About Us:

Woven into the mountains of Appalachia, along the scenic New River in Southern West Virginia, is the quaint city of Hinton.

Hinton is a "Railroad Town", formed about 1871 with the tremendous building boom that occurred during the Gay '90s period from 1890 to1920.

The glory of the train days have come and gone, of course, leaving in its wake a community that today is rich in history and natural beauty. The downtown Historic District, officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 17, 1984, is an architectural gem waiting to be discovered. Included in the Hinton Historic District are 200 buildings - churches, store fronts, and private residences displaying the varying architecture of American Gothic, Classical, High Victorian, American Four Square and Greek Revival styles.

Hinton National Historic District is surrounded by state and national points of interest. Historic Hinton is the "Gateway Community" to the New River Gorge National River, a 52 mile stretch of river from Hinton north to Fayette Station.

Bluestone State Park and Pipestem Resort State Park are only minutes away.

Three major rivers carve their way toward Hinton. The Greenbrier River and the Bluestone River join the New River in our community.

A project planned in Hinton is RiverWalk. This concept will include a variety of activities along the New River from Hinton up to the Lilly Bridge over Lake Bluestone. Cantrell Island could become a part of RiverWalk. This 14 acre island within the city limits of Hinton could offer RV and tent camping, fishing, boating, family rafting; along with swimming, water slide and outdoor theater. The two-story rustic lodge may be built to be your home-base to visit Hinton, where plans call for horse-drawn carriage rides, through the tree-lined streets. In the evening stroll down those same streets illuminated by the warm glow of streetlights reproduced from the original gas lampposts.

Hinton is a community of celebration. In April there is the annual antique car show, June is time to celebrate the Birthday of West Virginia with a festival including Civil War era reenactments and battles along the streets of Hinton. In August, these streets are crowded with people enjoying the annual West Virginia State Water Festival which was started more than a quarter century ago. Labor Day weekend is a time to enjoy music from across the country and around the world at the Festival Of The Rivers. Then each October, visit the vendors with hand-made crafts, smell the aroma of fresh treats being cooked, and laugh and listen to the clowns and traditional musicians and other entertainment all in town for the Annual Hinton Railroad Days celebration.

Hinton has several museums. There is the Veterans Memorial Museum, Wood's Clock Museum, the Hinton Railroad Museum and King's Civil War Museum. Any trip to downtown is not complete without a stop by the Visitor's Center. Artists abound in our community and there is an organization representing them, The Mountain River Artisans.

In the Hinton area, visitors can walk across the New River and view Sandstone Falls without getting their feet wet. Along the Greenbrier River, The John Henry Memorial stands above Big Bend Tunnel, where legend tells us that John Henry beat the steel-driving machine. Just up-river, visit the Graham House, oldest log house in the area, next to where the Indians camped. Then drive just 30 minutes and hike the Bluestone River trail, following the path of Mary Ingles Wilder as she did indeed "Follow the River." Challenge yourself with whitewater rafting or take a leisurely float trip down the rivers. Fish, hunt, or trap, Hinton and Summers County has something for everyone.

Of course you can't miss the imposing sight of the Bluestone Dam. Currently there are major improvement projects going on at the dam. One is the Dam Safety Assurance Project. The other is installation of facilities to handle trash and debris that collects during times of high water. Once these projects are complete, hopefully you will once again be able to tour the Bluestone Dam during the summer, walk inside as guests of the U S Army Corps of Engineers on daily tours.

Engineering and design work is now underway to add Hydroelectric Power generation. In a few short years you will be able to return and tour a modern power generation plant which expels no harmful pollutants into the air or water. Hinton is a progressive community which has joined with the cities of Philippi and White Sulphur Springs in creating a Power Authority to develop electric generation plants around our state.

The unique, unhurried quality of life, free from the high crime of large cities, offers an ideal location for your business and its employees. High-Tech companies such as Computer Sciences Corporation, ManTech International, TSM, PracticeLink and Information Manufacturing Corporation have chosen to locate in Hinton. Come visit and see why they did. Buncher Railcar, Greenbrier Nurseries of Talcott and Unique Balance at nearby Pence Springs have made improvements in their businesses recently, indicating the faith they hold in the future of Hinton and Summers County. Other companies have been looking at Hinton for their location.

Hinton has seen a past full of excitement and growth; and the present full of enthusiasm and perseverance. A new day has begun for Hinton and Summers County with people visiting and enjoying, sharing our natural beauty, our history, our recreation, and our business and industrial growth.