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The Episcopal Church has been in what is now West Virginia since around 1740, with the first church built in Bunker Hill (Berkeley County). Over time, more churches were started in every major city. In 1877, the church in West Virginia became its own diocese, separate from Virginia.
The first bishop, George Peterkin, was chosen in 1878. He and later bishops helped grow the church and build important places like the Peterkin Camp, which honors the first three bishops. Over the years, the diocesan office moved from Parkersburg to Charleston and then to Wheeling, finally settling in Charleston.
There were 78 Episcopal churches in the state by 1999, but membership has dropped. As of 2021, there were about 6,400 baptized Episcopalians in West Virginia.