Its Register listings are the Bernard E. Wilmoth House, the Golden Rule, The and the Citizens National Bank of Belington. Its Register listings are the Bernard E. Wilmoth House, the Golden Rule, The and the Citizens National Bank of Belington. Below: maps from 1907 on and the census since 1900.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1832.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Belington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Belington is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Belington’s overall grade.
West Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical West Virginia town has 29.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Belington’s 22.5 sits near the middle of its state (58% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1766.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.3 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Belington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Belington was founded in 1766–70. Originally it was known as the Barker Settlement, after Elias Barker, who had settled there with his brother William Barker. About 1785, it was called Yeagers, taking its name from a settler, George Yeager, and his sons. In 1855, it took its current name, Belington, from John Bealin, who had opened up a store there, and who would later move to Kansas.
After the June 3, 1861 Battle of Philippi, the Confederate forces, having been routed by the Union Army in Philippi, retreated south. The Confederates made camp near the Laurel Mountain Road, today, a winding single lane dirt road that crosses the mountain and connects Belington with Elkins. This camp was the site of the Battle of Laurel Hill July 7-11, 1861.
Passages that mention Belington, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Barbour County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time1899 · page 456Read the page →
Read the text
He was educated in the public schools and in a private school at Meadowville. He was formerly postmaster at Belington; was a farmer till twentyfive years old; then a merchant at Belington, near which place he owns 139 acres of improved land. His grandfather was John Rohrbaugh.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Barbour County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time1899 · page 266Read the page →
Read the text
When General Garnett, on his retreat from, Laurel Hill, reached Leedsville, where the town of Elkins now stands, he turned up Leading Creek and crossing into Tucker County, tried to escape in that direction. General Morris was in pursuit from Belington. On the morning of July 13, at one o, clock, he reached Leads ville, and halted two hours for rest. He had only four wagons of bread and pork to feed an army of 3000, having left Belington in such a hurry that he could not wait for more supplies. At 4 a. m. he continued the pursuit, the Confederates at that time being from
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
People over time
Belington, census by census
Between 430 and 2,038 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Belington’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices and old corners
Belington’s post office has been open since 1855. Another post office, Barker's Settlement, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Barker's Settlement
1832–1855
Belington
1855–today
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Alston
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Belington’s history
What year was Belington founded?
In 1766, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Belington’s post office opened in 1832, and the census of 1900 counted 430 people here.
How does Belington rank for history?
Belington is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Belington?
Three places: the Bernard E. Wilmoth House (listed 2005), the Golden Rule, The (2019) and the Citizens National Bank of Belington (2026).
How old are the homes in Belington?
15% of Belington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.3 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1975.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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