Bramwell is a town in Mercer 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 B ...

, United States, along the

Bluestone River The Bluestone River is a tributary of the New River, 77 mi (124 km) long, in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia in the United States.2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV- VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578.

History

In the 1880s the region around Bramwell began to rapidly grow as a coal mining center with several coal camps operating in the area. The town of Bramwell was officially established in 1888, and was named after J.H. Bramwell, a civil engineer. In the late 1800s the town acquired some notoriety for having the largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States. Numerous large homes were built in the town by wealthy coal operators. On January 7, 1910, part of the downtown area was destroyed by a major fire. Twenty-one buildings were burned to the ground. In 1984, the town was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Many of the houses are early 20th century in design. There is a museum largely devoted to the local coal and train history of the area.

Geography

Bramwell is located at (37.325425, -81.312474). The town is situated along the Bluestone River, just east of the

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 ...

-West Virginia state line. U.S. Route 52 passes through the eastern part of Bramwell, connecting the town with Bluefield to the south and

Northfork ''Northfork'' is a 2003 film directed by Michael Polish and written by Michael and Mark Polish. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2003 and later received a limited release in the United States on July 11, 2003. The film ...

the northwest.

Pinnacle Rock State Park Pinnacle Rock State Park is a day use state park in Mercer County, West Virginia. The park surrounds Pinnacle Rock, a sandstone formation that rises above the surrounding terrain. Features * Pinnacle Rock * Jimmy Lewis Lake * Large stone p ...

lies just southeast of Bramwell. 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 t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Bramwell is located 0.3 miles (0.5 km) from an access point to the Pocohontas Trail system, a component of the Hatfield-McCoy trails. The Hatfield-McCoy trails include over 700 miles (1127 km) of primitive roads typically utilized by dirt bikes and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). These trails are managed by the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Trail Authority.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 364 people, 164 households, and 105 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 214 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.4%

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 o ...

, 3.3%

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 ...

, and 0.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 0.3% of the population. Bramwell WestVirginia main street

There were 164 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.0% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age in the town was 49.7 years. 16.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 31.5% were from 45 to 64; and 23.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 426 people, 189 households, and 120 families living in the town. The

was 712.5 inhabitants per square mile (274.1/km²). There were 237 housing units at an average density of 396.4 per square mile (152.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.67%

, 9.86%

, and 0.47% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.47% of the population. There were 189 households, out of which 16.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.88. In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,979, and the median income for a family was $32,396. Males had a median income of $22,159 versus $15,250 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 town was $13,410. About 9.9% of families and 15.7% 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 26.8% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

* Town Website:

{{authority control Towns in Mercer County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia Bluefield micropolitan area Populated places established in 1888 Coal towns in West Virginia