Summersville was laid out in 1824. The city was named for Lewis Summers, a local judge who had introduced the bill to create Nicholas County. Summersville was home to both Union and Confederate encampments during the Civil War. The town was mostly burned down by the Confederate spy, Nancy Hart Douglas, during the war. The town was rebuilt by 1884. In 1914, Nicholas County High School was established, then located downtown in the "Old Main". More buildings were built on the campus to house the growing student body until a new building north of town was finished in 1978, a year which also saw the establishment of Summersville Junior High School, which would be housed on the former NCHS campus until a new building was constructed near NCHS. Construction on Summersville Dam began in 1960 and was finished and dedicated by President Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1966. Since the upgrade of U.S. Route 19 through Summersville from a two lane highway to a four lane highway, the city has become the economic center of Nicholas County. The road is commonly used by northern travelers as a shortcut to the south. Summersville is home to the annual Potato Festival. On June 23, 2016 flooding impacted Summersville. This resulted in Summersville Middle School being demolished and relocated to a modular setting after flood waters damaged the school. Ground was broken on a new campus for Summersville Middle School, Nicholas County High School, and the Nicholas County Career and Technical Center on June 2, 2020.
Geography
Summersville is located at . It is located just north of the Gauley River which is famous for its challenging whitewater. The river is impounded by a large dam which creates Summersville Lake, creating flatwater recreation as well. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which, is land and is water.
Climate
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Summersville has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
The median income for a household in the town was $29,783, and the median income for a family was $43,314. Males had a median income of $33,633 versus $22,348 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,217. About 6.9% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over. As of 2018 Summersville has been home to a major economical increase due to a 303 mi 42in. natural gas pipeline running through eastern Nicholas county, bringing in close to 1,000 more people to the county generating more revenue for businesses, Lodging and much more.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,572 people, 1,640 households, and 974 families living in the town. The population density was. There were 1,761 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 1,640 households of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the town was 43 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.4% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
Education
Summersville is served by the Nicholas County Board of Education, which operates three schools, Summersville Elementary School, Summersville Middle School, and Nicholas County High School, in Summersville. Summersville is also home to New Life Christian Academy, a private school. New River Community and Technical College maintains a campus in Summersville.
In Media
Summersville and surrounding locations are featured in the 2018 video game Fallout 76.
