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Shepherdstown, located along the Potomac River in Jefferson County, and was possibly settled by German immigrants around 1717, making it one of the earliest settlements in present-day West Virginia. By 1734, Samuel Taylor had a ferry operating across the Potomac southeast of town. Originally called Mechlenburg, it was renamed in 1798 for Thomas Shepherd, who built a gristmill here around 1739 and sold town lots. Shepherdstown, along with Romney, is one of the oldest incorporated towns in West Virginia, both receiving their charters on December 23, 1762.
