Founded in 1886, Weems is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
Lancaster County 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 sove ...
of
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 ...
.
It was first drawn as a CDP prior to the
2020 census.
Christ Church, physically located in Weems, was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1961.
Corotoman was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1970.
The community is in southern Lancaster County, at the end of
Virginia State Route 222 (Weems Road) on the north bank of the tidal
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...
, where it is joined by Carter Creek. Via VA 222 it is southwest of
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...
, the largest town in the county. Aside from its historical significance as described above, Weems is a small, mostly residential community, but does operate waterside businesses and is a popular seaman's spot for berthing or entering
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...
. Its majority of residents are middle aged to retirement age (45–80).
References
Further reading
* Jett, Carolyn H. (2003), ''Lancaster County, Virginia: Where the River Meets the Bay''. Lancaster County History Book Committee.
* Berkeley, E., Jr., & the Dictionary of Virginia Biography
"Robert Carter (c. 1664–1732)" In ''Encyclopedia Virginia'' (2013).
* Malmquist, David (April 30, 2019)
"VIMS Christens RV ''Virginia''" Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
External links
Weems community website
Unincorporated communities in Virginia
Unincorporated communities in Lancaster County, Virginia
Census-designated places in Virginia
Census-designated places in Lancaster County, Virginia
{{LancasterCountyVA-geo-stub