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Hillsboro, West Virginia
Spring 1918
Spring 1918
Location of Hillsboro in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
Location of Hillsboro in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
Country United States
State West Virginia
County Pocahontas
Area
 • Total 0.53 sq mi (1.38 km2)
 • Land 0.53 sq mi (1.38 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
2,303 ft (702 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 260
 • Estimate 
(2019)
238
 • Density 446.53/sq mi (172.47/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
24946
Area code(s) 304
FIPS code 54-37372
GNIS feature ID 1551448

Hillsboro is a town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 260 at the 2010 census.

History

Hillsboro 1
Old Town of Hillsboro
Hillsboro Academy
Hillsboro Academy

Hillsboro was named for pioneer John (Richard) Hill, from North Carolina, who built a log cabin near what is now Lobelia. Most of the early settlers were Scots-Irish and worked in agriculture and stock raising.

In the 1800s the town of Hillsboro centered on the educational institution Little Levels Academy. Established in 1842, the school closed 18 years later at the onset of the Civil War. In 1865, the county purchased the building and ran it as a public school through the 1880s, and it became a school of higher order for boys called Hillsboro Academy. The basement of the Methodist Church served as a school of high order for girls called Hillsboro College, or Little Levels Seminary. Eventually the brick Academy was torn down and replaced by a wood frame school for both boys and girls. Later the school was re-built in brick as Hillsboro High School.

Millpoint, in northern Hillsboro, was once the site of a small industrial village, "including within its limits proper a store, a blacksmith shop, two flour mills, and three homes." One of the mills has been restored and can be seen along Rt. 219.

Pearl Buck Birthplace 2
Stulting House at the Pearl Buck Birthplace

In 1892, famous author Pearl S. Buck was born in a large white two-story house at the northern end of town. Shortly thereafter, her family, Presbyterian missionaries, returned to China, but her West Virginia roots nevertheless had a significant impact on Pearl through her mother Carrie.

The Dutch-style "city house," now on the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored into a museum, The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace. It displays an array of antiques from the 1892 period, including many family originals. Also on the National Register of Historic Places are the Richard Beard House and Locust Creek Covered Bridge.

In late June, the town hosts the annual Little Levels Heritage Fair, to celebrate the history of the Little Levels region.

Hillsboro is also featured in the movie Patch Adams, where Dr. Patch Adams purchased land to build a medical clinic based on his philosophy of doctor-patient interaction. A medical clinic is planned but has not yet been constructed, as fund-raising is still underway.

Points of interest

Main Attractions:

Parks & Scenic Drives:

Geography

Hillsboro is located at 38°8′17″N 80°12′45″W / 38.13806°N 80.21250°W / 38.13806; -80.21250 (38.138068, -80.212581).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.36 square miles (0.93 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 99
1890 166 67.7%
1900 339 104.2%
1910 181 −46.6%
1920 215 18.8%
1930 220 2.3%
1940 224 1.8%
1950 241 7.6%
1960 210 −12.9%
1970 267 27.1%
1980 276 3.4%
1990 188 −31.9%
2000 243 29.3%
2010 260 7.0%
2019 (est.) 238 −8.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 260 people, 120 households, and 75 families living in the town. The population density was 722.2 inhabitants per square mile (278.8/km2). There were 149 housing units at an average density of 413.9 per square mile (159.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.5% White, 1.2% Native American, and 0.4% from two or more races.

There were 120 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 12.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.68.

The median age in the town was 39.3 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

Notable person

  • Pearl S. Buck, author and Nobel Prize winner. (1892–1973)
  • Dwight Diller, banjo and fiddle player and teacher
  • William Luther Pierce, founder of the National Alliance. (1933–2002)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hillsboro (Virginia Occidental) para niños

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