Berkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 39°28′N 78°02′W / 39.47°N 78.03°W | |
Country | United States |
State | West Virginia |
Founded | May 15, 1772 |
Seat | Martinsburg |
and largest city | |
Government | |
• Commission President | Jim Whitacre (R)[1][2] |
• County Commission | James Barnhart H.D. Boyd (R)[3] Steve Catlett (R)[4] |
Area | |
• Total | 832.8 km2 (321.56 sq mi) |
• Land | 831.8 km2 (321.15 sq mi) |
• Water | 1.1 km2 (0.41 sq mi) 0.5% |
• Rank | 40th |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 122,076 |
• Estimate (2021) | 126,069 |
• Rank | 2nd |
• Density | 146.77/km2 (380.12/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Area code(s) | 304, 681 |
Congressional district | 2nd |
Senate districts | 15th, 16th |
House of Delegates districts | 90th-97th |
Website | http://www.berkeleywv.org/ |
Berkeley County is located in the
History
Created on May 15, 1772,[6] by an act[7] of House of Burgesses from the northern third of Frederick County when it was part of Virginia, Berkeley County went on to become West Virginia's second-oldest county after that state seceded from Virginia in 1863, during the Civil War. At the time of the county's formation, Berkeley County comprised areas that now are part of present-day Jefferson and Morgan counties in West Virginia.
Most historians believe the county was named for
Despite his differences with the House of Burgesses, Berkeley was well respected by the colonists, especially after he sent Parliament letters encouraging it to repeal the taxes. When Parliament refused to rescind them, Governor Berkeley requested to be recalled. In appreciation of his efforts, the colonists erected a monument to his memory which stands in Williamsburg, and two counties were later named in his honor: Berkeley in present-day West Virginia and Botetourt in Virginia.
Other historians claim Berkeley County may have been named in honor of Sir
Early settlers
According to missionary reports, several thousand
During the early 18th century, West Virginia's eastern panhandle region was inhabited by the
Following the
During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the Mingo and Shawnee, headquartered at Chillicothe, allied themselves with the British. In 1777, a party of 350 Wyandots, Shawnees and Mingos, armed by the British, attacked Fort Henry, near present-day Wheeling. Nearly half of the soldiers manning the fort were killed in the three-day assault. The Indians then left the area celebrating their victory. For the remainder of the war, smaller raiding parties of Mingo, Shawnee, and other Indian tribes terrorized settlers throughout northern and eastern West Virginia. As a result, European settlement throughout present-day West Virginia, including the eastern panhandle, came to a virtual standstill until the war's conclusion.
Following the war, the Mingo and Shawnee, once again allied with the losing side, returned to their homes. As the number of settlers in present-day West Virginia began to grow, both the Mingo and Shawnee moved further inland, leaving their traditional hunting ground to the white settlers.[citation needed]
17th-century European explorers
In 1670,
The 18th century
The next known explorer to traverse the county was John Van Meter (1683–1745) in the 1730s. He came across the Potomac River, at what is now known as Shepherdstown, then he made his way to the South Branch Potomac River. In 1726, Morgan Morgan moved from Delaware and founded the first permanent English settlement of record in West Virginia on Mill Creek near the present-day Bunker Hill in Berkeley County. The state of West Virginia erected a monument in Bunker Hill commemorating the event, and placed a marker at Morgan's grave, which is located in a cemetery near the park. Morgan Morgan and his wife, Catherine Garretson, had eight children. His son, Zackquill Morgan, later founded present-day Morgantown.
In 1730, John Van Meter, with his brother Isaac (1692–1757),[9] secured a patent for 40,000 acres (160 km2) at the South Branch Potomac River, much of it in present-day Berkeley County, from Virginia's Colonial Lieutenant Governor William Gooch. Part of the land was sold the following year to Hans Yost Heydt, also known as Joist Hite or Jost Hite. In 1732, Heydt (Hite) and fifteen families set out from York, Pennsylvania, passed through present-day Berkeley County, and settled near present-day Winchester, Virginia. In 1744 Isaac Van Meter moved to a site near Moorefield — then part of Hampshire County, but now in Hardy County (see Fort Pleasant) — where he was later scalped and killed by Indians. (His brother John settled and died in Winchester, Virginia.)
