WV History

PA and WV Boarder Dispute

For several years prior to 1773, the area defining as the western boundary of Pennsylvania and current day West Virginia had been in dispute between the colonies of Pennsylvania and Virginia. This dispute was compounded by the issuance of land grants by the respective colonies for the same lands. In 1773, the Pennsylvania legislature created Westmoreland County which included all lands in dispute with Virginia, inclusive of West Augusta, Virginia.

The West Augusta district boundaries as defined by an Act of the Virginia general assembly in 1776 included the present day northern panhandle of West Virginia, Greene and Washington Counties in Pennsylvania, and portions of Allegheny and Beaver counties in Pennsylvania. This act created three counties Ohio, Monongahela, and Yohogania. On August 31, 1779, agreement was finally reached between Virginia and Pennsylvania establishing a boundary based on the survey of Mason and Dixon. This agreement was ratified June 23, 1780 by the Virginia general assembly and September 22, 1780 by Pennsylvania's general assembly. If this act had been fulfilled in its entirety, the northern panhandle of West Virginia would have been a part of Pennsylvania rather than Virginia.