Weston is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,943 at the 2020 census. It is home to the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

History

Weston was founded in 1818 as Preston; the name was changed to Fleshersville soon after, and then to Weston in 1819. The city was incorporated in 1846. Weston is the site of the former Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, a

psychiatric hospital A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...

and

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

which has been mostly vacant since its closure in 1994 upon its replacement by the nearby William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital. Jackson's Mill, a childhood home of Stonewall Jackson, is approximately four miles (6 km) north of Weston; it has been operated as a 4-H facility since the 1920s and is also the site of a conference center operated by the West Virginia University Extension Service. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as the Jackson's Mill State 4-H Camp Historic District. Weston has two national historic districts: the Weston Downtown Historic District and Weston Downtown Residential Historic District. Other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are the Jonathan M. Bennett House and the former Weston Colored School. Image:Main Avenue, Looking South, Weston, WV.jpg, Main Avenue c. 1912 Image:Weston State Hospital.jpg, Weston State Hospital Image:Lewis County Courthouse Weston.jpg, Lewis County Courthouse

Geography

Weston is located west of Buckhannon and south of Clarksburg at (39.041857, -80.469929), along the West Fork River at its confluence with Stonecoal Creek in North Central West Virginia. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and are water. The city is crossed by Interstate 79, U.S. Route 19, U.S. Route 33 and U.S. Route 119.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Weston has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,952 people and 1,561

household A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...

s residing in the city. There were 2,106 housing units in Weston. The racial makeup of the city was 93%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.9%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.8% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 1,561 households, of which 34.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 32.2% had a female householder with no spouse present, 23.7% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 3.33. The median age in the city was 39.7 years.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 4,110 people, 1,811 households, and 1,082 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 2,135 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.0%

, 0.8%

, 0.7% Asian, and 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 1,811 households, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were

living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,317 people, 1,942 households, and 1,172 families living in the city. The

was 2,533.5 inhabitants per square mile (980.5/km²). There were 2,222 housing units at an average density of 1,304.0 per square mile (504.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.24%

, 0.19%

, 0.09% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population. There were 1,942 households, out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.84. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,690, and the median income for a family was $33,783. Males had a median income of $27,988 versus $17,335 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,089. About 15.1% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Louis Bennett Jr., World War I flying ace * William Thomas Bland, congressman * Charlie Brown, World War II USAAF pilot * Andrew Edmiston, Jr., congressman * John William Hamilton, bishop * Buddy Hayes, musician * Rush D. Holt, Sr., senator * Rush D. Holt, Jr., congressman * Jason Koon, poker player * Lewis Maxwell, congressman * Alexander Scott Withers, author * Fred Wyant, football player

References

External links

*
Louis Bennett Public Library

West Virginia Museum of American Glass

''The Weston Democrat''
local newspaper {{authority control * Cities in West Virginia Cities in Lewis County, West Virginia County seats in West Virginia Populated places on the West Fork River