Information on the
West Virginia
Highway Historical Marker Program
Applications for new highway historical markers are now handled by the Department of Tourism through its Cooperative Advertising Program. Follow this link for further information.
When was the marker program established?
The West Virginia Highway Historical Marker Program was initiated in 1937 as part of the New Deal as a way to encourage tourism during the Great Depression. The West Virginia Commission on Historic and Scenic Markers worked with the State Road Commission, Works Progress Administration, and Federal Emergency Relief Administration to place 440 markers during the first year alone. After World War II, markers were placed at the sites of most state-run facilities and schools. The West Virginia Historic Commission took over the program in 1963. West Virginia Archives and History, today part of the Department of Tourism, began managing the program in the late 1960s. In the Fall of 2025, the West Virginia Department of Tourism's Cooperative Advertising Program took over new markers. Archives and History continues to oversee the refurbishment and replacement of all markers ordered prior to June 2025.
Does the West Virginia State Archives keep a list of markers?
The State Archives maintains files on each of the markers. Unfortunately, many of these
files are outdated because markers have been moved and road names have been changed. In
1996, the Division of Culture & History was awarded a federal Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) grant to survey the state's highway markers. An updated markers guidebook is now available.
How many markers are there?
As of 2025, more than 1,200 markers had been placed in West Virginia. A survey in the late 1990s indicated that nearly 30% were no longer standing and a majority of the remaining markers were in dire need of repair. With financial support, Archives and History has reduced those numbers. We now believe the percentage of missing markers is less than 20%, and many markers have been refurbished.
How are markers maintained?
In recent years, the state legislature has generously appropriated funding to repair or replace markers. Additionally, Archives and History has received two grants through the West Virginia Division of Highways grants program for marker refurbishment and replacement. Missing or damaged markers should be reported to the State Archives. Missing or Damaged Report Google Form
How can I find out more information about the markers program?
Please contact Aaron Parsons,
Director, West Virginia Archives and History.
