 The Romney Literary Society , which built Literary Hall between 1869 and 1870 , was organized by nine prominent men in Romney on January 30 , 1819 . With its establishment in 1819 , the Romney Literary Society became the first literary organization of its kind in the present @-@ day state of West Virginia , and one of the first in the United States . On February 4 , 1819 , the constitution of the society was adopted , which provided that the organization should be known as the " Polemic Society of Romney " . The society founded its library in 1819 with the acquisition of two books , and by 1861 the society 's humble library had grown to contain approximately 3 @,@ 000 volumes , consisting of books on literature , science , history and art . 