In 1748,
The 19th century
Berkeley County was reduced in size twice during the 19th century. On January 8, 1801, Jefferson County was formed out of the county's eastern section. Then, on February 9, 1820, Morgan County was formed out of the county's western section and parts of Hampshire County.
Berkeley County was strategically important to both the North and the South during the
Most of Berkeley County's residents were loyal to the South during the American Civil War. There were seven companies of soldiers recruited from the county: five for the Confederate Army and two for the Union Army. [citation needed]
Yet it was (then-Colonel) Stonewall Jackson who wrote to Robert E. Lee, "... I regret to say that in Berkeley things are growing worse, and that the threats from Union men are calculated to curb the expression of Southern feeling."[10]
A member of the Stonewall Brigade also wrote, "We left Winchester the first of this week [in June, 1861] and came to Berkeley County, the meanest Abolition hole on the face of the earth, Martinsburg especially."[11]
At least six hundred men from Berkeley County served in either the Confederate Army or the Union Army.[citation needed] When the vote for separation from Confederate Virginia was held, the majority voted for the Union creation of the state of West Virginia.
Berkeley County was also the home of
Joining West Virginia
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Berkeley and Jefferson counties, both lying on the
In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.[14] Berkeley County was divided into seven districts: Arden, Falling Waters, Gerrardstown, Hedgesville, Martinsburg, Mill Creek, and Opequon.[i] The town of Martinsburg was originally co-extensive with Martinsburg District, but later spread into adjoining districts. Between 1990 and 2000, Berkeley County was redivided into six magisterial districts: Adam Stephens, Norborne, Potomac, Shenandoah, Tuscarora, and Valley.[15]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 322 square miles (830 km2), of which 321 square miles (830 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.1%) is water.[16]
Mountains and hills
- Third Hill Mountain – highest and most topographically prominent peak in the county
Rivers and streams
- Potomac River
- Back Creek
- Tilhance Creek
- Cherry Run
- Meadow Branch (tributary of Sleepy Creek in Morgan County)
- Opequon Creek
- Middle Creek
- Mill Creek
- Tuscarora Creek
Agricultural land and conservation easements
As of 2017, Berkeley County had 53 farmland easements which place permanent restrictions on development, covering 5,133 acres of land, according to the Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board.[17]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Washington County, Maryland (north)
- Jefferson County (southeast)
- Frederick County, Virginia (south)
- Morgan County (northwest)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 19,713 | — | |
1800 | 22,006 | 11.6% | |
1810 | 11,479 | −47.8% | |
1820 | 11,211 | −2.3% | |
1830 | 10,518 | −6.2% | |
1840 | 10,972 | 4.3% | |
1850 | 11,771 | 7.3% | |
1860 | 12,525 | 6.4% | |
1870 | 14,900 | 19.0% | |
1880 | 17,380 | 16.6% | |
1890 | 18,702 | 7.6% | |
1900 | 19,469 | 4.1% | |
1910 | 21,999 | 13.0% | |
1920 | 24,554 | 11.6% | |
1930 | 28,030 | 14.2% | |
1940 | 29,016 | 3.5% | |
1950 | 30,359 | 4.6% | |
1960 | 33,791 | 11.3% | |
1970 | 36,356 | 7.6% | |
1980 | 46,846 | 28.9% | |
1990 | 59,253 | 26.5% | |
2000 | 75,905 | 28.1% | |
2010 | 104,169 | 37.2% | |
2020 | 122,076 | 17.2% | |
2022 (est.) | 129,490 | [18] | 6.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census[19] 1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21] 1990–2000[22] 2010–2020[5] |
2020 census
As of the
Of the 50,841 households, 48.6% were married couples living together, 23.5% had a female householder with no spouse present, 17.6% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 2.96. The median age in the county was 38.5 years with 22.9% of the population under 18. The median income for a household was $71,733 and the poverty rate was 9.2%.[23]
2010 census
As of the
Of the 39,855 households, 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.0% were non-families, and 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 37.6 years.[24]
The median income for a household in the county was $52,857 and the median income for a family was $64,001. Males had a median income of $45,654 versus $34,239 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,460. About 7.0% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the
2000 census
As of the
There were 29,569 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,763, and the median income for a family was $44,302. Males had a median income of $32,010 versus $23,351 for females. The
Government and public safety
County government
Berkeley County has an elected five member County Commission.[29]
Berkeley County Sheriff
The Sheriff's Office operates the county jail, provides court protection, provides county building and facility security, and provides patrol and detective services for unincorporated areas of the county.[30] Martinsburg has a municipal police department.
