National Historic Landmark

Grave Creek Mound

Moundsville, Marshall County, West Virginia
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Structure
Period
Pre Contact
Ref No.
66000751

About this property

The Grave Creek Mound in the Ohio River Valley in West Virginia is one of the largest conical-type burial mounds in the United States, now standing 62 feet (19 m) high and 240 feet (73 m) in diameter. The builders of the site, members of the Adena culture, moved more than 60,000 tons of dirt to create it about 250–150 BC. Present-day Moundsville has developed around it near the banks of the Ohio River. The first recorded excavation of the mound took place in 1838, and was conducted by local amateurs Abelard Tomlinson and Thomas Biggs. The largest surviving mound among those built by the Adena, this was designated a National Historic Landmark in the mid-20th century. In 1978 the state opened the Delf Norona Museum at the site. It displays numerous artifacts and interprets the ancient Adena Culture. In 2010, under an agreement with the state, the US Army Corps of Engineers gave nearly 450,000 artifacts to the museum for archival storage. These were recovered in archeological excavations at the site of the Marmet Lock, and represent 10,000 years of indigenous habitation in the area.

Location

Moundsville, Marshall County, West Virginia
39.91687, -80.74477

Categories

PREHISTORIC
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Grave Creek Mound

This page lists Grave Creek Mound. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

West Virginia State Penitentiary
Civil War
0 mi
Ferrell-Holt House
Civil War
0.2 mi
Moundsville Commercial Historic District
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Price, Bushrod Washington, House
Industrial
0.8 mi
Cockayne, Bennett, House
Early Republic
1.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Grave Creek (1777)
1777Revolutionary War
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Grave Creek Mound listed on the National Register?

Grave Creek Mound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Grave Creek Mound?

Grave Creek Mound is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Grave Creek Mound a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Grave Creek Mound has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Grave Creek Mound?

The period of significance for Grave Creek Mound is recorded as the pre_contact era.

Can I research the history near Grave Creek Mound?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Grave Creek Mound will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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