Hampshire County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,093. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town (1762). The county was created by the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...

in 1754, from parts of

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

and Augusta Counties (

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

) and is the state's oldest county. The county lies in both West Virginia's

Eastern Panhandle The Eastern Panhandle is the eastern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia; the other is the Northern Panhandle. It is a small stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Some sources ...

and

Potomac Highlands The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia (or just the Potomac Highlands) () centers on five West Virginian counties (Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton) in the upper Potomac River watershed in the western portion of the state's Eastern P ...

regions. Hampshire County is part of the

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, VA-WV

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

Name

Although its creation was authorized in 1754, Hampshire County was not actually organized until 1757 (WV County Founding Dates and Etymology). Other editions available at

ASIN Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She beg ...

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because the area was not considered safe due to the outbreak of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

(1754–1763). According to

Samuel Kercheval Samuel Kercheval (March 1767 in Frederick County, Virginia – 14 November 1845 in Middletown, Virginia) was a Virginia lawyer and author. His ''A History of the Valley of Virginia'' (1st edition, 1833) provides important primary information on the ...

's ''A History of the Valley of Virginia'' (1833), the county was named in honor of its several prize hogs. The story goes that

Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (22 October 16939 December 1781), was a Scottish peer. He was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and Catherine Colepeper, daughter of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper. The ...

(1693–1781), who owned the Royal Grant to the area, came upon some very large hogs in

and asked where they had been raised. He was told that they were from the

South Branch Potomac River The South Branch Potomac River has its headwaters in northwestern Highland County, Virginia near Hightown along the eastern edge of the Allegheny Front. After a river distance of ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolu ...

Valley (now Hampshire County). He remarked that when a county was formed west of

that he would name it in honor of the county

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, famous for its very fat hogs.

History

Earliest European settlers

Romney was initially settled by hunters and traders around 1725. In 1738,

John Pearsall John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

(or Pearsoll) and his brother

Job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...

built homes and in 1758 a fort (

Fort Pearsall Fort Pearsall was an early frontier fort constructed in 1756 in Romney, West Virginia (then known as Pearsall's Flats, Virginia) to protect local settlers in the South Branch Potomac River valley against Native American raids. The area around pr ...

) for defense against Native Americans in present-day Romney. Their settlement was then known as Pearsall's Flats. In 1748,

sent a surveying party, including 16-year-old

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, to survey his lands along the Potomac and South Branch Potomac

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

s. Washington spent three summers and falls surveying Lord Fairfax's

Northern Neck The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula ...

estate, which included all of the present-day

Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia The Eastern Panhandle is the eastern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia; the other is the Northern Panhandle. It is a small stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Some sources ...

. In April 1748, he laid off several lots in an area known as

the Trough The Trough is a 6-mile long wooded gorge carved by the South Branch Potomac River (SBPR) and situated in the Allegheny Mountains of Hampshire and Hardy Counties, West Virginia, USA. The area was the site of a 1756 skirmish of the French and Ind ...

, about south of Romney, and he is known to have been in present-day Romney on October 19, 1749. Oral traditions claimed that Washington laid present-day Romney out into lots at that time, but written records from that era indicate that Romney was surveyed and laid out into lots by James Genn prior to Washington's arrival. Genn was also employed by Lord Fairfax.

18th century Hampshire County

In 1756,

was constructed on

Job Pearsall Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...

's plantation for protection against Native American raids and George Washington provisioned and garrisoned the Fort at various times until 1758. At that time, there were at least 100 people living in the general area. Following the end of hostilities in the area, Lord Fairfax recognized that more settlers would be interested in moving into the area and that he could earn some extra revenue by selling plots in the town. He sent a survey party to Romney in 1762 to formally lay out the town into 100 lots. At that time, he renamed the town Romney, in honor of the

Cinque Ports The Confederation of Cinque Ports () is a historic group of coastal towns in south-east England – predominantly in Kent and Sussex, with one outlier (Brightlingsea) in Essex. The name is Old French, meaning "five harbours", and alludes to th ...

city on the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. Confusion ensued for several decades concerning land ownership within the town, as counterclaims were made by the original settlers, and those who purchased lots laid out by Lord Fairfax's surveyors. The first meeting of the Hampshire County Court was held in 1757, at

Fort Pleasant Fort Pleasant — formerly known as Fort Van Meter and Town Fort and still also known as the Isaac Van Meter House — is a historic site located near the unincorporated community of Old Fields about 5 miles north of Moorefield in Hardy Count ...

