Due to the importance of the B&O Railroad for the movement of troops and supplies, Grafton was a strategic point during the early stages of the Civil War and both sides tried to control it.
Area Attractions

Tygart Lake State Park
Tygart Lake State Park features a spacious 20-room lodge with sleeping rooms looking out over the waters of Tygart Lake. The lake stretches 11 miles, offering boating, swimming, fishing and scuba diving.

Tygart Lake Golf Course
The 18-hole "Tygart Lake" course at the Tygart Lake Public Golf Course facility in Grafton, West Virginia features 6,255 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72 .

Prickett's Fort State Park
Prickett's Fort State Park is a 188-acre West Virginia state park north of Fairmont, W.Va. near the confluence of Prickett's Creek and the Monongahela River, and two miles from Interstate 79. The park features a reconstructed refuge fort and commemorates life on the Virginia frontier during the late 18th century.