Kenova, city in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States
Kenova is a small city in Wayne County, West Virginia, situated where Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia meet. The town contains old buildings, hotels, and train stations that mark its railroad heritage, with streets arranged in the grid pattern of its planned layout.
The area was once forested and used mainly for hunting and fishing before a railroad company planned the town in the 1880s. It was called Virginia Point and Morganza in its early days, then renamed Kenova in the 1900s to honor the three states that meet at its location.
The name Kenova comes from the meeting point of three states nearby, representing the connection between Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The town still shows the influence of the workers from Italy, Russia, and the South who arrived to build it and make it their home.
The town is compact and walkable, with historic buildings concentrated along the main streets. Visit during warmer months when the weather is pleasant and all walkways are accessible without snow or ice.
The town was planned by a family from Ohio and Pennsylvania who tried to attract businesses and workers, but growth happened much slower than expected in those early years. This slower start shaped a more laid-back character compared to other railroad towns of the same era.
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