Spencer City Hall is located at 116 Court Street, Spencer, WV 25276. Phone: 304-927-1640,
Neighborhoods
THe City of Spencer [†] is a city with a long and storied past. Roane County was founded in March 15, 1858 by the Virginia General Assembly. Spencer was originally referred to as Tanner's Crossroads after on Samuel Tanner. The city was later renamed after Spencer Roane, a renowned Virginia attorney and son-in-law of Patrick Henry.
The City of Spencer's history, as with much of West Virginia, is marked by the Civil War. The town was captured by a unit of 500 Confederate soldiers led by General Albert G. Jenkins in the fall of 1862, with contingents of the 11th West Virginia Union Infantry surrendering without firing a shot. This initial, bloodless engagement, however, did not mark the end of Spencer's role in the War of Secession.
Spencer is home to the renowned Black Walnut Festival, which attracts some 60,000-80,000 people. If the sun shines, the Black Walnut Festival Shines.
The festival, which has its roots surrounding the sale of black walnuts by Henry Young, began in 1954 and is held annually in Spencer. Ever since, Spencer has hosted the festival to promote the black walnut, once a local cash crop, and celebrate the culture of the area. The festival includes a parade, a baking contest—requiring black walnuts as an ingredient—and several other events. Another well-known attraction in Spencer is the famous Robey Theatre. The Robey was opened in 1911, and remains the oldest, continuously operating theatre in the United States. To this day, the Robey shows popular and new films in downtown Spencer.
For much of Spencer's history, the community was known for being the home of Spencer State Hospital. The hospital opened on July 1, 1893 and served patients until June of 1989.
The mission of the hospital was to help care for the mentally ill; the hospital, however, eventually also cared for those with diseases such as typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. The gothic structure was made entirely of bricks. Standing at almost a quarter of a mile long, it was one of the longest brick buildings in the world for some time. The building is no longer standing, and a Wal-Mart currently stands in its place.
Spencer's economy has long revolved around being the county seat of Roane County, as evidenced by the high employment numbers in government-related industries (e.g., education). Manufacturing historically has been an important component to Spencer's economic footprint. The City once housed several small manufacturing companies that ranged from clothing producers to the manufacturing of airplane parts. While there historically has not been much activity within the town of Spencer itself, Roane County has been an important part of West Virginia's oil and gas industry.
† City of Spencer Comprehensive Plan, 2021, www.cityofspencer.com, accessed September, 2025.