A Residential City and College Town

Philippi is a safe, peaceful town characterized by well-kept homes and lovely gardens. Residents know their neighbors and feel secure with emergency medical services, police and fire protection close by. Residents may walk to the main business district, and many enjoy walking from one end of town to the other.

Quality of life in Philippi is maintained by a mix of founding families and newer residents who often are employees of government, college, and health service agencies. Residents work well together in church and community groups.

Philippi is home to Alderson-Broaddus College, a four-year co-educational liberal arts institution affiliated with American Baptist Churches, U.S.A. The presence of the college in the community means local opportunity for academic study as well as for enjoyments of cultural and athletic events presented by the college. The college offers 44 majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

Education
Excellent educational opportunities are available from pre-schools through college. Of the county's nine pubic schools, seven have been built since 1979. The newest school building is the high school completed in 2005. The high school is located four miles south of Philippi in the geographical center of the county. An elementary and middle school are located within the city limits. Two day care centers and two private Christian schools are also located within 5 miles of Philippi. West Virginia University at Morgantown is within an hour's drive.

Climate and Natural Resources
Philippi has an elevation of 1500 feet and a pleasant climate. The annual mean temperature is 53 degrees. The average temperature for January over the past thirty years is 33 degrees; the July average is 72.3 degrees.

The county's economy is based on natural resources: mining, wood products, and agriculture. There are more than 90,000 acres of forest land in the county, which is in the Appalachian Hardwoods Region.

Medical Care
Philippi has one hospital, five medical clinics, eleven physicians, 2 dentists, 1 optometrist and 1 chiropractor.

Libraries
The facility for the Philippi Library has been made possible by citizen donations and a matching grant. Services of the Pickett Library-Media Center and the Hazel Ruby McQuain Research Center at Alderson-Broaddus College are also available to residents.

Utilities and Services
City water is supplied by the Tygart, Buckhannon, and Middle Fork rivers to a filtration system having a pumping capacity of more than 2 million gallons in 24 hours, with an excess capacity of 1.5 million gallon per day. A waste treatment plant was completed in 1986. The city electric system is one of two municipally owned electric power systems in the state. Natural gas for residents is provided by Allegheny Energy.

The city provides 24-hour police protection. A modern fire station, constructed in 1977, houses 9 pieces of equipment, including a 0,000.00 pumper purchased in 1998. Police departments, emergency squads, and fire departments throughout the county are tied into an "Enhanced 911" emergency system located at the County Communications Center.

City Streets are well lighted. The downtown area is illuminated by high-pressure sodium lights.

Business
Philippi has three progressive banks, Premier Bank, with assets over million; the BC Bank, with assets over million; and Freedom Bank of Philippi, with nearly million in assets. Locally owned businesses include appliance, clothing, furniture, hardware, and grocery stores, restaurants, auto dealers, pharmacies, real estate offices, insurance companies, and stores specializing in electronics, jewelry, gifts, office supplies and health and beauty aids. A health and fitness center and several fast food chain restaurants and convenience stores are also located in Philippi. Local professional services include accounting, law, engineering, printing and computer services.

Recreation
The city-owned Dayton Park has picnic sites and a swimming pool, playground, and an outdoor basketball court. The city also operates two playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, and two Little League baseball diamonds. Additional recreational facilities, including archery, swimming, weightlifting, and racquetball, are available at Alderson-Broaddus College Coliseum, a $ 2 million health and physical education center serving both college and community.

The Philippi City Building includes a gymnasium and youth center, and meeting places for youth groups and community gatherings.

Other area facilities include a nine-hold golf course, and a ten-lane bowling alley.

The Barbour County Fairgrounds, 8 miles south of Philippi, provides camping and picnicking facilities as well as being the site for the annual county fair and the home of dramatic productions by the Covered Bridge Playhouse.

Teter Lake, 11 miles south of the city limits, is a 35-acre trout impoundment, which is stocked periodically. Pleasant Creek Public Hunting and Fishing Area, just 10 miles north of Philippi, offers camp sites, boating, rifle range, fishing and hunting. Audra State Park, 20 miles away, offers fishing, swimming, tent and trailer camping, and picnic areas. Nearby Tygart Lake State Park has picnicking and camping areas, as well as boat docking and swimming.

Whitewater rafting is conducted on the Tygart River and other rivers in the region. Skiing enthusiasts will find excellent slopes at Canaan Valley State Park and Snowshoe Resort Area, both less than 90 minutes drive from Philippi.

Accommodations and Restaurants
The Budget Inn, 2 miles south of Philippi on U.S. 250, has 20 units. Meals are available at the Philippi Inn, adjacent to the motel, as well as at these restaurants on Main Street: the Medallion, Hardees, Fox's Pizza Den, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Sheetz, Lil' Moe's, McDonalds, Subway, Smokey Ray's, Chinese Restaurant and Henderson's Pizzeria.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places is the Covered Bridge Bed and Breakfast. The Queen Anne style house was built in 1883. Many original antiques still grace the home. For reservations or information call (304) 457-1890.