Bath County is a United States county located in the Shenandoah Valley on the central western edge of the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,209, making it the second-least populous county in Virginia. Bath's

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Warm Springs, while the largest community is Hot Springs. Established in 1790, Bath County was named for the natural hot springs found in the region. The county is known for its mountainous terrain and picturesque landscapes, including the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.

History and economy

Bath County was created on December 14, 1790 from parts of Augusta, Botetourt, and Greenbrier Counties. Due to the many mineral springs found in the area, the county was named for the English spa and resort city of

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. In the early 1700s, before the county was formed, the area that subsequently became Bath County was settled by people with ancestry principally in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The families who settled in what has since become Bath County that came to Virginia from England predominantly came from the counties of Derbyshire,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

, the western portion of

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

(where Bath in England is located),

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

and

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

. Like much of the Shenandoah Valley region, Bath had a relatively large share of residents descended from Scots-Irish immigrants and German farmers, both of whom were moving southward from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. By 1800, Bath County's population was mostly subsistence farmers, though some were also artisans and smaller amounts were shopkeepers. Like its namesake, Bath County's economy is focused on tourism and recreation. The county's major employer is The Omni Homestead, a resort and historic hotel built in 1766 as "The Homestead" in

Hot Springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

. Additional recreational opportunities are provided by camping and fishing at Lake Moomaw in the southern part of the county.

Ecology

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in ...

owns more than of forest habitat in the county, established as the Warm Springs Mountain Preserve, which adds additional protection to some of the most ecologically significant habitats in the Central

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

. Montane pine barrens are globally rare habitat, appearing as dwarfed shrublands, and only known in Virginia to occur on Warm Springs Mountain.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (1.0%) are water. 89% of Bath County is forest, with 51% in George Washington National Forest and 6% in Douthat State Park. The county is one of the 423 counties served by the

Appalachian Regional Commission The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a United States federal–state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. Congress established A ...

, and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book '' American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America''. Located along the western central border with West Virginia, Bath County contains a number of villages, including

, Warm Springs, Millboro, and Mountain Grove. Hot Springs and Warm Springs are the most well known of the villages, given their natural mineral springs. Bath County is the only county in Virginia without a traffic signal.

Adjacent counties

* Highland County – north * Augusta County – northeast * Rockbridge County – east * Alleghany County – south *

Greenbrier County, West Virginia Greenbrier County () is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,977. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Montgomery Counties in Virginia. History P ...

– southwest * Pocahontas County, West Virginia – west

National protected areas

* George Washington National Forest (part) * United States National Radio Quiet Zone (part)

Major highways

* * *

Demographics

2020 census

2000 Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,048 people, 2,053 households, and 1,451 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 2,896 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.29%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 6.28%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.10% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.36% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 2,053 households, out of which 28.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.80. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.00% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 99.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,013, and the median income for a family was $41,276. Males had a median income of $30,238 versus $21,974 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,092. 7.80% of the population and 5.80% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 5.40% are under the age of 18 and 12.90% are 65 or older.

Government

Board of Supervisors

*Cedar Creek district: Ron Shifflett (I) *Millboro district: Eddy T. Hicklin (I) *Valley Springs district: H. Lee Fry (I) *Warm Springs district: Roy W. Burns (I) *Williamsville district: Thomas S. Burns (I)

Constitutional officers

*Clerk of the Circuit Court: Annette T. Loan (I) *Commissioner of the Revenue: Angel M. Grimm (I) *Commonwealth's Attorney: John C. Singleton (I) *Sheriff: Robert W. Plecker (I) *Treasurer: Pam Webb (I) Bath County is represented by Democrat Creigh Deeds in the Virginia Senate, Republican Ronnie R. Campbell in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican Ben Cline in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Politics

Economy

Tourism and recreation have been the focus of the economy from the time the county was established. The Omni Homestead, a luxury mountain resort in

, is the county's major employer. The resort grew around the area's mineral springs, such as the Jefferson Pools. (As of July 1, 2018, the Jefferson Pools have been closed by the resort. The pools are anticipated to reopen once the safety of their surrounding structures is verified.) Bath County is also home to the Bath County Pumped Storage Station, a

pumped storage Pumping may refer to: * The operation of a pump, for moving a liquid from one location to another **The use of a breast pump A breast pump is a mechanical device that Lactation, lactating women use to milking, extract milk from their breasts. They ...

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power plant.

Education

The county has two elementary schools (serving students from pre-kindergarten to seventh grade) and one high school (serving students in grades 8 through 12). Around 555 students are enrolled in the school system.

Media

''The Recorder'' is the newspaper of record serving Bath, Highland, and the Allegheny Highlands region of Virginia. Newspaper offices are located in Monterey (Highland County) and Mitchelltown (Bath County).

Communities

Census-designated places

* Warm Springs

Other unincorporated communities

* Armstrong * Ashwood * Bacova * Bacova Junction * Bolar * Burnsville * Carloover * Chimney Run * Crowdertown * Fort Lewis * Green Valley * Healing Springs * McClung * Millboro * Millboro Springs * Mitchelltown * Mountain Grove *

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...

* Switch Back * Thomastown * Tinkertown * West Warm Springs * Williamsville * Yost

Notable people

* Custer LaRue, soprano vocalist * Creigh Deeds, Virginia Senator ( 25th District) * Jailyn Ford, NPF pitcher * Dan Ingalls, computer scientist, president of the Homestead * John Phillips, NFL tight end * Sam Snead, professional golfer

Gallery

Image:The Homestead at night.jpg, The Omni Homestead Resort, a historic hotel that has operated in Bath County since 1766 Oakley Farm, Bath County.jpg, Oakley Farm, with views of the surrounding mountains as seen from Highway 220 Lake Moomaw 2024-1.jpg, Lake Moomaw, a manmade lake providing water supply and recreation to the area. Image:Hot Springs, Virginia 2024.jpg, Main Street of the town of Hot Springs, Virginia Warm Springs Pools-3.jpg, The Warm Springs Pools, historic geothermal pools that are the namesake of Bath County. Bath County Pumped Storage Station.jpg, Bath County Pumped Storage Station is a hydroelectric dam system operated by Dominion Energy and FirstEnergy Homestead-8.jpg, The Homestead ski slopes, located on the side of Warm Springs Mountain

References

External links

*
Bath County Travel Guide
{{authority control Virginia counties 1790 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1790