Did you know that there’s a city park in West Virginia where you can stand in two states at once? It’s Lotito City Park in Bluefield, West Virginia and Bluefield, Virginia. Say what?! Yes, you did read that right; the park straddles the state border, half in and half out of West Virginia, just like the town of Bluefield itself straddles the state border, half in and half out of West Virginia … and what a history lies behind that unique town feature.

In a bold move, the City of Bluefield lays claim to being one of the few towns in the nation that exists in two places at once: the state of West Virginia AND the state of Virginia.
Carol M. Highsmith - LOC / Wikipedia
The Bluefield, West Virginia area was first settled in 1777, before the two states separated during the Civil War. So when they mapped the boundaries of the new state of West Virginia, did they intentionally cut the existing city of Bluefield in half?
SheepNotGoats / Wikipedia
No, actually -- although that would have been interesting, the true tale is EVEN MORE interesting.
City of Bluefield

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What today exists as Bluefield, Virginia was originally a community called Pin Hook. Then its name was changed to Harman, then to Graham, under which name it was chartered in 1884.
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But (no surprise to us here at Only In West Virginia!), in the era when Coal was King, the Norfolk and Western railroad chose to build its regional headquarters in Bluefield, West Virginia rather than Graham, Virginia. As a result, Bluefield, West Virginia boomed ... while Graham, Virginia did not.
Magnolia677 / Wikipedia
So Graham tried something unusual: on June 10 (or maybe June 12), 1924, in a mock wedding ceremony in Lotito City Park (yes, the very same city park that Virginia and West Virginia share), Graham, Virginia took Bluefield, West Virginia's name as its own.
City of Bluefield
Apparently, a real couple got married that day at the park as well: Wingo Yost of Graham, Virginia, married Emma Smith of Bluefield, West Virginia. And that's the history of Bluefield, West Virginia, particularly its expansion to double statehood

What a history Bluefield boasts, the unusual, unique small mountain and railroad town that exists in two places at once: West Virginia and Virginia. Who knew? (Did you?) You know what they say, and this just goes to prove it: West Virginia, best Virginia. But here’s something super interesting: did you know that Bluefield isn’t the only place in West Virginia where you be in more than one state at once?

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