Mathias is an unincorporated community along the Lost River in Hardy County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Mathias lies off West Virginia Route 259. Before the consolidated school of East Hardy High School at Baker, Mathias had its own educational facility, Mathias School, which served grades Kindergarten through twelfth. Mathias has one bank (Summit Community Bank), two restaurants, a post office, one community center, car wash, laundromat, one gas station, a strip club (Paradise City), as well as Lost River State Park. It was founded by John Mathias. At one point it was also home to a mechanic's shop, which exploded due to a gas pipe failure. The explosion was a result of the failure a one-inch rural field tap, which forced gas to migrate to the neighboring building, the Mathias Garage. The resulting explosion injured 5 individuals as noted in CASE NO. 07- 15 8 1 -GT-PC, as reviewed by the WV Public Services Commission. The wreckage and debris are still there, along SR 259 across the historic Mathias Home and Community Center Property. Those in search of Prickly Pear Cactus will find them along the shale cliff located across SR 259 from the debris pile.