South Charleston Mound or the Criel Mound is a Native American burial mound in South Charleston, West Virginia, built by the Adena culture probably between 250 and 150 BC. The mound is located half way between two earthwork round enclosures about 556 feet in diameter. The mount was originally 33 feet high and 173 feet in diameter at its base, one of the largest such burial mound in West Virginia. The top was leveled in 1840 by the local residents to erect a stand for a judge for the horse races they used to run around the base of the mound. South Charleston Mound was excavated in 1883–84 by Professor Cyrus Thomas of the Smithsonian Institution. Professor Thomas found thirteen skeletons inside the mound. The Criel Mound is located within Staunton Park, a small South Charleston park commonly used as a community gathering place.
301 7th Ave, South Charleston, WV 25303, Phone: 304-744-5300