Before the town was given legal existence by act of the legislature it was laid out in lots of one-fourth acre each, and a number of them had been sold. The following list comprises all, or nearly all, of the lots sold before the town had been created by act of the legislature. All of them were sold by William F. Wilson.
| Purchaser. | No. of Lot. | Price | Purchaser. | No. of Lot | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The County (a gift) | 1½ acres, 16 poles | --- | John Overfield et al. | 39 | $ 23 |
| Thomas M. Hite | 56 and 57 | $210 | Thomas A. Hoffman | 26 | 20 50 |
| John Bennett | 36 | 40 | Martin B. Sinsel | Part of 6 & 7 | 100 |
| Edwin D. Wilson | 54 and 55 | 165 | William Pickens | 4 | 90 |
| Solomon Jarvis | 52 | 116 | J. R. Williamson | Part of 6 & 7 | 100 |
| Isaiah W. Reeves | 26 | 22 | John Curry | 21 | 50 |
| Anthony Wells | --- | 25 | Elam D. Talbott | Part of 50 | 100 |
| John S. Carlile | 51 | 1 | Thomas B. Curtis | Part of 50 | 1 |
| Elisha Finley | 85 | 40 | William Woodford | 17 | 40 |
| Samuel S. Montgomery | 29 | 20 | Eli Hudkins | 19 | 33 |
| Randolph Chenoweth | 53 | 71 | Miner Cleavenger | 33 | 50 |
| William Shaw | 58 and 59 | 87 | Thomas Thompson | 27 and 29 | 45 |
| Ludwick Day | 71 | 25 | Lewis Wilson | ½ mill and lot | 1 |
| Harrison Hagans, et al. | 12 and 13 | 242 | Hugh Collett | 70 | 30 |
On February 14, 1844, the Virginia Legislature passed the act forming Philippi, and named the first trustees as follows: Lair D. Morrall, James L Bunbridge, William Shaw, John R. Williamson and William F. Wilson.
The law fixing the county seat stipulated that if the grounds for the court house should be acquired by gift, the quantity should not exceed two acres. Accordingly, when William F. Wilson gave the land the square contained one acre and ninety-six poles. After the establishing of the county seat, the first house built in Philippi stood where the passenger depot is now located and was built by William F. Wilson. The next, located nearly on the ground now occupied by the Commercial hotel, was built by Lair D. Morrall. John S. Carlile built the next, and Edwin D. Wilson the next. None of these is now standing. There were farm houses on the site of Philippi long before there was a town. William Anglin probably built the first house on the site of Philippi, and Moses Kinkaid the next, although this matter is not of record, depending only on traditions handed down. The families residing in Philippi in 1850 were those of:
| Lair D. Morrall | Robert Tutt | Noah Corley |
| Lewis Wilson | Henry Barron | James Prim |
| William F. Wilson | Daniel Capito | Rev. Josiah Reeves |
| Spencer Dayton | Mrs. Elizabeth Jarvis | William Shaw |
| John P. Thompson | Isaac H. Strickler | A. G. Reger |
| Samuel Woods | William Simpson | John S. Carlile |
| Edwin Tutt | Dr. Haymond | Stephen B. Holt |
| Martin Myers | Charles S. Hall | D. M. Myers |
| Daniel M. Auvil | Henry Thompson | A. P. Wilson |
The town of Philippi was incorporated by act of the Legislature February 1, 1871. After the town government was organized, the first ordinance passed ordered that all hogs and horses running at large should be "arrested." Four years later a similar ordinance was passed concerning geese. Following are lists of the town officers, no mention being made of the second or succeeding term of the same man, the first only being given.
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