, now Old Fields in Hardy County, and was presided by the Right Honorable

Thomas Bryan Martin Thomas Bryan Martin (1731–1798) was an 18th-century English American land agent, justice, legislator, and planter in the Colony of Virginia, colony (and later U.S. state) of Virginia and in present-day West Virginia. Martin was the land agent ...

, Lord Fairfax's nephew. By that time, Hampshire County's population had fallen dramatically as most of the settlers had fled the county in fear of the Native Americans. The only families remaining lived near Fort Pearsall, near present-day Romney, and Fort Edwards, at present-day Capon Bridge on the

Cacapon River The Cacapon River ( ; meaning Medicine Waters), located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an shallow river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, hunting, and wilderness scenery. As part of the Potoma ...

. The vast majority of the remaining settlers, however, were in the vicinity of present Old Fields-Moorefield-Petersburg and were protected by the several forts in the area, including Fort Pleasant Once the Native Americans were defeated at the

Battle of Point Pleasant The Battle of Point Pleasant, also known as the Battle of Kanawha, was the only major action of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, between the Virginia militia and Shawnee and Mingo warriors. Along the Ohio River near modern-day P ...

in 1774 settlers, once again, returned to the county. Additionally, with the end of the American Revolution, the Virginia Legislature nullified the English grant to Lord Fairfax in the region. The legislature gave fee simple grants to settlers who already had contracts with Lord Fairfax, and opened up the remaining lands as public domain open to settlement. By 1790, when the first national census was taken, Hampshire County had 7,346 residents, making it the second most populous county in the present state of West Virginia at that time.

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

was the most populous county, with 19,713 people. There were nine counties that comprised the present state, with a total population of 55,873 people. During the

Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...

in 1794, many Hampshire County men volunteered to serve under Major General

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (1735–1736July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

to put down the insurrection. The men most likely volunteered at Moorefield in Hardy County and then marched north to

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Allegany County, Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its s ...

. Approximately 1,200 of the 12,950 men under Morgan's command came from the area that would later become West Virginia.

Early churches

Mount Bethel Church Three Churches WV 2004

Many early settlers of the Cacapon area were

German Baptist Brethren German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

(or Dunkers), pacifist farmers who often befriended local natives in frontier areas. Other early missionaries helped to sustain the religious faith of the early European inhabitants. In 1775 two

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

missionaries among a group of settlers moved to the Cacapon and organized the first European church in the county. In 1771 the work of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

was begun, in which later developments led to the formation of the

Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...

. In 1753 Hampshire County had been formed into a parish by the

Protestant Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine Ecclesiastical provinces and dioces ...

and from 1772 until his death in 1777 Rev. Nathaniel Manning served on the Glebe near present-day Moorefield. In 1787 a

Primitive Baptist Primitive Baptists – also known as Hard Shell Baptists, Foot Washing Baptists or Old School Baptists – are conservative Baptists adhering to a degree of Calvinist beliefs who coalesced out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 19th c ...

church was established at North River. Soon after the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

there was preaching by the

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

at different points in the county. In 1792 a Presbyterian church was organized at Romney and another,

Mount Bethel Church Mount Bethel Church is a Presbyterian church located at the junction of County Route 5 (Jersey Mountain Road) and County Route 5/4 (Three Churches Hollow Road) in the unincorporated community of Three Churches, West Virginia, Three Churches north ...

, at Three Churches.

