile (837.8/km). There were 9,200 housing units at an average density of 1,067.3 per square mile (412.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 88.9%White, 7.5%African American, 0.2%Native American, 0.6%Asian, 0.4% fromother races, and 2.3% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 1.4% of the population.
There were 8,133 households, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% weremarried couplesliving together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.6% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age was 36.8 years. 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 16.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.
At the2000 census, there were 19,097 people, 8,447 households and 4,671 families living in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 2,438.5 per square mile (941.7/km). There were 9,755 housing units at an average density of 1,245.6 per square mile (481.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 90.16%White, 7.26%African American, 0.26%Native American, 0.61%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.20% fromother races, and 1.49% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 0.82% of the population.
There were 8,447 households, of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% weremarried couplesliving together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.83.
18.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
Themedian household incomewas $25,628 and the median family income was $37,126. Males had a median income of $27,944 and females $20,401. Theper capita incomewas $16,062. About 12.6% of families and 20.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Fairmont is home toCountry Club Bakery, which is where thepepperoni rollsnackoriginates. The bakery continues to serve the roll along with their various other baked goods.Fairmont has considered itself to be the "pepperoni roll capital of the world".
The city is home to multiple offices for national agencies. Fairmont'sNational White Collar Crime Centerprovides nationwide support to law enforcement agencies involved in prevention, investigation, and prosecution of economic and high-tech crime. TheNASAKatherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility, governed by theGoddard Space Flight Center, houses more than 150 full-time employees and more than 20 in-house partners and contractors.TheNOAARobert H. Mollohan Research Facility, which receives weather data from theGeostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, houses more than 100 full-time employees.
Fairmont has aCouncil-manager government, whereby themayorserves as chairman of thecity counciland thecity managertakes care of the day-to-day operations.  The current mayor is Anne Bolyard and the current city manager is Travis L. Blosser.
Fairmont Senior High Schoolis a public high school that is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.The school was established in the late 1800s, and the school was relocated in 1905 and 1928. The current iteration of the school, which is located on Loop Park Dr, was designed by the architectWilliam B. Ittner.
Fairmont State Universityis a public university with an approximate enrollment of 3,800 students. The institution offers master's degrees in business, education, teaching, criminal justice, and nursing, in addition to 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees.
Originally established as a school for teachers, the college was named Fairmont Normal School, and was located on the corner of Fairmont Avenue and Second Street and moved to its present location in 1917.
Dunbar Schoolis a historic building in Fairmont, West Virginia, that used to be an all-black high school. The school was designed by the architect William B Ittner. The school was built in 1928.
Fairmont is located in theNorth-Centralregion of the state, along West Virginia's I-79 High Tech Corridor. Major highways include:
Fairmont Municipal Airport(Frankman Field) is a public useairportlocated twonautical miles(4km) southwest of thecentral business districtof Fairmont. It is owned by the Fairmont-Marion County Regional Airport Authority.