Pruntytown, West Virginia


Pruntytown is an unincorporated community at the junction of the Northwestern Turnpike and U.S. Route 250 in Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. It is the site of the former West Virginia Industrial Home for Boys, now the Pruntytown Correctional Center.

History

The first settlement at Pruntytown came in the late 1790s with pioneers John Prunty and his brother David. It was initially known as Cross Roads, from the intersection there of the old Clarksburg Pike and the old Beverly and Fairmont Road. On January 1, 1801 Cross Roads was renamed Williamsport in honor of Abraham Williams, a local resident. The name was changed again on January 23, 1845 to honor pioneer settler John Prunty. This town served as the county seat from the county's founding in 1844 until a county election in 1878 moved it about three miles away to Grafton.

Notable natives and residents