Early industry

The wide lowlands of Hampshire County certainly invited

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

, and fields of

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

and

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

surrounded the important truck-patch of the settler. The rolling uplands offered pasturage for horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs, which were driven across country to market at

. The streams abounded in fish and the mountains contained not only game but timber and stone for early settlers' homes. The limestone was burned for lime at Bloomery Gap, where remains of old lime-kilns give evidence of an early industry. Soon it was discovered that some of the strata contained

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

. Much of it was transported to present-day Keyser, from an area along South Branch Potomac River south of the present limits of the county. In Bloomery Gap, a ruined furnace still stands, mute evidence of another former industry. In the early days the increasing population stimulated not only farming and grazing but every industry of a new country. Hampshire County was also known for its many gunmakers, located on or near the main road from Winchester to Romney. Among them were, Henry Topper, Jacob Kline, George Young, Benjamin Shane, George Glaze, William Britton and the Sheetz Family.

19th century Hampshire County

The building of the

Northwestern Turnpike The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia (Virginia at the time the road was created), important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 183 ...

(

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

) was an integral part of the development of Hampshire County. General Daniel Morgan first suggested the road be built in 1748, but his recommendations were not acted upon until the 1830s. Colonel

Claudius Crozet Claude "Claudius" Crozet (December 31, 1789 – January 29, 1864) was a soldier, educator, and civil engineer. Crozet was born in France and trained as an artillery officer and civil engineer. After the defeat of Napoleon's army, he emigrated t ...

, a Frenchman who had previously worked for

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, engineered the road which connected

Parkersburg Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metro ...

with Winchester, Virginia. The turnpike traversed Hampshire County stretching through the communities of Capon Bridge,

Loom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...

Hanging Rock Hanging Rock may refer to: Australia * Hanging Rock, New South Wales, a mining village on the Northern Tablelands * Hanging Rock, Victoria, a rock formation **''Picnic at Hanging Rock (novel)'', a 1967 novel by Australian author Joan Lindsay ** ...

, Pleasant Dale, Augusta, Frenchburg, Shanks, and Romney. Through the years, Romney became an important rest stop for travelers on the turnpike. This aided the local economy as hotels and taverns began to appear in the area. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, the Hampshire Guards and Frontier Riflemen joined the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. Although there were no major battles in Hampshire County, Romney changed hands at least fifty-six times during the war. It was often a case of one army evacuating the area allowing the opposing army to move into the town. This places Romney second behind Winchester as the town that changed hands the most during the American Civil War. On June 11, 1861, it changed hands twice in the same day. Some local Hampshire County historians speculate that Romney actually changed hands more than Winchester, but there are no surviving records to support the claim. In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into

civil township A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...

s, 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. Between 1866, when Mineral County was formed from the western portion of Hampshire County, and 1871, when part of southern Mineral County was returned to Hampshire, the county was divided into six townships: Bloomery, Capon, Gore, Romney, Sherman, and Springfield. These became magisterial districts in 1872, and a seventh district, Mill Creek, was formed in part from the land that had been in Mineral County from 1866 to 1871.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Route 220 U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways which run east-west. US 220 extends for f ...

West Virginia Route 9 West Virginia Route 9 (WV 9) is a major east–west state highway located in the eastern extents of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The western terminus of the route is at the Maryland state line north of Paw Paw, where WV 9 becomes ...

West Virginia Route 28 West Virginia Route 28 is a north–south route through the Potomac Highlands of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 39 in Huntersville. The northern terminus is at the Maryland state l ...

West Virginia Route 29 West Virginia Route 29 is a north–south state highway located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 55 and West Virginia Route 259 (Corridor H) in Baker, Hardy County. The n ...

West Virginia Route 127 West Virginia Route 127 is an east–west state highway located in northeast West Virginia. The western terminus is at West Virginia Route 29 near Forks of Cacapon in Hampshire County. The eastern terminus is at the Virginia state line wes ...

West Virginia Route 259 West Virginia Route 259 (WV 259) is a state highway in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The state highway runs from the Virginia state line near Mathias north to the Virginia state line at High View. At both termini, the road continues as Virgi ...

