Warren County is a
U.S. county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the
Commonwealth of
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 ...
. The
2020 United States census places Warren County within the
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 40,727. The county was established in 1836. The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Front Royal.
History
By 1672, the entire
Shenandoah Valley was claimed for hunting by the
Iroquois Confederation following the
Beaver Wars. Some bands of the
Shawnee settled in the area as client groups to the Iroquois and alternately to the Cherokee after 1721. The Iroquois formally sold their entire claim east of the Alleghenies to the
Virginia Colony at the
Treaty of Lancaster in 1744. Warren County was established in 1836 from
Frederick and
Shenandoah Counties.
At that time the county had a population of 7,000 people, a quarter of which were enslaved.
Wedding records show marriages of people born in the 1770s marrying in the 1800s who head households of four to eight "free colored" so the early demographics of the population are unclear. Joist Hite lead the ''Sixteen Families'' into the Lower Shenandoah Valley.
Some consider that group the first European settlers of the area, others believe different claims.
Either way,
Presbyterians of
Scotch-Irish lineage and
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...
followed.
Rail service was established in 1854 with the construction of the Alexandria, Orange and Manassas Gap Railroad between Manassas and Riverton. This line was soon extended to Strasburg in time to become a factor in the
Battle of Front Royal on May 23, 1862, and throughout the Civil War. Lumber, agriculture, manufacturing and grain mills provided employment in the region for decades after the Civil War. The county is named for
Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren (June 11, 1741 – June 17, 1775), a Founding Father of the United States, was an American physician who was one of the most important figures in the Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot movement in Boston, Massachusetts, Bos ...
. During the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
the
Battle of Front Royal took place in the county on May 23, 1862. On September 23, 1864, William Thomas Overby and five others of then Lt. Col.
John S. Mosby's
43rd Virginia Battalion of Partisan Rangers were captured by cavalry troops under the command of then Brig. Gen.
George A. Custer in
Front Royal out of uniform and were executed as spies.
2019 Warren County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jennifer McDonald Scandal
In 2017, questions were raised about the validity of an alleged $40 million economic development deal that had been brought to the community by Curt Tran, the owner of a company called IT Federal, over the redevelopment of the Avtex Superfund site.
[Casey, Dan]
"CASEY: Scandals rock northern Shenandoah Valley town"
'' The Roanoke Times'', Virginia, April 27, 2019.
In 2018,
Warren County Economic Development Authority executive director Jennifer McDonald was charged with filing false police reports about an alleged rock-throwing incident that she claimed had occurred at her home.
In 2019, McDonald and other parties were embroiled in a massive financial scandal that some observers have characterized as the largest embezzlement scheme in the history of the state of Virginia.
The fraud scheme, which involved the alleged embezzlement of $21 million in county funds through fictitious development schemes and insider deals, was uncovered by the
Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Culpeper field office.
The Virginia State Police launched a probe into the business practices of McDonald in conjunction with the
Front Royal Police Department and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
.
[
Sheriff McEathron, who had been indicted after it was revealed he was McDonald's business partner, committed suicide.
Jennifer McDonald was charged with 32 felony counts for her role in the scheme. 14 current and former municipal officials were indicted and faced criminal charges, including the entire Warren County board of supervisors as well as the former Warren County Attorney and the head of the Warren County schools division.]
These charges were later dropped as the judge ruled there was no basis for the allegations.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is water. The highest point is Hogback Mountain in Shenandoah National Park, along the border with Rappahannock County.
Adjacent counties
* Frederick County, Virginia – north
* Clarke County, Virginia – northeast
* Fauquier County, Virginia
Fauquier County is a county (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 72,972. The county seat is Warrenton, Virginia, Warrenton.
Fa ...
– east
* Rappahannock County, Virginia
Rappahannock County is a county (United States), county located in the northern Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, US, adjacent to Shenandoah National Park. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 7,3 ...
– southeast
* Page County, Virginia
Page County is located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 23,709. Its county seat is Luray, Virginia, Luray. Page County was formed in 1831 from She ...
– southwest
* Shenandoah County, Virginia – west
National protected areas
* Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (part)
* George Washington National Forest (part)
* Shenandoah National Park (part)
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
2000 Census
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 31,584 people, 12,087 households, and 8,521 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 13,299 housing units at an average density of . The demographics of the county is (2000) 92.71% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 4.83% Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.27% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.46% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 1.56% of the population were Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race.
There were 12,087 households, out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,422, and the median income for a family was $50,487. Males had a median income of $37,182 versus $25,506 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $19,841. About 6.00% of families and 8.50% 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 8.70% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
For many years, Avtex Fibers (formerly known as the American Viscose Corporation from 1910 to 1976), was the county's largest employer and taxpayer. At its height, it employed over 800 residents throughout Front Royal and Warren County.
Towards the late 1980s, however, the company's main plant in Front Royal was forced to close as a result of numerous environmental violations, which eventually resulted in the site being declared a Superfund
Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...
site. The county, reeling from the sudden loss of jobs and tax revenue, established the Warren County Economic Development Authority (WCEDA) to stimulate and diversify its economy as well as the economy of Town of Front Royal, its county seat. The purpose of the WCEDA is to foster and stimulate industry and economic development within Warren County and the town of Front Royal.
Top employers
According to the county's comprehensive annual financial reports, the top employers by number of employees in the county are the following.
Transportation
* Front Royal Area Transit (FRAT) provides weekday transit for the town of Front Royal.
* Page County Transit - the People Movers provides weekday transit for the town of Luray and weekday service between Luray and Front Royal.
Major highways
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Education
College
* Christendom College
Public schools
* Skyline High School (9–12)
* Warren County High School (9–12)
* Warren County Middle School (6–8)
* Skyline Middle School (6–8)
* A.S. Rhodes Elementary School (K–5)
* E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School (K–5)
* Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School (PreK–5)
* Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary School (K–5)
* Ressie Jefferies Elementary School (K–5)
Preparatory school
* Randolph-Macon Academy (6–12)
Communities
Town
* Front Royal (county seat)
Census-designated places
* Apple Mountain Lake
* Chester Gap (mostly in Rappahannock County)
* Shenandoah Farms
* Shenandoah Shores
* Skyland Estates
Other unincorporated communities
* Ashby
* Bentonville
* Bethel
* Browntown
* Buckton
* Cedarville
* Happy Creek
* Howellsville
* Karo
* Limeton
* Linden
* Milldale
* Nineveh
* Overall
* Reliance
* Riverton
* Rockland
* Waterlick
Politics
Prior to 1952, the county was dominated by the Democratic Party like most counties in Virginia, but between then and 1976, it was a swing county. Since 1980, it has become consistently Republican.
Notable people
* Thomas Ashby, born in Warren County, physician and Maryland state legislator
* Thomas M. Allen, born in Warren County, clergyman and university official in Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Warren County, Virginia
References
{{Coord, 38.91, -78.21, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-VA_source:UScensus1990
Virginia counties
Northern Virginia counties
Washington metropolitan area
1836 establishments in Virginia
Populated places established in 1836