Point Pleasant's Floodwall: The History Behind the Murals
Updated: Jul 21
Why we built the floodwall
Most visitors come to Point Pleasant for one thing - the magnificent steel buns on our famous Mothman statue. (And honestly, who can blame them?) But just a block away stands one of our town's greatest treasures. The Point Pleasant Floodwall tells the story of our town's history 250 years ago through a stunning series of murals and sculptures. Before we explore the artwork, let's take a look at why Point Pleasant needed a floodwall in the first place.
Nestled among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Point Pleasant sits at the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio rivers. Our state park, Tu-Endie-Wei, gets its name from the Wyandotte language; it means the "mingling of two waters". For centuries, those waters have sustained our community - enriching the fertile Ohio River Valley, supporting industry that fueled progress, and providing the backdrop for some of the most beautiful sunsets in West Virginia. Those same waters have also brought trouble over the years: conflict between Native peoples and colonists, seasons of drought, and some of the most devastating floods in the Ohio River Valley’s history.
In January 1937, the Ohio River Valley experienced one of the worst floods in its recorded history. From Point Pleasant to Cairo, Illinois - homes, businesses, and entire communities were swallowed by floodwaters. The floods claimed at least 350 lives and displaced over 1 million people. In Point Pleasant, floodwaters reached the second stories of buildings along Main Street. Although the disaster made flood protection an obvious necessity, construction of the city's floodwall didn't begin until 1951. The images below were selected because they are all still in use today. They are all from the book "The Great Ohio River Flood of 1937" by James Casto.
The original River Museum was housed in the building with the chimney. Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church, still standing and still has an active congregation. The building with the people on the porch roof is still there, currently an AirBNB.
Today, many visitors know the floodwall as a place to walk, take photographs, or admire the murals stretching along its length. But not so long ago, it was built to solve a very real problem. Today, we're going to take a walk along that floodwall and explore the stories it tells.
Local Tidbit:
The dirt used to build the easement around part of Point Pleasant's floodwall had to come from somewhere. To get the fill material, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers excavated a 23-acre borrow pit that later became the lake at Krodel Park. Today, it's the centerpiece of one of Point Pleasant's favorite gathering places. It features a walking trail, campground, playground, and fishing.
A walk through our history
Painted over several years by renowned muralist Robert Dafford,the floodwall depicts the land before European settlement, the Battle of Point Pleasant, and the years immediately following it. You'll find it on the river side of the floodwall near the Fourth Street entrance to Riverfront Park.
Long before Point Pleasant appeared on a map, this river valley was home to Native peoples who hunted, traveled, and lived along the fertile banks of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers. The first panels capture that world beautifully, depicting daily life in a way that's easy to overlook if you're walking too quickly. Take your time here - the details are remarkable.
Shawnee working leather, possibly into garments. Women can be seen harvesting corn. Women are seen processing a corn harvest. You can also see traditional hide and bark covered dwellin Native peoples, life on the Ohio River. Log canoes, traditional fish catches, hunting, grain harvest
As you continue along the wall, the story begins to change. The peaceful scenes give way to the arrival of European settlers, rising tensions, and ultimately the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774. Rather than focusing on a single dramatic moment, Dafford illustrates the events leading up to the battle, the fighting itself, and its lasting impact on the region.
The scroll work at the entrance explains a bit about the circumstances leading up to the battle. This panel depicts the stamp act and the Boston Tea Party This cabin is painted near the Daniel Boone Statue.
Standing in front of these murals, it's easy to forget that the battle unfolded just beyond the floodwall, in the same landscape you're looking at today.
People have debated, studied, and celebrated the Battle of Point Pleasant for more than two centuries. Whether you know it as the opening battle of the American Revolution or simply as a pivotal moment in frontier history, it's a fascinating story that deserves more than a few paragraphs. We'll dive much deeper into the battle - and the people who fought it - in a future post.
This series of panels shows the battle. The Ohio River on the left and the Kanawha on the right. Here is a closer view of the battle scene A close up of some detail in the battle scene. Notice the traditional warclub.
Continuing toward Tu-Endie-Wei State Park, the murals shift from the battle itself to some of the larger-than-life figures who shaped the early history of the Ohio River Valley. Here you'll find Daniel Boone, George Washington, and Mad Anne Bailey, each representing a different chapter in our region's story.
The stainless steel statue depicting Daniel Boone as well as a section of mural depicting his life. George Washington looking over the land between the Kanawha and Ohio rivers. A mural depicting Mad Anne Bailey and her horse Liverpool.
Daniel Boone, the famed frontiersman, explored and hunted throughout much of the Ohio River Valley. George Washington traveled through the area in 1770 while surveying lands granted to Virginia veterans following the French and Indian War. And then there's Mad Anne Bailey - probably my favorite of the three. Widowed during the Battle of Point Pleasant, she later became known as a fearless frontier courier and scout. Her story is far too fascinating to summarize here, so we'll save it for another day.
LOCAL TIDBIT:
Local tradition says that while surveying the area, George Washington described the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers as "the most pleasant point." Many believe that's where the name Point Pleasant originated. Whether the story is fact or folklore, it's one of my favorite pieces of local history.
Stainless sculptures
The story doesn't end with the paintings. Scattered along the floodwall trail, a series of stainless steel sculptures honors several of the people whose lives shaped this region's history, bringing the stories off the wall and into three dimensions.
Chief Cornstalk and Colonel Andrew Lewis Mad Anne Bailey Daniel Boone
Near the battle murals, you'll find Chief Cornstalk, the Shawnee leader whose leadership and diplomacy have become an enduring part of the area's history. Standing opposite Cheif Cornstalk is Colonel Andrew Lewis, commander of the Virginia militia during the Battle of Point Pleasant. Farther along the trail, Daniel Boone stands before a mural depicting a frontier trading scene, complete with a traditional Appalachian cabin in the background. Anne Bailey is the only sculpture on the river side of the trail, where she faces the mural illustrating her remarkable story.
One detail visitors may not realize is that all of these sculptures - including Point Pleasant's famous Mothman statue - were created by local artist Bob Roach. His stainless steel work has become an unmistakable part of downtown Point Pleasant's character. Together, the murals and sculptures transform a simple floodwall into an open-air museum - one that tells the story of Point Pleasant one step at a time.
LOCAL TIDBIT:
In addition to the floodwall sculptures and the iconic Mothman statue, Mr. Roach also created the large stainless steel Jesus at Heights United Methodist Church located further North into town.
Point Pleasant's streets are filled with stories waiting to be discovered. Some are told through murals and monuments, others are hidden in old buildings, forgotten landmarks, and quiet corners of town. I hope you'll follow along as we continue exploring the people, places, and history that make this little river town so special.
Thank you for joining me on our walk along the floodwall.
Until next time, keep exploring the history behind the mystery.
LaNae
The view looking North, up the flood wall and bike path Shawnee warriors landing on the banks of the Ohio, moving to ambush the Virginia Militia. The betrayal of Chief Cornstalk Lord Dunmore and the Treaty of Camp Charlotte (I think) I've always loved this little dog painted into the mural. Surely, a very good boy. This section of the mural is painted to match the Kaiser House located behind the floodwall
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