Adjacent counties

* Allegany County, Maryland (north) * Morgan County (northeast) *

Frederick County, Virginia Frederick County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,419. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. It is Virginia's northernmost county. ...

(east) * Hardy County (south) * Mineral County (west)

Rivers and streams

South Branch Potomac River South Branch Depot WV 2004

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

***

Capon Springs Run Capon Springs Run is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary stream of the Cacapon River in Hampshire County of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. ...

***

Dillons Run Dillons Run is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 15, 2011 tributary stream of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Th ...

*** Edwards Run *** Mill Branch *** North River **** Grassy Lick Run ****

Tearcoat Creek Tearcoat Creek (officially Tear Coat Creek, per 1931 federal Board on Geographic Names decision) is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 free-flowing tributar ...

*****

Bearwallow Creek Bearwallow Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary stream of Tearcoat Creek, itself a tributary of the North River, making it a part of the ...

Little Cacapon River The Little Cacapon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River in the center of Hampshire County, West Virgini ...

*** North Fork Little Cacapon River *** South Fork Little Cacapon River **

North Branch Potomac River The North Branch Potomac River flows from Fairfax Stone in West Virginia to its confluence with the South Branch Potomac River near Green Spring, West Virginia, where it turns into the Potomac River proper. Course From the Fairfax Stone, the ...

***

Green Spring Run Green Spring Run is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 15, 2011 tributary stream of the North Branch Potomac River in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West ...

*** Big Run *** Buffalo Creek *** Mill Creek *** Mill Run

Mountains

Capon Springs Historical Marker Capon Lake WV 2014 10 05 01

South Branch Mountain South Branch Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest to northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia, rising to its greatest elevation of 3,028 feet (923 m) above sea-level in ...

, * Pinnacle Ridge, *Nathaniel Mountain, *Mill Creek Mountain, *Cacapon Mountain, *Spring Mountain, *Spring Gap Mountain, *North River Mountain, *Cooper Mountain (West Virginia), Cooper Mountain, *Baker Mountain (West Virginia), Baker Mountain, *Patterson Creek Mountain, *Sideling Hill, *Little Cacapon Mountain, *Ice Mountain, *The Devil's Nose,

Other geological formations

*Caudy's Castle *Hanging Rocks *Mechanicsburg Gap *The Trough

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,203 people, 7,955 households, and 5,640 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 11,185 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.04% Race (United States Census), White, 0.83% Race (United States Census), Black or Race (United States Census), African American, 0.24% Race (United States Census), Native American, 0.16% Race (United States Census), Asian, 0.02% Race (United States Census), Pacific Islander, 0.12% from Race (United States Census), other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were Race (United States Census), Hispanic or Race (United States Census), Latino of any race. There were 7,955 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were Marriage, married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.10% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,666, and the median income for a family was $37,616. Males had a median income of $28,884 versus $19,945 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,851. About 12.90% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.70% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 23,964 people, 9,595 households, and 6,606 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 13,688 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.2% white, 1.0% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.0% were Germans, German, 12.9% were Americans, American, 11.9% were Irish people, Irish, and 8.0% were English people, English. Of the 9,595 households, 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 42.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $31,792 and the median income for a family was $45,447. Males had a median income of $36,828 versus $25,347 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,752. About 11.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

During Virginia Secession Convention of 1861, the Virginia Secession Convention, Hampshire County voted against secession, but much of this vote was within what is now part of heavily Unionist and Republican Mineral County, which was detached from it after the war. Following the detachment of Mineral – which was not to give a Democratic majority before 1936 or after 1976 – Hampshire County became solidly Democratic, not voting for any Republican candidate between 1868 and 1952 inclusive. However, since 1968 Hampshire County has not voted for any Democratic presidential candidate apart from Jimmy Carter in 1976, and since 2000 it has suffered the same drastic declines in Democratic support as the rest of socially conservative West Virginia.Cohn, Nate
‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’
''New York Times'', April 24, 2014 Donald Trump won the county by an overwhelming margin in 2016.