Berkeley County Emergency Ambulance Authority
Emergency medical services for the county are provided by career employees of the BCEAA. A third service organization with an independent agency council which includes an elected member of the county council. BCEAA is responsible for all EMS throughout the county and is separate from the volunteer fire departments in the area.
Politics
After having leaned strongly towards the Democratic Party between the New Deal and Bill Clinton’s presidency, most of West Virginia has since 2000 seen a powerful swing towards the Republican Party due to declining unionization[31] and differences with the Democratic Party’s liberal views on social issues.[32] Berkeley County, in contrast, was in the majority opposed to secession at the Virginia Secession Convention[33][34] and has voted solidly Republican over most of the century and a half since, with the exception of Democratic landslides. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Berkeley County since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. However, likely due to its exurban DC status, it has not swung to the right as much as West Virginia as a whole, and has voted increasingly more Democratic than the state beginning in 2008.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 33,279 | 64.57% | 17,186 | 33.35% | 1,074 | 2.08% |
2016 | 28,244 | 65.13% | 12,321 | 28.41% | 2,799 | 6.45% |
2012 | 22,156 | 59.39% | 14,275 | 38.26% | 876 | 2.35% |
2008 | 20,841 | 55.72% | 15,994 | 42.76% | 565 | 1.51% |
2004 | 21,293 | 63.03% | 12,244 | 36.24% | 248 | 0.73% |
2000 | 13,619 | 59.19% | 8,797 | 38.23% | 594 | 2.58% |
1996 | 9,859 | 47.92% | 8,321 | 40.44% | 2,396 | 11.64% |
1992 | 9,134 | 45.60% | 7,159 | 35.74% | 3,736 | 18.65% |
1988 | 10,761 | 62.80% | 6,313 | 36.84% | 61 | 0.36% |
1984 | 12,887 | 67.50% | 6,181 | 32.37% | 24 | 0.13% |
1980 | 9,955 | 57.04% | 6,783 | 38.86% | 716 | 4.10% |
1976 | 8,935 | 52.10% | 8,216 | 47.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
1972 | 10,954 | 70.78% | 4,523 | 29.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 7,223 | 49.91% | 4,929 | 34.06% | 2,321 | 16.04% |
1964 | 5,457 | 38.74% | 8,628 | 61.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 8,369 | 54.20% | 7,072 | 45.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 9,071 | 61.62% | 5,649 | 38.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 8,149 | 53.40% | 7,111 | 46.60% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 6,042 | 46.94% | 6,797 | 52.80% | 34 | 0.26% |
1944 | 6,151 | 51.39% | 5,819 | 48.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 6,562 | 43.11% | 8,658 | 56.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 6,585 | 44.02% | 8,336 | 55.72% | 39 | 0.26% |
1932 | 6,370 | 47.09% | 7,009 | 51.81% | 148 | 1.09% |
1928 | 8,477 | 70.30% | 3,540 | 29.36% | 42 | 0.35% |
1924 | 5,427 | 53.18% | 4,366 | 42.78% | 412 | 4.04% |
1920 | 5,259 | 53.95% | 4,399 | 45.13% | 90 | 0.92% |
1916 | 2,802 | 48.09% | 2,938 | 50.43% | 86 | 1.48% |
1912 | 1,349 | 25.02% | 2,703 | 50.14% | 1,339 | 24.84% |
Communities
City
- Martinsburg (county seat)
Town
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Allensville
- Arden
- Baker Heights
- Baxter
- Bedington
- Berkeley
- Bessemer
- Blairton
- Bunker Hill
- Darkesville
- Douglas Grove
- Files Crossroad
- Ganotown
- Georgetown
- Gerrardstown
- Glengary
- Greensburg
- Grubbs Corner
- Hainesville
- Johnsontown
- Jones Springs
- Little Georgetown
- Marlowe
- Nipetown
- Nollville
- North Mountain
- Pikeside
- Ridgeway
- Scrabble
- Shanghai
- Spring Mills
- Swan Pond
- Tablers Station
- Tarico Heights
- Tomahawk
- Union Corner
- Van Clevesville
- Vanville
- Winebrenners Crossroad
- Wynkoop Spring
Magisterial districts
- Adam Stephen
- Norborne
- Potomac
- Shenandoah
- Tuscarora
- Valley
Notable people
- Victoria "Vicky" Bullett, former professional women's basketball player, member of the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic Teams that won gold and bronze medals respectively.
