The Brush Fork post office opened in 1899, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Brushfork (1899), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 1,065127 years
How historic is Brush Fork?
C−
More historic than 15% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Brush Fork post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade
What drives Brush Fork’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Brush Fork is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Brush Fork’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 Brush Fork’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (17% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Brush Fork’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Brush Fork. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1887Pocahontas sheet · 1:125,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Brush Fork.
The story so far
Brush Fork, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Brush Fork yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Brush Fork (also spelled Brushfork) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. Brush Fork is 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Bluefield. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,065 (down from 1,197 at the 2010 census). The community takes its name from nearby Brush Fork creek which flows into the Bluestone River. The West Virginia National Guard Brushfork Armory is located in the community. In addition to its National Guard functions it also hosts basketball games for Bluefield High School, commencements for local colleges and high schools, and other events. The Armory received 1.9 million dollars in 2024 for the planning and design of a new readines…
Its first post office opened in 1899. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,197 to 1,065 (-11%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Brush Fork, 1887 to 1917
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Another post office, Brushfork, opened and closed inside today’s town.
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Brush Fork
McQuirePerdue
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Brush Fork’s history
What year was Brush Fork founded?
The Brush Fork post office opened in 1899, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Brush Fork rank for history?
Brush Fork is more historic than 15% 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.
How old are the homes in Brush Fork?
2% of Brush Fork’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.0 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2017
