Sunbright

Sunbright was originally called Pine Top or Pine Knot. The name was later changed to Stapleton. The name "Sunbright" was coined by a convict who was working on the railroad. Stories say that he stood on top of a hill and yelled “Sun Bright!”. The railroad station was named that, and later the town adopted it.

Another small community located in Sunbright is Burrville which was originally called Mount Vernon. The settlement dates back to about 1830. Settlers came from North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky.

The first post office was established in 1881. Mount Vernon Academy was established in 1890. The name was changed to A.B. Wright Institute in 1900. In 1895, James Greer opened a general store in Burrville. Burrville had the first high school in the county. However, it was not a county school at the time.

Today, the towns of Sunbright and Burrville retain a close knit population and a great sense of community.

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