Hillsboro, West Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Hillsboro, West Virginia
Town
Spring 1918
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 (2020)
• Total	232
• Estimate (2021)	231
• 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
Website	https://hillsborowv.com/

Hillsboro is a small town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. In 2020, about 232 people lived there. It's a quiet place with a rich history.

History of Hillsboro
Points of Interest
- Parks and Scenic Drives
Notable People from Hillsboro
Geography of Hillsboro
Population of Hillsboro
Images for kids
See also

History of Hillsboro

Hillsboro got its name from an early settler named John Hill. He was a pioneer from North Carolina. He built a log cabin close to a place now called Lobelia. Many of the first people who settled here were from Scotland and Ireland. They mostly worked in farming and raising animals.

Education in Hillsboro

In the 1800s, Hillsboro was known for its schools. One important school was the Little Levels Academy. It opened in 1842 but closed when the Civil War started. After the war, the county bought the building. It became a public school until the 1880s. Then, it turned into Hillsboro Academy, a school for older boys.

The basement of the Methodist Church also served as a school. It was for older girls and was called Hillsboro College. Later, the old brick Academy was taken down. A new wooden school was built for both boys and girls. Eventually, this school was rebuilt with bricks and became Hillsboro High School.

Millpoint and Famous Author

Millpoint, in the northern part of Hillsboro, used to be a small industrial area. It had a store, a blacksmith shop, and two flour mills. One of these old mills has been fixed up. You can still see it along Route 219 today.

A very famous author, Pearl S. Buck, was born in Hillsboro in 1892. She was born in a large white house at the north end of town. Her parents were missionaries. They moved back to China soon after she was born. But her time in West Virginia and her mother's stories greatly influenced her writing.

Historic Sites and Events

The house where Pearl S. Buck was born is now a museum. It's called The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace. It looks like it did in 1892. You can see many old items there, some of which belonged to her family. This house is a National Historic Place.

Other historic places in Hillsboro include the Richard Beard House. There is also the Locust Creek Covered Bridge. These places help tell the story of the town.

Every year in late June, Hillsboro hosts the Little Levels Heritage Fair. This fair celebrates the history of the Little Levels area. It's a fun way to learn about the past.

Hillsboro was even featured in the movie Patch Adams. In the movie, Dr. Patch Adams wanted to build a medical clinic here. He believed in a special way of helping patients. A real medical clinic is still being planned. The Gesundheit Institute now uses the facility for learning and volunteering.

Points of Interest

Hillsboro and the surrounding area offer many interesting places to visit:

Little Levels Heritage Fair: This event happens in late June.
The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace: Visit this historic house and museum. It was built in 1875.
The Yew Mountain Center: This is a place for learning about nature. It is also a nature preserve.
Patch Adams and the Gesundheit! Institute: Learn about their unique approach to health.
Local Craft Shops: Find handmade items from local artists.
US Food Bank: A community resource.

Parks and Scenic Drives

The area around Hillsboro is full of beautiful nature spots:

Watoga State Park: A large state park for outdoor activities.
Droop Mountain Battlefield: A historic site with great views.
Cranberry Glades Botanical Area: See unique plants in this special wetland.
Beartown State Park: Explore cool rock formations.
Highland Scenic Highway: Enjoy a beautiful drive through the mountains.
Monongahela National Forest: A huge forest for hiking and exploring.
Brooks Memorial Arboretum: A peaceful place with many different trees.

Fields near Hillsboro
Crafts from the Little Levels Heritage Fair
Quilt from the Fair
Pearl S. Buck
Overlook at Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
Beartown State Park
Old Town of Hillsboro
Route 219 in Hillsboro

Notable People from Hillsboro

Pearl S. Buck: A famous author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. She lived from 1892 to 1973.
Dwight Diller: A talented musician who plays and teaches banjo and fiddle.

Geography of Hillsboro

Hillsboro is located at 38°8′17″N 80°12′45″W / 38.13806°N 80.21250°W / 38.13806; -80.21250. It is a small town in West Virginia. The town covers about 0.36 square miles (0.93 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.

Population of Hillsboro

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%
2020	232	−10.8%
2021 (est.)	231	−11.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

The population of Hillsboro has changed over the years. In 2010, there were 260 people living in the town. There were 120 households. Most of the people living in Hillsboro were White. About 23% of the residents were under 18 years old. The average age in town was about 39 years old.