Watters
Smith Memorial State Park
PO Box 296
Lost Creek, WV 26385
Phone: (304) 745-3081
Explore
Watters
Smith Memorial State Park
 This 532-acre
historical park stands as a memorial to the pioneer
spirit of Watters Smith who first settled here in
1796. The park came into being when Burr Smith, a
descendent, died in 1949 and willed his 236-acre
farm to the state to be developed into a park to
honor his paternal great-great-grandfather.
Watters Smith, the
son of Thomas Smith of England, was himself born in
Trenton, New Jersey, on July 15, 1767. In 1793, he
married Elizabeth Davisson, a first cousin and
neighbor of his father. Smith purchased 112 acres
adjoining his father's 1,000-acre tract of land for
the sum of $266 in 1792, but the persistent threat
of Indian attacks prevented him from moving to the
area immediately with his new bride.
In 1796, Watters
and Elizabeth moved to their Duck Creek land and
began clearing the land for the farm, planting crops
and building a cabin. They made their tools by hand
and required the building of a blacksmith and a
carpenter shop. They acquired their goods that could
not be grown or handmade from distant urban areas
over “roads” that were mere wide, hazardous
trails cut through the wilderness.
Watters and
Elizabeth had eight children, and Charles, their
second, was their first child born on Duck Creek.
The youngest child, Watters Smith, Jr., eventually
inherited the property. He, in turn, gave it to his
son John, who passed it on to his son Alexander, who
was born in 1847. In 1876, Alexander, better known
as “Uncle Doc”, had a home constructed to
replace the original hand-hewn log Smith cabin.
Today, this home is used as one of two museums on
the park and is open to the public.
The family operated
the farm as a business for four generations, and the
gear seen in the museums and in the barns and sheds
were used to keep it running. Thanks to the
foresight and generosity of Burr Smith, the farm now
stands as a lasting tribute to a family who carved a
life out of the wilderness and preserves for us a
view of frontier life from 1796 to the early 1900s.
You will find a
modern swimming pool, an activity/meeting building, game courts, picnic
area, hiking trails and gift shop
The swimming pool
is open daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Memorial Day
Weekend to Labor Day (Subject to change).
Guided tours of the
Smith House Museum and of the Visitor's Center are
conducted daily, 11 am. to 7 pm., Memorial Day
Weekend to Labor Day. Other times by reservation.
Admission is free, however donations are accepted.
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