Prickett’s Fort State Park is a 188-acre West Virginia state park north of Fairmont, near the confluence of Prickett’s Creek and the Monongahela River. The park features a reconstructed refuge fort and commemorates life on the Virginia frontier during the late 18th century with third-person interpretation of such 18th-century crafts as carpentry, blacksmithing, and spinning. The original fort was constructed in 1774 to provide early settlers protection from Native American attacks. It was built within 10 miles of three major Indian trails.
Just south of the fort stands the Job Prickett House, built in 1859 by the great-grandson of Capt. Jacob Prickett. The house contains antiques originally used by the Prickett Family and illustrates the development of an increasingly civilized lifestyle through an 85-year span. Tours of both structures and special events are offered in season.
A visitor center includes a research library, a gift shop, and a gallery with an orientation exhibit and video.
Recreational facilities at Pricketts Fort State Park include public restrooms, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheater, picnic areas, nature trails, birding observation deck, and a boat launch. The park also hosts a trailhead (with a bicycle repair station) for both the MCPARC trail to Fairmont and the Mon River Trail to Morgantown. Bicycle rentals (with helmets) are available in the fort’s visitor center.
The annual end-of-May Palatine Park to Prickett’s Fort Paddle and Picnic finishes at the Fot.
Themed Events
Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation manages programming aspects, tours, heritage workshops, and facility experiences. Additional information about the fort and their events can be found at www.prickettsfort.org
Themed events such as Colonial Kid’s Day, 18th Century Firearms and Accoutrements Show, Hearth Cooking Demonstrations, Blacksmithing for Adults, Bird Walks and Traditional Music Day bring additional value and focus to a Pricketts Fort visit.
Demonstrations and tours through out the year include soap making, candlemaking, butter churning and historical crafts. Demonstrations have included Sheep to Shawl, wear visitors watch how sheep are sheared and then see the various processes involved in preparing wool including carding, spinning and weaving.
Yearly Holiday Events and Tours
During the holidays, special events such as Breakfast with Santa, 18th Century Candlelight Christmas Tours, Hearth Cooking Demos, and wreath-making workshops take place.
Summer Concerts
Summer evenings are filled with local music at Fort Pricketts during the annual Free Summer concert series.
13th Virginia Regiment
In the summer and fall of 1774, Pricketts Fort served as a place of refuge for local inhabitants as well as an important hub for the defensive forces of colonial Virginia as Lord Dunmore’s Campaign ignited the frontier.
Annually members of the 13th Virginia Regiment, a living history group, portray these men, allowing you to see typical colonial military and scouting operations including mustering, drilling, and historical ration preparation.
