Pineville, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pineville, West Virginia
Town
Main Street (West Virginia Route 97) in Pineville in 2007
Logo
Location of Pineville in Wyoming County, West Virginia.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Wyoming
Settled	1853
Incorporated	1907
Area
• Total	0.81 sq mi (2.10 km2)
• Land	0.77 sq mi (1.99 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation	1,299 ft (396 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	648
• Estimate  (2021)	638
• Density	747.40/sq mi (288.68/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	24859, 24874
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-63940
GNIS feature ID	1544914

Pineville is a town in and the county seat of Wyoming County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Guyandotte River. The population was 648 at the 2020 census.

History

Pineville was settled by William Short in 1853.

In 1863, Hiram Clay first settled near the site of present Pineville. The community was once called Castlerock, and the post office there was once named Rock Castle. The town was renamed Pineville for the local pine forest and incorporated as a town under that name in 1907. It was named because it was built on the site of a black or pitch pine forest.

Pineville became the county seat in 1907, replacing Oceana after a series of disputed elections. Castle Rock, the towering sandstone formation for which Rockcastle Creek is named, is located at Pineville and is the major local landmark. The Wyoming County Courthouse (1916) is on the National Register of Historic Places.

On April 29, 1960, then Senator John F. Kennedy stopped into Pineville, drawing a crowd of 800. Kennedy spoke briefly over the local radio station WWYO during his time in the town. He then marched with the Pineville High School (West Virginia) band from the radio station to the Wyoming County Courthouse where he spoke to the crowd.

Geography

Pineville is located at 37°34′59″N 81°32′7″W / 37.58306°N 81.53528°W / 37.58306; -81.53528 (37.582925, −81.535302). The Guyandotte River flows through Pineville, and collects its tributaries Rockcastle Creek and Pinnacle Creek within the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.84 square miles (2.18 km²), of which 0.80 square miles (2.07 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) is water.

Many subdivisions or outer areas are considered part of Pineville, including Key Rock, New Richmond, Skin Fork, Mullensville, Glover, Wolf Pen, Rock View, and others, but the town limits are much smaller than the area considered part of Pineville. Unique in the county school system, Pineville's secondary school had no feeder schools. Only after the county's population declined sharply in the 1990s did consolidation and closure of the Glen Rogers High School cause students who attended elementary school outside of Pineville to attend middle or high school in Pineville. Further consolidation ended the town's high school, which was consolidated with Mullens High School to form Wyoming East High School. Students from the catchment areas of the former Herndon, Glen Rogers, Mullens, and Pineville High Schools attend this high school.

Climate

Demographics

The Wyoming County Courthouse in Pineville

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 668 people, 303 households, and 200 families living in the town. The population density was 835.0 inhabitants per square mile (322.4/km²). There were 345 housing units at an average density of 431.3 per square mile (166.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.8% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Asian, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 303 households, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.69.

The median age in the town was 49.4 years. 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 30.8% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

Transportation

Highways

Notable people

• Judge Robert D. Bailey, Sr. (1883–1961) – was a Pineville resident
• Curt Warner – NFL running back in the 1980s for the Seattle Seahawks and then the Los Angeles Rams.
• Heath Miller – Professional wrestler known for his time in WWE as Heath Slater.
• Kenneth R. Shadrick, reported to be the first casualty of the Korean War.

See also

In Spanish: Pineville (Virginia Occidental) para niños