The school was named for the two districts in the western end of Monongalia County, and they, in turn, were named for the statesmen Henry Clay and Gordon Battelle.

This line marked the significant separation of the North and South at the time of the Civil War.

[citation needed] On October 25, 2006, Clay-Battelle opened the new Commons, Administrative Offices, Kitchen, and 6 new classrooms.

The new gymnasium and the new video conferencing center are scheduled to open in late December.

The third and final stage of the building renovation, an auditorium, was scheduled to be finished before the end of 2007.