Education

Public schools

*Hampshire County Schools *West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind

Private schools

*Maranatha Christian Academy *Slanesville Christian School

Parks and recreation

County parks

*Central Hampshire Park, Augusta *Green Spring Recreational Park, Green Spring *Hampshire Park & 4-H Camp, Romney *Romney Recreation Center, Romney *Shanks Roadside Park, Shanks

Wildlife management areas

*Edwards Run Wildlife Management Area *Fort Mill Ridge Wildlife Management Area *Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area *Short Mountain Wildlife Management Area *South Branch Wildlife Management Area *Wardensville Wildlife Management Area

National forests

*George Washington National Forest

Communities

City

* Romney

Town

* Capon Bridge

Magisterial districts

*Bloomery *Capon *Gore *Mill Creek *Romney *Sherman *Springfield

Census-designated places

*Green Spring, West Virginia, Green Spring *Springfield, West Virginia, Springfield

Unincorporated communities

* Augusta *Barnes Mill, West Virginia, Barnes Mill *Bloomery, Hampshire County, West Virginia, Bloomery *Blues Beach, West Virginia, Blues Beach *Bubbling Spring, West Virginia, Bubbling Spring *Capon Lake, West Virginia, Capon Lake *Capon Springs, West Virginia, Capon Springs *Capon Springs Station, West Virginia, Capon Springs Station *Cold Stream, West Virginia, Cold Stream *Concord, Hampshire County, West Virginia, Concord *Creekvale, West Virginia, Creekvale *Davis Ford, West Virginia, Davis Ford *Delray, West Virginia, Delray *Dillons Run, West Virginia, Dillons Run *Donaldson, Hampshire County, West Virginia, Donaldson *Forks of Cacapon, West Virginia, Forks of Cacapon * Frenchburg *Glebe, West Virginia, Glebe *Good, West Virginia, Good *Grace, Hampshire County, West Virginia, Grace *Hainesville, Hampshire County, West Virginia, Hainesville *

*Higginsville, West Virginia, Higginsville *High View, West Virginia, High View *Hooks Mills, West Virginia, Hooks Mills *Hoy, West Virginia, Hoy *Intermont, West Virginia, Intermont *Jericho, West Virginia, Jericho *Junction, West Virginia, Junction *Kirby, West Virginia, Kirby *Largent, West Virginia, Largent *Lehew, West Virginia, Lehew *Levels, West Virginia, Levels *Little Cacapon, West Virginia, Little Cacapon *

*Mechanicsburg, West Virginia, Mechanicsburg *Millbrook, West Virginia, Millbrook *Millen, West Virginia, Millen *Neals Run, West Virginia, Neals Run *Nero, West Virginia, Nero *North River Mills, West Virginia, North River Mills *Okonoko, West Virginia, Okonoko *Pancake, West Virginia, Pancake *Pin Oak, West Virginia, Pin Oak * Pleasant Dale *Points, West Virginia, Points *Purgitsville, West Virginia, Purgitsville *Rada, West Virginia, Rada *Raven Rocks, West Virginia, Raven Rocks *Ridgedale, Hampshire County, West Virginia, Ridgedale *Rio, West Virginia, Rio *Ruckman, West Virginia, Ruckman *Sector, West Virginia, Sector *Sedan, West Virginia, Sedan * Shanks *Shiloh, Hampshire County, West Virginia, Shiloh *Slanesville, West Virginia, Slanesville *South Branch Depot, West Virginia, South Branch Depot * Three Churches *Valley, West Virginia, Valley *Vance, West Virginia, Vance *Vanderlip, West Virginia, Vanderlip *Wappocomo, West Virginia, Wappocomo *Woodrow, Hampshire and Morgan Counties, West Virginia, Woodrow *Yellow Spring, West Virginia, Yellow Spring

Notable people

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

Official Hampshire County websiteHistoric Hampshire homepageHampshire Review newspaper
{{authority control Hampshire County, West Virginia, Northwestern Turnpike West Virginia counties on the Potomac River 1754 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1754 Counties of Appalachia Winchester, VA–WV MSA