Romney is a town in and the

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 ...

of Hampshire County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 1,722 at the 2020 census.

History

Established by consecutive acts of the Virginia

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established ...

and approved by the governor on December 23, 1762, Romney and Mecklenburg (later renamed Shepherdstown), in Jefferson County, are the oldest towns in

. The bill containing the ''Act for establishing the town of Romney, in the county of Hampshire, and for other purposes therein-mentioned,'' is listed 20th on a list of approved "publick and private bills" and is immediately followed by ''An Act for establishing the town of Mecklenburg, in the county of Frederick.'' Originally settled in 1725 by hunters and traders, Romney was known as Pearsall's Flats and was the site 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 ...

stockade

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 ...

. Named for 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 ...

town of Romney,

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 ...

, England, by

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 on ...

, the town still bears place names and symbols from its colonial past such as its Marsham Street, named for

Robert Marsham Robert Marsham (27 January 17084 September 1797) was an English naturalist considered to be the founding father of phenology, the study of the effects of the seasons on plants and animals. Life He was admitted to Clare College, Cambridge in 172 ...

, 2nd

Baron Romney Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

. It is also home to the

West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) were established by an Act of the Legislature on March 3, 1870. The School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind offer comprehensive educational programs for hearing impaired and vi ...

and the nation's First Confederate Memorial in

Indian Mound Cemetery Indian Mound Cemetery is a cemetery located along the Northwestern Turnpike ( U.S. Route 50) on a promontory of the "Yellow Banks" overlooking the South Branch Potomac River and Mill Creek Mountain in Romney, West Virginia, United States. The ce ...

Geography

Romney is located at (39.344915, -78.756960). 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 city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cold winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Romney has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Romney, West Virginia
/ref>

Transportation

Romney is served by two primary highways, the more prominent of them being

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 ...

. US 50 heads eastward from Romney towards

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 ...

and

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

. To the west, US 50 intersects

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 ...

, climbs the

Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the Rid ...

, briefly enters

Garrett County Garrett County () is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,806, making it the third-least populous county in Maryland. Its county seat is Oakland. The county was named for John Work ...

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 south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and then returns to West Virginia, eventually reaching Grafton. The other primary highway serving Romney is

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 ...

, which heads southward towards Moorefield and north towards

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

and

Interstate 68 Interstate 68 (I-68) is a Interstate Highway in the US states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting I-79 in Morgantown, West Virginia, to I-70 in Hancock, Maryland. I-68 is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway Sy ...

. Although not usually used for daily transport, the

Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Romney, West Virginia. The railroad operates excursion trains over a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line that runs between Green Spring and Petersburg. The West Virginia S ...

has its terminal here.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,848 people, 843 households, and 410 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 967 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 2.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 843 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.4% were non-families. 46.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 41.9 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 23.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.1% male and 55.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,940 people, 884 households, and 454 families living in the city. The

was 2,114.3 people per square mile (814.2/km²). There were 974 housing units at an average density of 1,061.5 per square mile (408.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.91%

, 1.91%

, 0.05% Native American, 0.52%

, 0.21% from

, and 0.41% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.67% of the population. There were 884 households, out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.7% were

living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 44.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.72. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $22,261, and the median income for a family was $34,271. Males had a median income of $28,667 versus $20,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,765. About 17.2% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

* Hampshire High School Sports Complex, US Route 50 East ** Baseball Field, Cross Country Trails, Running Track, Soccer Field, Softball Field * Hampshire Park & 4-H Camp, South Branch River Road (CR 8) ** Picnic Pavilions, Baseball Field, Basketball Court, Volleyball Court, Tennis Courts * Old Romney High School, 111 School Street ** Baseball Field, Basketball Courts, Football Field, Running Track * Romney Recreation Center, 260 School Street ** Swimming Facilities *

Grounds, East Main Street ** Baseball Field, Basketball Courts, Picnic Pavilions, Running Track, Soccer Field, Swimming Facilities

Notable people

Stephen Ailes Stephen Ailes (May 25, 1912 – June 30, 2001) was a prominent member of the District of Columbia Bar and a partner in the firm of Steptoe & Johnson. He served as the United States Under Secretary of the Army from February 9, 1961, to January 28, ...

, 8th

United States Secretary of the Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

* William Armstrong,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

* John Rinehart Blue, state legislator * William C. Clayton, state legislator *

Edna Brady Cornwell Edna Brady Cornwell (1868–1958) was the wife of former Governor of West Virginia John J. Cornwell and served as that state's First Lady, 1917-1921. She was born May 26, 1868, at Romney, West Virginia. In 1891 she married John J. Cornwell, publis ...

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

of West Virginia *

John J. Cornwell John Jacob Cornwell (July 11, 1867 – September 8, 1953) was a Democratic politician from Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia. Cornwell served as the 15th Governor of the US state of West Virginia. Cornwell also served in the West Vir ...

, 15th

Governor of West Virginia A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

* William B. Cornwell, lawyer and businessman * John Collins Covell, principal of the

* Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy, state legislator * Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy, lawyer *

Henry Bell Gilkeson Henry Bell Gilkeson (June 6, 1850 – September 29, 1921) was an American lawyer, politician, school administrator, and banker in West Virginia. Gilkeson was born in Moorefield, Virginia (now West Virginia), the eldest child of a dry good ...

