Seneca Caverns is a
karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
show cave
A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.
Definition
A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...
in
Germany Valley
Germany Valley is a scenic upland valley high in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia originally settled by German (including Pennsylvania Dutch) farmers in the mid-18th century. It is today a part of the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks ...
near
Riverton,
West Virginia
West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, USA. It has been commercially presented since 1930. The largest room inside the cave is the Teter Hall, which is 60 feet tall by 60 feet wide in some areas.
History
A
German-American
German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry.
According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...
settler named Phillip Dieter (later Teter; 1740-1813) purchased the land surrounding Seneca Caverns in the 1770s.
[The proprietors of the cave give the date of discovery as 1742, and having been done by Laven Teter. However, historical records indicate that the Mouth of Seneca/]Germany Valley
Germany Valley is a scenic upland valley high in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia originally settled by German (including Pennsylvania Dutch) farmers in the mid-18th century. It is today a part of the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks ...
area was not settled by whites until 1761, and that no such person as Laven Teter lived in the area. He may have first entered the cave on a quest for water to supply his livestock. The first recorded entry into the cave was in 1781 by the Rev.
Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was a British-American Methodist minister who became one of the first two bishop (Methodist), bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the col ...
. The Teter family maintained ownership until 1928, at which point it became property of the Harman family, who began the process of commercializing the cave. In 1930 the new owners opened it to the public as a show cave. The property was acquired in 1984 by Greer Limestone.
Gallery
File:AUT 1983 ForestWander.JPG, 'Castle on the Rhine'
See also
*
Smoke Hole Caverns
*
Seneca Caverns (Ohio)
Seneca Caverns is a show cave located in northeastern Seneca County, Ohio, USA, just outside Flat Rock. The cave is designated as a Registered Natural Landmark by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
History
The cave was discovered in J ...
References
External links
Official site
{{Coord, 38.76344, -79.38860, display=title
Caves of West Virginia
Tourist attractions in Pendleton County, West Virginia
Show caves in the United States
Landforms of Pendleton County, West Virginia