Weston, West Virginia

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Main Avenue in Weston in 2006

Weston State Hospital in 2006

The Lewis County Courthouse in 2006

Weston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County^GR6. Weston was founded in 1817 as "Preston"; the name was changed to "Fleshersville" soon after, and then to Weston in 1819.^[1] The city was incorporated in 1913.^[2]

Weston is the site of the former Weston State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital and National Historic Landmark 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 conference center operated by the West Virginia University Extension Service.^[3]

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Weston is located at 39°2′31″N, 80°28′12″W (39.041857, -80.469929),^GR1 along the West Fork River at its confluence with Stonecoal Creek.^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 km² (1.7 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 4,317 people, 1,942 households, and 1,172 d 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 for the city was $14,089. About 15.1% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] References

^ Swick, Gerald D. (2006). "Weston State Hospital", in Ken Sullivan (ed.): The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Charleston, W.Va.: West Virginia Humanities Council, p. 779. ISBN 0-9778498-0-5.
^ West Virginia Blue Book. Published annually by the Clerk's Office of the West Virginia Senate.
^ Meador, Michael M. (2006). "Jackson's Mill." The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. pp. 375-376. ISBN 0-9778498-0-5.
^ DeLorme (1997). West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. p.36. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.