Grave Creek Mound

The Grave Creek mound is the most important prehistoric monument in West Virginia. Together with the Adena mound in Miamisburg, Ohio, These are the largest prehistoric burial mounds in the Ohio Valley. Originally 65’ high, the summit of the grave creek mound today rises 62’ above the surface of the Moundsville Bottoms on the second terrace of Grave Creek. With a basal diameter of 240’, the mound id formed of an estimated 57,000 tons of earth—the equivalent of 3,000,000 basket loads. Earth for the mound came from an encircling moat. The moat, with its one causeway, was obliterated after excavations in 1838. Scientific testing in 1975-76 substantiated its existence and determined that it had been 40’ wide and 4’-5’ deep and had a misline circumference of 910’.

The Grave Creek Mound is the only remaining feature of what was an important and impressive Adena and Hopewell mound and earthworks complex. North of the mound was an octagon that enclosed about 5 acres. A smaller mounds surrounded the “Mammoth Mound”, as Grave Creek was called in the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries. A graded way similar to the Sacra Via in Marietta, Ohio, led from the large mound to the Ohio River. Two smaller earthworks described as forts were reported in existence in 1785. The Grave Creek complex was one of a series of Adena mounds and Hopewell earthworks witch lined this section of the Ohio River on the West Virginia side. The others have been obliterated entirely.

Directions: From West Virginia route 2 in Moundsville, go E on 8th street 1 block to Grave Creek State Park. Entry to the mound site is through the Delf Norona Museum and Cultural Center. Parking is available on the E (JeffersonStreet) side of the park grounds.

Public Use: Season and hours: 10:00am to 4:30 pm., Monday through Saturday; Noon to 5:00 pm on Sundays.
Fees: None Food service: The Mound Restaurant offers lunch from 11:00 am. To 2:00 pm. Tuesday through Friday.
Recreational Facilities: Picnic area, restrooms, wheelchair ramp provides access to mound area. Wheelchairs are available for public use. Restrictions: Pets not allowed.

For more Information contact: Delf Norona Museum and Cultural center, 801 Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville, WV 26041, 304-843-1410

Map shown below:



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