Pineville was settled by William Short in
1853. In 1863, Hiram Clay first settled near the site
of present Pineville. The community was once called Castlerock, and the post
office there was once named Rock Castle. The town was renamed Pineville for the
local pine forest and incorporated as
a town under that name in 1907. It was named because it was built on the
site of a black or pitch pine forest. It became county seat in 1907, replacing Oceana after a series of disputed elections.
As of the 2010 Census, there were 668 people
with the Pineville City Limits. The median age was 49.4 years.
17.4% of residents were under the age of 18. 6.6% were between the ages
of 18 & 24. 21% were from 25-44. 30.8% were from 45-64. 24%
were 65 & older.
Castle Rock is a geological feature located
in Pineville, West Virginia next to the Pineville Public Library. Named
for its resemblance to a castle, it rises about 200 feet above Rock Castle
Creek, a branch of the Guyandotte River. Its base is estimated to be 100 feet
in diameter. Midway up there is a stone terrace, with a narrower shale
formation rising out of it. The shale formation is approximately 20.23 feet in
diameter at its base, and between 25 to 30 feet at the top. The formation
of Castle Rock began about two hundred million years ago. Over time water
eroded a way the surrounding rock creating its unique shape. Castle Rock was
known to early explores of the area simply as the "castle". At one
time ladders provided access to the top of the rock, but they were removed in
1911, after a man named Virgil Senter fell to his death.[3] Steps and hand
rails leading to the terrace were added later. In 2001 a sign explaining how
the rock was formed was placed in front of Castle Rock.
The Wyoming County
courthouse is on
the National Register of Historic Places.