Visit Hinton Railroad Depot, Hinton, West Virginia

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Hinton and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway became an important migration corridor for thousands of African Americans. For nearly sixty years, 1870 to 1930, African Americans traveled to West Virginia through major rail centers like Hinton. They came in search of jobs as well as economic and political opportunities denied to them in other states.Beginning in 1869, African Americans poured into the state to fill hundreds of jobs building the C&O Railway, its branch lines, and other railroads through the mountainous landscapes. Once the railroads opened up the large coalfields of Central Appalachia, even more journeyed to West Virginia. Hinton became an integral stop for African American men and their families who came to fill hundreds of jobs in the coal mines. Although some remained in Hinton to work for the railroad, some became buisnessmen, teachers, and ministers, but the majority passed through on their way to new jobs and new lives in the coal camps of the New River Gorge and southern West Virginia.Hinton Railroad DepotThe Hinton station was built for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1905 as a division terminal. The station and tracks lie along a bend in the New River; in a quirk of engineering, the eastbound trains pass southwest through the station and westbound trains pass northeast. The otherwise two-story depot has a middle section that stands at three stories and is built entirely from red brick with a rock-faced stone belt course that runs at the window heads. The porch coverings are supported by heavy wooden brackets that feature a wood-fan pattern trim. Currently, the station is largely unoccupied except for an Amtrak waiting room opened and closed by a caretaker. Along the hillside bordering the platform, a neighbor maintains a lush garden for the enjoyment of rail passengers. Driving DirectionsFrom Beckley, WV: Take I-64 East to Exit 139 (Hinton/Sandstone, WV). Turn left on to Highway 20 south and travel 10 miles to Hinton, WV. Route 20 will become Summers Street (one-way) through town. Turn right on 2nd Avenue and park along the right hand side of the road. Tour Stop (Hinton Depot) will be on your left at the bottom of the street. You are welcome to walk around the Depot to the exhibit area. PLEASE STAY OFF THE TRACK.

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