Pence Springs is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States.

Like most of the surrounding territories, the earliest inhabitants were the mound builders, the Indians after the settlement of Jamestown by Captain John Smith, the Europeans who immigrated into what is now Summers County.

As stated above, the earliest known settler of Pence Springs was William Kincaid, and there are no records to show who else may have settled there at the same time.

One of his daughters Jane married David Jarrett and settled at buffalo Spring on land later known as the Mazi farm.

Jesse Beard, a native of Pocahontas County, owned a large tract of land in what is now Pence Springs.

Beard died at about the close of the Civil war and is buried in the Beard/Nash Cemetery located behind the Buffalo School House.

Pence purchased the property containing the spring, some two hundred and 80 acres (320,000 m2) from the heirs of Jesse Beard.

Through Pence's efforts, the old spring became one of the most famous places in the state of West Virginia and later recognized throughout the nation when its water won the silver medal at the Worlds Fair in St. Lewis in 1904.

The Buffalo School was the next to be established; the original building was recently renovated in 2008 and stands below the Beard Nash Cemetery.

It burned in 1941; following the fire school was held in the Lahey Boarding House until the new brick structure was completed in 1942 on the same site.

Then, on July 20, 1944, according to the deed of sale, "after diligent efforts extending over a period of years, finally obtained a buyer able, ready and willing to meet the price and terms they deem best for the Pence Springs Hotel property."

An item in the Hinton Daily News, dated August 8, 1944, stated: "While no announcement has been made about plans for the resort, it was learned here that the purchasers are planning to spend considerable money to renovate the propterty with a view to opening it as a health resort for nine months of the year.

A supplemental deed, dated October 16, 1944, was later made to the High and Hall Adams Corporation conveying "all rights, title and interest in and to the Pence Springs Hotel property."

Joseph Z. Terrell, President of the West Virginia State Board of Control, was the Warden at the Moundsville Prison.

Terrell brought the matter before the interim committee of the legislature, and on May 20, 1946, they recommended that the board exercise the option.

The following month the Board of Public Works released the funds appropriated by the 1945 Legislature for the purpose of "buying and remodeling the hotel."

Terrell said that as soon as the building could be remodeled the 70 to 90 women who have been housed in the State Prison at Moundsville will be transferred to Pence Springs.

The Adams Corporation retained the adjacent property which contained the mineral spring and bottling plant along with the trade-names and trade-mark used in connection with the hotel and its sulphur water.

Alexander Mahood, a Bluefield architect, was employed by the Board of Control to draw up plans for the necessary alterations needed to convert the former resort into a state penitentiary.

Terrell said that "approximately $35,000 would be needed to install a new water and sewage system and up to $115,000 for other alterations including a new heating plant.

The first phase of this project was the installation of a water intake pump on the banks of the Greenbrier River, and a sewage disposal system.