, state legislator and principal of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind *

Howard Hille Johnson Howard Hille Johnson (February 19, 1846 – February 8, 1913) was a blind American educator and writer in the states of Virginia and West Virginia. Johnson was instrumental in the establishment of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf an ...

, founder of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind *

James Sloan Kuykendall James Sloan Kuykendall (December 9, 1878 – February 12, 1928) was an American farmer, lawyer, and Democratic politician in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Kuykendall was twice elected as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates repre ...

, state legislator * Charles S. Lawrence,

Institute of Food Technologists The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is an international, non-profit scientific society of professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related areas in academia, government and industry. It has more than 17,000 members from ...

Executive Vice President *

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 ...

, colonial-era Virginia politician *

Angus William McDonald Angus William McDonald (February 14, 1799 – December 1, 1864) was a 19th-century American Officer (armed forces), military officer and lawyer in the U.S. state of Virginia. He also served as a Colonel (United States), colonel in command of th ...

Confederate States 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 ...

colonel *

Marshall McDonald Marshall McDonald (October 18, 1835 – September 1, 1895) was an American engineer, geologist, mineralogist, pisciculturist, and fisheries scientist. McDonald served as the commissioner of the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries f ...

United States Fish Commission The United States Fish Commission, formally known as the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, was an agency of the United States government created in 1871 to investigate, promote, and preserve the fisheries of the United States. In 1 ...

er *

Jerry Mezzatesta Jerry Mezzatesta is an American Democratic Party politician, who has represented the U.S. state of West Virginia. He was the West Virginia House of Delegates member from the 50th District which represents Mineral County and Hampshire County in ...

, state legislator * Alexander W. Monroe, Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates * Samuel Mulledy, academic *

Thomas Mulledy Thomas F. Mulledy ( ; August 12, 1794 – July 20, 1860) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who became the president of Georgetown College, a founder of the College of the Holy Cross, and a Jesuit provincial superior. His brother, ...

, academic * Ann Pancake, author * Chet Pancake, filmmaker *

Sam Pancake Sam Pancake (born May 10, 1964) is an American actor, improviser, writer, and comedian. He began his career with small roles in TV and film, such as ''Wings (1990 TV series), Wings'' in 1990 and ''Pizza Man (1991 film), Pizza Man'' in 1991. Ear ...

, actor * Isaac Parsons, state legislator * Isaac Parsons, Confederate military officer and politician *

Lee Hawse Patteson Lee Hawse Patteson (1902–1955) was the wife of former Governor of West Virginia Okey L. Patteson and served as that state's First Lady, 1949-1953. She was born May 28, 1902, at Romney, West Virginia. She married Okey L. Patteson in 1923. As ...

, First Lady of West Virginia *

Randall Terry Randall Allen Terry (born 1959) is an American activist and political candidate. Terry founded the anti-abortion organization Operation Rescue, which he later abandoned. Beginning in 1987, the group became particularly prominent for blockading t ...

, anti-abortion activist *

Christian Streit White Christian Streit White (March 10, 1839 – January 28, 1917) was an American military officer, lawyer, court clerk, pisciculturist, and politician in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. During the American Civil War, White served ...

, local politician * John Baker White, local politician * John Baker White, West Virginia Board of Control member * Robert White,

Attorney General of West Virginia Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

* Robert White, state legislator * Charles M. Williams,

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

professor *

Andrew Wodrow Andrew Wodrow (1752–1814) was a prominent Scottish American merchant, militia officer, clerk of court A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an o ...

, local politician * Joshua Soule Zimmerman, state legislator

References

* Ailes, John C. ''Romney, West Virginia, 1762-1962''. Romney, West Virginia, Hampshire Review, 1962. * Ambler, Charles Henry. "Romney In The Civil War." ''West Virginia History'', Charleston, West Virginia, 1943–44. Arc 1. 4: 5. * Ansel, William H., Jr. ''Frontier Forts Along The Potomac And Its Tributaries''. Parsons, West Virginia, McClain Publishing Company, reprint 1995. * Brannon, Selden W. ''Historic Hampshire''. Parsons, West Virginia, McClain Printing Company, 1976. * Hampshire County 250th Anniversary Committee: ''Hampshire County, West Virginia, 1754-2004''. 2004. * Maxwell, Hu. ''History of Hampshire County, West Virginia: From its earliest settlement to the present''. Morgantown, West Virginia, A.B. Boughner, 1897. * Romney Town Council. ''Historic Romney, 1762-1937''. Romney, 1937. * Sauers, Richard A. ''The Devastating Hand of War: Romney, West Virginia During the Civil War''. Leesburg, Virginia, Gauley Mount Press, 2000. FirstRomneyHighSchool

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Romney, West Virginia 1762 establishments in Virginia Cities in Hampshire County, West Virginia Cities in West Virginia County seats in West Virginia Hampshire County, West Virginia, in the American Civil War Northwestern Turnpike Populated places established in 1762 Populated places in the Cumberland, MD-WV MSA Populated places on the South Branch Potomac River American Civil War sites in West Virginia