Lucas Adcock
Staff Writer
The new construction of Little Levels Academy Park in Hillsboro now has a plaque that reads: “From a 1790 Land Grant, Samuel D. Poage deeded 1 acre of land to the Trustees of the Little Levels Academy on the condition that said acre of land be used for the benefit of an academy. Deed dated 31 March 1843. The institution was established in 1842 under a charter granted by the State of Virginia.”
What rests in Hillsboro now are the remnants of historical sites including Academy High School. On November 6, 1863, General William Averell posted artillery here during the Battle of Droop Mountain, ultimately defeating a smaller Confederate force led by Brigadier General John Echols and Colonel William L “Mudwall” Jackson. Confederate for-ces were driven out after losing weapons and equipment, escaping southward to Lewisburg just hours before a second Union force occupied the town.
Directly next to Academy Park sat the Bank of Hillsboro. The bank open-ed on the property in September of 1914 and went into liquidation December of 1930 following the Wall Street Crash of October 24, 1929. The building later was used for offices, a barber shop, and even apartments, until it was demolished in January 2024.
Before it all, however, Reverend Joseph Brown, the pastor of Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, laid the plan for the town of Hillsboro. Rev. Brown established the original brick Academy which contained one large central room with two wings. Open to both male and female students, the Academy was the first school of higher learning in Pocahontas County, Virginia. Classes were held at the Academy up until they were interrupted by the Civil War.
Then, in 1865, the County purchased the building for use as a public school, and during this time period, the town’s name was changed from “Hillsboro” to “Academy.” The name was changed back to Hillsboro in 1914, however, due to the new Hillsboro High School.
Now, Academy Park sits as a remnant – a reminder of what once was.
Whether you visit just to have lunch at the picnic tables or walk the brick-constructed path, Hillsboro’s rich history can be felt all around.
