Bakerton, West Virginia
| Bakerton | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
  Bakerton  Bakerton Location within the state of West Virginia | |
| Coordinates: 39°21′46″N 77°45′47″W / 39.36278°N 77.76306°WCoordinates: 39°21′46″N 77°45′47″W / 39.36278°N 77.76306°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Jefferson |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1553781[1] |
Bakerton is an unincorporated community in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. It is located along Carter Avenue, near Bakerton Road, between Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry.
History
The founders of Bakerton were the descendants of a German who immigrated to America in the mid-eighteenth century. Daniel Baker's three sons, Joseph, William, and Daniel II, were responsible for the establishment of Bakerton.
By 1888, they had established the Standard Lime & Stone Company, and acquired the 39-acre (160,000 m2) tract of high-calcium limestone associated with the Engle Quarry. This place, previously known as Oak Grove, became the heart of the Bakers' quarry. The following year, the Bakers built a railroad spur to connect their quarry with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Engle, and by 1890, the town they helped establish was known as Bakerton. For decades, baseball teams from Bakerton were in fierce competition with other industrial teams in the area. In the 1920s and 1930s, Bakerton could be characterized as a mining or company town, and during the depression of the 1930s, it was hard- pressed. Prosperity returned in the 1940s with the demands of World War II increasing quarry production to a very high level. Bakerton was the site of the Bakerton Colored School, which was in operation from 1917 to 1928. The Board of Education selected the Black Methodist Church in Bakerton for the school.
Bakerton is now a small, quiet community. The general store and post office are the only businesses still in operation.
In 2006, Bakerton Volunteer Fire Department (Company) was established, and now serves Jefferson County as Company 7. Company 7 is composed of more than 20 firefighters and administrative members. As of April 2010, Bakerton Company 7 serves with one Fire Engine, one 3500 gallon water tanker, a Brush fire truck, Jefferson County's only Air Cascade Unit, and a Suburban Utility truck/EMT chase vehicle. The Chief is Joshua Smith, and the President is Tracy Smith.
