The West Virginia Hills ~ How Majestic & How Grand!

Click on this image to expand it. Hillsboro, Marlinton & Green Bank are in Pocahontas County, WV

From Michael M. Barrick, The Appalachian Chronicle, April 18, 2023

Howdy Folks! Greetings to West Virginians in All 55 Counties!

This is a brief reminder that the Hillsboro Library Friends are hosting an Open Forum that I will be facilitating, based in part on by book, Fractured Sanctuary: A Chronicle of Grassroots Activists Fighting Pipelines of Destruction in Appalachia. Details follow. Join us if you can and please share the word!

Thanks, Pocahontas County is a great place to visit. I hope to see you there or in Morgantown on Sunday @ 3 PM. MMB

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Hillsboro is Historic in the West Virginia Hills & Mountains

Brigadier General William W. Averell and his Federal troops encountered Confederate troops led by Brigadier General John Echols at Droop Mountain on November 6, 1863. The federal army had encountered Echols while on their second attempt to the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad located at Salem, Virginian. Echols and his troops positioned themselves on the high ground of Droop Mountain, a tactical advantage to the smaller army. However, despite using artillery to block the road, the Confederate troops were overwhelmed by Averell’s men. The Battle of Droop Mountain served as the final significant Civil War battle for the newly formed West Virginia. The site of the battle was declared West Virginia’s first state park on July 4, 1928.

In 1892, famous author Pearl S. Buck was born in a large white two-story house at the northern end of Hillsboro. Shortly thereafter, her family, Presbyterian missionaries, returned to China, but her West Virginia roots nevertheless had a significant impact on Pearl through her mother Carrie.

The Dutch-style “city house,” now on the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored into a museum, The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace. It displays an array of antiques from the 1892 period, including many family originals. Also on the National Register of Historic Places are the Richard Beard House and Locust Creek Covered Bridge.

Hillsboro is also featured in the movie Patch Adams, where Dr. Patch Adams purchased land to build a medical clinic based on his philosophy of doctor-patient interaction. A medical clinic is planned but has not yet been constructed, as fund-raising is still underway. Currently, the Gesundheit Institute host people at the facility to engage in learning and volunteering.