After the Civil War began and Virginia joined the Confederacy, 39 of its western counties voted to stay and West Virginia gained statehood in 1863.
It has flown three different flags since, each one representing a kind of “trial and error” approach to flag design. With each iteration, mistakes were fixed and then fixed again.
The two previous versions were among the rare flags with a different design on their reverse.
The current version of the flag was adopted (and has been unchanged since) March 7, 1929.
The West Virginia flag features an outer border of blue surrounding a panel of white.
At the center the state coat of arms is charged, surrounded by a wreath of rhododendron.
Above the coat of arms and on a red banner the words “State of West Virginia” are inscribed.
state flower, local flora
separation from Virginia (and the Confederacy), Mountaineers Are Always Free
agricultural tradition
mining industry
strength in unity, the date West Virginia gained statehood
liberty, laying down arms
West Virginia’s seal was created in 1863 by artist Joseph H. Diss Debar and has been unchanged since.
The West Virginia prominently features blue and white, with supporting colors within the coat of arms.
The West Virginia flag uses the same proportion as the U.S. national flag of 1:1.9.
The original flag featured a sprig of the rhododendron maximum. Its reverse featured the state coat of arms.
The sides were swapped. The rhododendron was moved to the reverse and the coat of arms to the obverse. The “State of West Virginia” banner was added.
The design on the reverse is eliminated and the rhododendron is added around the coat of arms. The banner is moved to the top.