Small-town aesthetics and community ties just outside of Charleston
Pinch is a small village roughly 12 miles up the road from downtown Charleston. Like many small towns in Kanawha County, it's a quiet hideaway of 20th century homes tucked away in between rolling hills cloaked in rhododendron. It's not quite a holler, but it's not quite a city either. It's a comfortable and close-knit community that somewhat stands on its own from its capital city neighbor but is still close enough to easily enjoy Charleston's revered schools and parks.
Pinch offers a quiet lifestyle surrounded by stunning scenery just minitues from Charleston's city life.
The golfcourse at Coonskin Park is maintained with lush greens and long driving ranges.
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Newer townhouses and move-in ready 20th century homes
Most listings in Pinch are for move-in ready single-family homes built in the late-20th century. These include an assortment of sweeping ranch-styles and split-level homes, many of which were built in the 1970s and 80s. There hasn't been much new construction since the early 2000s, making Pinch's new traditional homes some of the least aged. Pinch is also home to a few attached townhouse communities near the center of town. Single-family homes typically sell for between $100,000 and $300,000, while townhouses typically sell for a similar range, though rarely exceeding $250,000.
Many split-level homes in Pinch have brick exteriors and large yards.
Many ranch style homes exude southern charm in the nighborhood of Pinch.
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Parades and bluegrass concerts at America's longest-running community reunion
While some residents head into Charleston for events, Pinch is home to many of its own, including an annual Christmas Eve Parade. But the real high watermark is the Pinch Reunion, America's longest-running community reunion. Former and current residents alike have been showing up to the classic car show, 5k race and bluegrass concert since 1902, although nowadays the fanfare occurs over an entire weekend rather than just one day. Even so, traditions remain, like on Sunday, when performers open the service with a rendition of "The West Virginia Hills" and close the day out with "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again."
Specialized academy offerings at a new Herbert Hoover High School campus
Students in Pinch begin their education at Pinch Elementary School, rated B by Niche, then begin attending Elkview Middle School, rated B-minus, for grades six through eight. For their last four years, students in Kanawha County can choose which high school they attend. Each option offers its own specialty programs for career and technical education. Pinch's zoned option, Herbert Hoover High School, rated B-minus, has a career academy for fabrication technology. "A lot of people also are starting to want to be a part of Herbert Hoover High School, which is only a couple of years old," Eden says. "It was built because the old Herbert Hoover was in a flood zone and it flooded. And they have an absolutely amazing, amazing campus for a high school."
Pinch Elementary excels in fostering a nurturing learning atmosphere.
Elkview Middle emphasizes academic excellence, with a focus on STEM education.
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Short drives to Coonskin Park for long Elk River paddle trips
About 7 miles down the road from Pinch is Coonskin Park, which is among the most visited recreational areas in Kanawha County thanks to its wealth of amenities. The park has standard features, like sports courts and jungle gyms, as well as more unique amenities, like a skatepark, an Olympic-size swimming pool and a 3,000-seat soccer stadium. Golf is also offered there, both in the form of a disc golf course and a place to swing clubs, whether on a driving range or a par-3 short course. For the adventurous, the park maintains miles of hike and bike trails in addition to a kayak launch. "There's a lot of boating that takes place in the Kanawha River," Eden says. "There is kayaking locally, especially on the Elk River. They have really started capitalizing on that." Fishing is also popular on the Elk River, although Pinch is also home to Indian Lake, a small reservoir stocked with catfish and trout.
Coonskin Park near Pinch offers a golf course for residents and visitors.
Coonskin Park offers ramps and rails for amateur and seasoned skaters.
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Bus routes offer alternatives to downtown
Due to its location on the east bank of Elk River, which has limited crossings, reaching U.S. Highway 119 on the other side requires a slight detour. Backroads like Greenbrier Street also connect with downtown Charleston, but traffic moves slower on these winding, indirect routes. Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority runs bus lines through Pinch, offering direct routes to downtown Charleston.
Local businesses and additional options nearby
Pinch Road forms the community's main thoroughfare and is home to a Dollar General, plus a few locally owned businesses, like hardware stores and pharmacies. It's also home to a few restaurants, including Tudor's Biscuit World, a popular breakfast hangout, and Rolling Smoke BBQ. Pinch also doesn't have its own grocery store, but numerous options are a short drive away in either Big Chimney or Elkview, where additional stores and restaurants can be found.
Pinch is full of family owned restaurants such as Rolling Smoke BBQ.
Tudor's Biscuit World in Pinch is known for it's homemade biscuits.
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Flooding possible on Elk River and tributaries
Some flood zones stream throughout Pinch due to several small creeks that feed into the Elk River. These can surge with water during heavy rainstorms, which also presents an issue of shoreline erosion, but most residential areas are not in a special hazard flood zone.Pinch also tends to have very infrequent crime. The community's CAP Index Score of 1 is a stark difference from downtown Charleston, which has a score of 9.
Written By
Tom Jakob
Photography Contributed By
Robert Pierce
Video By
Charles Kennedy
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Crystal Reeves-Paynter,
an experienced agent in this area.
Elkview! This all brick 4br 3 ba home is nestled on a dead-end street. Large open rooms. Gleaming hardwood floors. Tankless water heater! Tesla charger in garage! Large screened-in porch and teakwood flooring. Custom Walk-in shower. Mature tree! Oversized 2 car garage! Storage building! Country setting yet close to city amenities! Close to I-64, shopping, restaurants, downtown Charleston and
This impressive two-story, custom-built brick home is situated in the heart of Pinch, just minutes from Charleston. You will be awed by the gorgeous hardwood floors and custom crown molding the minute you step in the front door. The home sits on a sprawling .65 acre lot, with an oversized three-car garage. The spacious kitchen, featuring gleaming granite countertops, is open to a great eat-in
Nice semi-private furnished 2 BR, 2 BA rancher situated on 2.76 acres; 2 sunrooms, family room with wood vaulted ceiling, den could be 3rd bedroom, plenty of storage with shelving, brick gas log fireplace, breezeway with sitting area and extra shower, 1 car attached garage & 2 12x20 carport, 10x12 shed, new windows 2021, new HVAC 2020, new carpet 2020, new roof 2020, new garage door opener 2021,
Walk Score® measures the walkability of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address. CAP Index provides objective, accurate, and consistent data to help measure, compare, and mitigate crime risks.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
