Formed February 27, 1871 (54th county)
Summers County (11,968), Hinton (2,249)
The classy Romanesque Revival and Late Victorian facility was erected in 1874. It sits at the corner of Ballengee Street and 2nd Avenue. West Virginia State Highway 20 passes one block to the north of the site. The dark red brick courthouse was designed by James B. Peck and John McDonald. The building was remodeled in 1894 and enlarged in 1923. It features towers and veteran memorials on the grounds. Summers County was formed on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, and Monroe counties as the 54th county. New River (1871), Avis (1872), and Hinton (1876) have all served as the county seat. The county is named for Virginia Congressman George W. Summers. The county seat was named for lawyer John Hinton.
Summers County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners. One Circuit Court Judge serves Summers and Monroe counties and Three Family Court Judges and Two Magistrate Court Judges serve Summers, Raleigh, and Wyoming counties. The county is located in the southeast part of the state. Charleston, West Virginia is northwest and Roanoke, Virginia is east of the county. The county center is 5 miles Southeast of Hinton nearer Bellepoint. The county is surrounded clockwise by Raleigh and Monroe counties and Virginia and Mercer County. The county is a fat capital letter C standing on its tip.
The area of the county is 361 square miles. It is 33 out of 55 in the state. It ranks 42 out of 55 in population in the state. It has a density of 33.2 persons per square mile making it 37 out of 55 in the state. Summers County has 18.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 64 crosses the northeast part of the county from east to west from Greenbrier County to Raleigh County. Hinton is located near the center of the county. Hinton is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 18.8% of the county population.
Hinton
