From the 1734 Middleway Historic District to the old streets of Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County has some of the oldest houses in West Virginia. Many were built long before anyone wrote an accessibility code, and a lot of them still have their original narrow staircases running from the ground-floor living space up to the bedrooms.
The county also spans very different ground. Charles Town and Ranson sit on flatter river-valley land, while properties near the Blue Ridge and Harpers Ferry can be steep and spread over several levels. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift in your home, and which programs may help cover the cost.
The county's historic towns hold a large share of colonial and antebellum-era buildings, along with 19th-century farmsteads like Happy Retreat (1780) and Claymont Court (1820). Stairs in houses of this age are often narrow, and some turn at a landing or wind as they climb.
A straight staircase with no turns can usually take a straight-rail lift. If the stairs bend, a curved rail is built to follow that specific staircase. On a narrow stair, we look closely at how much room stays open for anyone else walking up and down.
Across Jefferson County you will find single-family homes, townhouses, row houses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Row houses and townhouses tend to have one long flight between floors, which often suits a straight lift.
Split-level homes are different. They have several short flights, so a single lift may not reach every level, and we plan around the floors you use most. In a walk-up apartment, the building owner usually needs to approve any work on shared stairs.
Jefferson County is the only county in West Virginia with both the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River. The state's lowest point is on the Potomac River just east of Harpers Ferry, and the land rises quickly from there.
On a steep rural property, the hardest climb is sometimes the steps from the driveway to the front door, not the stairs inside. An outdoor stair lift is made to handle weather. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a porch or a short rise, a platform lift may be the better fit.
About 73.7% of residents own their homes, which usually means you are free to install a lift without asking a landlord. As of the 2020 census, 17.4% of county residents were 65 or older. Many of them are aging in place in small towns and rural homes.
If that includes you or a parent, the VA section below explains what those grants do and do not pay for.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts as a covered item in its source material, so plan on asking each one directly. Several do cover home modifications or accessibility devices. That makes them worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
A good first step is the Region IV - Eastern Panhandle AAA at 229 E. Martin St., Suite 3, Martinsburg, at (304) 263-0876. Veterans can reach the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance Martinsburg Benefits Office at (304) 267-0040. The Jefferson County Council on Aging in Ranson is another local place to start.
A Medicaid waiver for people age 65+ or age 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care. Home Modifications is listed as a covered self-directed service, but stair lifts are not named, so call the helpline at (866) 767-1575 to ask.
A statewide grant for people age 60 and older who need home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently, handled through the WV Aging and Disability Resource Center. Stair lifts are not named on the source, so call (866) 981-2372 to ask whether your project qualifies.
The county's senior-services organization, based at 103 W. 5th Avenue in Ranson. It is not a grant program and does not list stair lifts, but you can call (304) 725-4044 for local contacts.
Offers repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest for 20 years, plus grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in eligible rural areas. It covers health and safety hazards and accessibility improvements, but stair lifts are not named, and no local phone number is listed here.
Pays for medically necessary permanent changes such as ramps and roll-in showers, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts: the VA lists stair glides as excluded removable equipment.
Grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts.
A statewide assistive-technology program for West Virginians with disabilities of all ages that offers loan services. Neither stair lifts nor home modifications are named on its pages, so call (800) 841-8436 to ask.
Older adults
229 E. Martin St., Suite 3, Martinsburg, 25401
Veterans
115 Aikens Center, Suite 16, Martinsburg, 25404
Many older homes in these towns still have their original narrow stairs. A straight flight usually takes a straight rail, and a staircase that turns needs a curved rail made to fit it. An in-home measurement tells us what will work and how much passing room is left.
The HISA grant does not. The VA lists stair glides as excluded removable equipment. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance Martinsburg Benefits Office at (304) 267-0040 about your situation.
Yes. The WV Bureau of Senior Services Home Modification and Accessibility Program serves people 60 and older who need home modifications or accessibility devices. Stair lifts are not named on its source, so call (866) 981-2372 to ask.
The Aged and Disabled Waiver lists Home Modifications as a covered self-directed service, but it does not name stair lifts. Applicants must meet Nursing Facility Level of Care, and the 2026 income limit is up to $2,982/month for a single applicant. The helpline is (866) 767-1575.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps and weather. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better choice. We look at the slope, the steps and the path to the door before recommending one.
The Region IV - Eastern Panhandle AAA in Martinsburg serves the area at (304) 263-0876. In the county itself, the Jefferson County Council on Aging in Ranson can be reached at (304) 725-4044.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
