Parksley is a town in Accomack County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 842 at the 2010 census. It is home to the

Eastern Shore Railway Museum The Eastern Shore Railway Museum is located at 18568 Dunne Avenue, Parksley, Virginia, United States. The museum exhibits historic trains and equipment. The museum also contains a restored train station with railroad memorabilia from the line ...

Geography

Parksley is located at (37.785078, -75.654222). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

the town has a total area of 0.6 square mile (1.6 km), all land. It lies at an elevation of 43 feet.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 837 people, 363 households, and 226 families living in the town. The human population density was 1,368.5 people per square mile (529.8/km). There were 405 housing units at an average density of 662.2 per square mile (256.3/km). The racial makeup of the town was 82.20% White, 10.75% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 4.30% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.65%. Of the 363 households 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.8% of households were one person and 18.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.87. The age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 81.4 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

for a household in the town was $35,313, and the median family income was $45,227. Males had a median income of $30,909 versus $21,538 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,855. About 4.8% of families and 6.8% 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 ...

, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

History

The history of Parksley is directly tied to the arrival of the New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk YP&NRailroad on Virginia's Eastern Shore in the mid-1880s. When the rail line connecting the lower

Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Eastern Shore of Virginia. The peninsula is l ...

to the markets of the northeast was built in 1884, several new towns were created along its route which bypassed many of the shore's older established communities. Parksley was the second such planned town on the Virginia shore (after Cape Charles at the railroad's southern terminus in Northampton County) and was laid out in 1885 under the management of the Parksley Land Improvement Company. In 1898, town leaders made an unsuccessful attempt to relocate the county seat from Accomac to the Parksley. The town was incorporated in 1904. During the first half of the 20th century, Parksley became an important shipping point for seafood and agricultural products harvested from the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean in Accomack County. During World War II, Parksley was the site of the Shore National Guard Armory and its airfield was utilized by the

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...

, part of military reconnaissance activities guarding the east coast of the United States against possible German invasion. Parksley was home to the Parksley Spuds, a team which played in the

Eastern Shore Baseball League The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not ...

. As of 2021, Parksley has had most of its historic train tracks removed. The removal was approved by the company Canonie Atlantic Co., despite the protests of some locals and

New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad The New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad was a railroad that owned and operated a line that ran down the spine of the Delmarva Peninsula from Delmar, Maryland to Cape Charles, Virginia and then by car float, ferry to Norfolk, Virginia. It ...

. The removal was approved; the only remaining train tracks in Parksley are associated with the Eastern Shore Railway Museum.

Economy

The local economy of Parksley is dominated by the

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

industry; both

Perdue Farms Perdue Farms is the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, based in Salisbury, Maryland. Perdue Foods is a major chicken, turkey, and pork processing company in the United States. Perdue AgriBusiness ranks among the top United S ...

and

Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of broiler industry, chicken, beef, and pork after JBS ...

operate large

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

processing facilities in Parksley.

Transportation

Major highway

Public transportation

STAR Transit A star transit is the passage of a star across the field of view of a telescope eyepiece. The precise observation of star transits is the basis of many methods in astronomy and in geodesy. The measurements can be done in different ways: # v ...

provides

public transit Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of wh ...

services, linking Parksley with Onley, Oak Hall, and other communities in Accomack and

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

counties.

References

External links

Welcome to Parksley Virginia
at ''Eastern Shore Visitor'' {{authority control Towns in Accomack County, Virginia Towns in Virginia Populated places established in 1885 1885 establishments in Virginia