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AHistory
History · Hinton

Hinton’s post office opened in 1871, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 89% of U.S. towns. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 418 buildings between them. Below: 16 old photos and papers, maps from 1912 on, and the census since 1880.

1871first post office
4on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
16old photos & papers
10famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Hinton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Hinton began

When was Hinton founded?

1871

The Hinton post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Bellepoint (1909), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 879 in 18802020 census: 2,245155 years

How historic is Hinton?

A

More historic than 89% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Hinton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade

What drives Hinton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hinton is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hinton’s overall grade.
Founding era1871, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194041.7% of homes (±8.7) · typical WV town 13.0% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register4 listings, 419 historic buildings, 2,009 per 10,000 residents · typical WV town 29.6 · U.S. 2.4A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 89%
NewerOlder

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 Hinton’s 2,009 sits above most of its state (99% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 419 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.

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 (±8.7 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 Hinton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Hinton Historic District takes in 411 historic buildings.Boom and bustPeaked at 6,654 in 1930; 2,245 people lived here in 2020.A town in old photos16 old photos, postcards and papers, 1898–1981.On the map since 19124 editions of the USGS map, 1912 to 1998. Watch Hinton change.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

4 listings protect 419 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
419
each building in a district counts
first listed
1981
Summers County Courthouse
Summers County CourthouseHinton Historic DistrictTrump-Lilly Farmstead
BuildingsDistrictsSites

Architectural styles listings

Late Victorian2
American Four-Square1
Victorian1
Classical Revival1
Art Deco1
English Gothic Style1
Summers County CourthouseLate Victorian
Hinton Historic DistrictAmerican Four-Square
Trump-Lilly FarmsteadAppalachian Frontier Vernacular
All 4 listings
Hilltop CemeterySite · listed 2021

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Hinton, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,5007,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 6,654

Peaked at 6,654 in 1930; 2,245 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hinton’s Wikipedia page.

By decade

Hinton, decade by decade

6 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1910s6 items
Hinton, From the West, West Virginia1898Hinton, From the West, West VirginiaHinton, W. Va. from west1900Hinton, W. Va. from westDown New River from Hinton, Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, Fayette, W. Va1900Down New River from Hinton, Chesapeake & Ohio Railway…Rev. Frank A. Meade1902Rev. Frank A. MeadeJunction of New and Greenbrier rivers1910Junction of New and Greenbrier riversHinton and the New River, W. Va1913Hinton and the New River, W. Va
1940s7 items
Before meals campers form in 4 lines each line representing an "Indian Tribe". The tribe with the straightest line... -…1946Before meals campers form in 4 lines each line repres…Dining-hall for campers. Here they are singing one song which is acted out. Koppers Recreation Camps, Inc. Camp... - NA…1946Dining-hall for campers. Here they are singing one so…Interior of cottage for campers. Capacity of cottage is 22 bunks, using double deckers. Ordinarily about 18 to 20 are..…1946Interior of cottage for campers. Capacity of cottage …Interior of one of the cottages used for housing campers. Girls cottages are on one side of the grounds with boy's on..…1946Interior of one of the cottages used for housing camp…Noon day meal at the camp. Meal consisted of macaroni and cheese, raw green vegetable salad, peanut butter, bread... - …1946Noon day meal at the camp. Meal consisted of macaroni…Recreational swim in the Greenbrier river for campers, who are children of miners. Each child must have a "buddy", a...…1946Recreational swim in the Greenbrier river for campers…Some of the cottages for housing campers, who are children of Koppers Coal Divsion miners. Each cottage has a... - NARA…1946Some of the cottages for housing campers, who are chi…
1960s–1980s3 items
HAER WVA,45-HINT,1- (sheet 1 of 1) - Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, Hinton Yards1968HAER WVA,45-HINT,1- (sheet 1 of 1) - Chesapeake and O…HAER WVA,45-HINT,1- (sheet 1 of 1) - Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, Hinton Yards1968HAER WVA,45-HINT,1- (sheet 1 of 1) - Chesapeake and O…C&O Semaphores, looks like it was taken from CW Cabin at the west end of Hinton Yard, WV in October 19811981C&O Semaphores, looks like it was taken from CW Cabin…
1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today2 recent
2010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map for20102010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map forBookWVMap-doton-Hinton2004WVMap-doton-Hinton
The story so far