- Christopher Martinka, an award-winning Scottish-American documentary photographer.[36]
- Thomas Hinds (1780–1840), a military hero of the War of 1812, US Congressman, and namesake of Hinds County, Mississippi.[37]
- William Robinson Leigh (1866–1955), an American artist who specialized in Western scenes, was born at Maidstone Manor.
- Christian Lopez (born 1995), an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
See also
- Berkeley County Schools
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkeley County, West Virginia
Footnotes
- ^ Over time, Falling Water and Gerardstown came to be spelled "Falling Waters" and "Gerrardstown", but both spellings were in use for several decades.
References
- ^ "2020 General Election Results: Barbour County". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Berkely County Commission". Berkeley County. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "How to vote in Berkeley County, WV". Mountain State Spotlight. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "How to vote in Berkeley County, WV". Mountain State Spotlight. Retrieved January 9, 2024.(European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU 451: Unavailable due to legal reasons)
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "Hening's Statutes at Large, Vol. 8, Chapter XLIII". VAGenWeb. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- ^ ""An act for dividing the county of Frederick into three distinct counties" Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia 1770-1772". Internet Archive. Richmond: Printed by Thomas W. White. pp. 314–316. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- Siege of Calais), who had acquired the manor of Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, in 1337, the second son of Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley(1271–1326).
- ^ Their father was Joost Jansen Van Metern (or John Van Meter; 1656-1706) who had been born in Gelderland, the Netherlands and died in Salem County, New Jersey.
- ^ The War of the Rebellion (Official Records), series 1, vol. 2, page 863; May 21, 1861
- ^ Ted Barclay, 4th Va Inf., letter to his mother, June 22, 1861
- ^ The Berkeley County, WV Historical Society
- ^ Virginia v. West Virginia, 78 U.S. 39 (1871).
- ^ Otis K. Rice & Stephen W. Brown, West Virginia: A History, 2nd ed., University Press of Kentucky, Lexington (1993), p. 240.
- U.S. Decennial Census, Tables of Minor Civil Divisions in West Virginia, 1870–2010.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
- ^ Hoffer, Audrey (August 2, 2017). "Farm community in West Virginia aims to be a model for restricting development". Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ "Quick Facts Berkeley County, West Virginia". Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ Berkeley County website
- ^ Sheriff office website.
- ^ Schwartzman, Gabe; ‘How Central Appalachia Went Right’; Daily Yonder, January 13, 2015
- ^ Cohn, Nate; ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’, The New York Times, April 24, 2014
- ISBN 0595268404
- ISBN 0803219369
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ "RPS Member Portfolio". Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Thomas Hinds," Jefferson County website, www.jeffersoncountyms.org/
Sources
- Aler, F. Vernon. 1888. Aler's History of Martinsburg and Berkeley County, West Virginia: From the Origin of the Indians ..., Hagerstown, MD: Mail Publishing Company
- Doherty, William T. Berkeley County, U.S.A.: A Bicentennial History of a Virginia and West Virginia County, 1772-1972. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing Company, 1972
- Evans, Willis F. History of Berkeley County, West Virginia. Wheeling, WV, 1928 (unknown publisher)
- Dilger, Dr. Robert Jay, Director, Institute for Public Affairs and Professor of Political Science at West Virginia University