Sharon, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sharon, West Virginia
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 Sharon, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Sharon, West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Kanawha |
| Elevation | 673 ft (205 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 304 & 681 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1546622 |
| Other names | Penn Hollow |
Sharon is a small community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. It is an "unincorporated community," which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Sharon is also known as a "coal town" because coal mining was a very important part of its history. It is located near the West Virginia Turnpike.
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Where is Sharon Located?
Sharon is found in the southeastern part of Kanawha County. It sits along a waterway called Cabin Creek. The community is about 673 feet (205 meters) above sea level. You can find its exact spot at 38.159549 degrees north and -81.447059 degrees west.
How to Get Around Sharon
Roads and Highways
Sharon is located on a road known as Secondary State Route 79/3. People in the area call this road Cabin Creek Road. There is an exit for Interstate 77 (Exit 79) right in Sharon. However, there are no gas stations or stores at this exit.
Old Railroad Tracks
Years ago, until the 1980s, a special train track ran through Sharon. This track was a "spur," meaning it was a short branch off a main railroad line. It went up a small valley to a "coal mine tipple." A tipple is a structure used to load coal into train cars. You can still see parts of the old tracks and where the train bed used to be along Paint Branch. The old crossing over Cabin Creek Road and a bridge over Cabin Creek are no longer there.
Changes from Turnpike Upgrades
The West Virginia Turnpike was improved to meet Interstate highway standards. Because of these upgrades, some homes in Sharon had to be bought by the state. These houses were then taken down to make way for the road improvements.
The Mountain Cemetery
Behind some of the houses at the bottom of Sharon Hill, there is a hidden cemetery. Some people call this area Sharon Mountain. If you park near the church, you can walk up a road. The cemetery is located behind the houses. This burial ground holds graves from many generations, some dating back to before the 1700s.
It is a challenging walk to reach the cemetery because it is very steep. There is a narrow path that leads to many family burial plots. Families who have lived here for centuries are buried here. These families often worked in coal mines and farmed the land in the Appalachian mountains. Some of the family names you might find include Basham, Totten, Burns, Perry, and Harlow. Many families still visit and place flowers on the graves, keeping their traditions alive.
Past Post Office Services
Sharon used to have its own United States Post Office. This post office served the community until the early 1990s. The ZIP code for Sharon was 25182.