Hinton, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Hinton yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Hinton is a city in and the county seat of Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2020 census. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named after John "Jack" Hinton, the original owner of the town site. Much of Hinton's downtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Its first post office opened in 1871. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 2,676 to 2,245 (-16%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Hinton in 1908

Passages that mention Hinton, cut from the printed page as they were published.

upper town, which is now Avis, being bitterly opposed, incorporation was voted down ; the lower town then proceeded to take a vote on its own account, which vote carried, and on the 21st day of September, 1880, the Town of Hinton was incorporated under the State law by the circuit court of this cou…
History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time1908Read the page →
Read the text

upper town, which is now Avis, being bitterly opposed, incorporation was voted down ; the lower town then proceeded to take a vote on its own account, which vote carried, and on the 21st day of September, 1880, the Town of Hinton was incorporated under the State law by the circuit court of this county. Afterwards, the upper town, becoming satisfied of the necessity and advantages of incorporation, took a vote, and on the 4th of September, 1890, was incorporated by the circuit court as the Town of

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
distinct corporation from the city of Hinton until the consoHdation of the two corporations by an act of the Legislature passed in 1897. This consolidation was dissolved by a subsequent act of the Legislature passed in 1890, so that at this time there are two incorporations of this city, distinct m…
History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time1908 · page 342Read the page →
Read the text

distinct corporation from the city of Hinton until the consoHdation of the two corporations by an act of the Legislature passed in 1897. This consolidation was dissolved by a subsequent act of the Legislature passed in 1890, so that at this time there are two incorporations of this city, distinct municipal bodies — one, the city of Hinton, in which the court house is situated, and which includes the territory from the jail, running to the mountain west, and the other, the territory east, formerly Upper Hinton.

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.

Timeline

Hinton, 1871 to 1981

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1871Post officeThe Hinton post office opens
  3. 1884Born hereJack Warhop is born here
  4. 1898In the archiveHinton, From the West, West Virginia
  5. 20th century
  6. 1900In the archiveHinton, W. Va. from west
  7. 1909Post officeThe Bellepoint post office opens
  8. 1910In the archiveJunction of New and Greenbrier rivers
  9. 1912On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1925Born hereTitus Pankey is born here
  11. 1930CensusPopulation peaks at 6,654
  12. 1935Born hereJohn Davis Chandler is born here
  13. 1946In the archiveBefore meals campers form in 4 lines each line representing an "Indian Tribe". The tribe …
  14. 1956Post officeThe Bellepoint post office closes
  15. 1965Born hereSylvia Burwell is born here
  16. 1968In the archiveHAER WVA,45-HINT,1- (sheet 1 of 1) - Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, Hinton Yards
  17. 1981In the archiveC&O Semaphores, looks like it was taken from CW Cabin at the west end of Hinton Yard, WV …
On the map

Hinton on the map, 1912 to 1998

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hinton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Hinton on the 1912 USGS mapHinton on the 1968 USGS mapHinton on the 1976 USGS mapHinton on the 1998 USGS map1912Big Bend sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hinton.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Hinton, From the West, West Virginia
Retake this viewHinton, From the West, West Virginia, 1898

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Hinton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

10 famous people were born in Hinton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Sylvia BurwellFormer United States Secretary of Health and Hu… · b. 1965
John Davis ChandlerAmerican actor · b. 1935
Jack WarhopAmerican baseball player · b. 1884
Titus PankeyAmerican physicist · b. 1925
D
Dick LeftridgePlayer of American football · b. 1944
G
Guy MorrisonBaseball player · b. 1895
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Hinton’s post office has been open since 1871. Another post office, Bellepoint, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hinton
1871–today
Bellepoint
1909–1956
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AvisBellepoint
Gone or out of use
Bellepoint Elementary SchoolschoolBellepoint StationlocaleGreenbrier SchoolschoolHinton Junior-Senior High Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Hinton
Hilltop

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Hinton’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
5 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewHinton, From the West, West Virginia: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Hinton’s history

What year was Hinton founded?

The Hinton post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Hinton rank for history?

Hinton is more historic than 89% 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 Hinton?

4 listings: 1 building, among them the Summers County Courthouse (listed 1981, the first), 2 historic districts, the Hinton Historic District and the Trump-Lilly Farmstead, with 418 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 419 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Hinton?

42% of Hinton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.7 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1950.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (14), the Library of Congress (4), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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 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.