The
Eastern Panhandle of West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering
MarylandMaryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium. According to the U.S...
and
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan as members of the Eastern Panhandle. Others view the region as comprising a total of eight counties.
Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties were forced reluctantly to join the new Unionist state of West Virginia in 1863 so that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad along the
Potomac RiverThe Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately 383 statute miles long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles . In terms of area, this makes the Potomac River the fourth largest river along the...
would remain safely in
UnionDuring the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that tried to form the Confederacy...
hands.
The
Eastern Panhandle of West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering
MarylandMaryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium. According to the U.S...
and
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan as members of the Eastern Panhandle. Others view the region as comprising a total of eight counties.
History
Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties were forced reluctantly to join the new Unionist state of West Virginia in 1863 so that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad along the
Potomac RiverThe Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately 383 statute miles long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles . In terms of area, this makes the Potomac River the fourth largest river along the...
would remain safely in
UnionDuring the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that tried to form the Confederacy...
hands. Shortly after West Virginia gained statehood, Mineral and Grant counties were created from Hampshire and Hardy in 1866.
The Eastern Panhandle includes West Virginia's
oldest chartered townsThere has been a long-running dispute over which town in West Virginia is the oldest. The dispute between Shepherdstown and Romney goes back well before West Virginia even became a state....
(1762) of
RomneyRomney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 1700s...
and
ShepherdstownShepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA. Shepherdstown claims to be the oldest town in the state. In 1734, Thomas Shepherd was granted , on the south side of the Potomac river. From that tract, he selected and laid out a town. He named his town Mecklenburg and petitioned...
. The Panhandle also includes West Virginia's two oldest counties:
HampshireHampshire County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 20,203. Its county seat is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town . Hampshire County was created by the Virginia General Assembly on December 13, 1753, from parts of Frederick and Augusta counties ...
(1753) and
BerkeleyBerkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2008, the population is 102,044, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
(1772).
Geography
The Eastern Panhandle also includes both West Virginia's highest and lowest elevations above sea level:
Spruce KnobSpruce Knob, at , is the highest point in the state of West Virginia and the summit of Spruce Mountain, the tallest mountain in the Alleghenies.-Overview:Its summit has a definite alpine feel, much more so than other mountains of the Southern Appalachians...
, 4,863 feet (1,482 m), in Pendleton and
Harpers FerryHarpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. In many books the town is called "Harper's Ferry" with an apostrophe....
, 240 feet (73 m), in Jefferson on the Potomac River.
The eight counties in the eastern panhandle are:
- Berkeley
Berkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2008, the population is 102,044, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
- Grant
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population is 11,299. Its county seat is Petersburg. Grant County was created from Hardy County in 1866 and named for General Ulysses Simpson Grant. After the American Civil War, there was an effort by former...
- Hampshire
Hampshire County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 20,203. Its county seat is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town . Hampshire County was created by the Virginia General Assembly on December 13, 1753, from parts of Frederick and Augusta counties ...
- Hardy
Hardy County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 12,669. Its county seat is Moorefield. Hardy County was created from Hampshire County in 1786 and named for Samuel Hardy, a distinguished Virginian....
- Jefferson
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 42,190. Its county seat is Charles Town...
- Mineral
Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 27,078. Its county seat is Keyser.-Pre-colonial history:...
- Morgan
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2008, the population was 16,325. Its county seat is Berkeley Springs. The county is one of three in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- Pendleton
Pendleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 8,196. Its county seat is Franklin. Pendleton County was created in 1788 from parts of Augusta, Hardy, and Rockingham Counties and named for Edmund Pendleton, a distinguished statesman and...
Population
According to the
2000 CensusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the eight counties of the Eastern Panhandle had a combined population of 212,483 giving the region 11.75% of West Virginia's population. Berkeley County is the Panhandle's most populous county with an estimated 99,734 residents (2007). Berkeley also includes the Panhandle's largest city,
MartinsburgMartinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2008 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,020, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
, with a 2007 estimated population of 16,450.
Population growth
| County |
2007 (estimate) |
2000 |
1990 |
1980 |
1970 |
1960 |
1950 |
| Berkeley |
99,734 |
75,905 |
59,253 |
46,846 |
36,356 |
33,791 |
30,359 |
| Grant |
11,925 |
11,299 |
10,428 |
10,218 |
8,607 |
8,304 |
8,756 |
| Hampshire |
22,577 |
20,203 |
16,498 |
14,867 |
11,710 |
11,705 |
12,577 |
| Hardy |
13,661 |
12,669 |
10,977 |
10,051 |
8,855 |
9,308 |
10,032 |
| Jefferson |
50,832 |
42,190 |
35,926 |
30,311 |
21,280 |
18,665 |
17,184 |
| Mineral |
26,722 |
27,078 |
26,697 |
27,159 |
23,109 |
22,354 |
22,333 |
| Morgan |
16,351 |
14,943 |
12,128 |
10,696 |
8,547 |
8,376 |
8,276 |
| Pendleton |
7,650 |
8,196 |
8,054 |
7,935 |
7,031 |
8,093 |
9,313 |
| TOTAL |
249,452 |
212,483 |
179,961 |
158,083 |
125,495 |
120,596 |
118,830 |
Housing growth
The Eastern Panhandle is West Virginia's fastest growing region in terms of population and housing growth. In July 2005, the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
released a list of the top 100 counties according to housing growth. Berkeley County grew 3.95 percent, from 36,365 housing units in 2003 to 37,802 units in 2004. That growth rate was 86th in the nation among the 3,141 United States counties. Jefferson County was not far behind at 88th in the nation. It grew 3.94 percent from 19,381 housing units in 2003 to 20,144 units in 2004.
Largest municipalities
The majority of the Eastern Panhandle's growing residential developments are located outside of city and town boundaries and therefore are not included in the city or town's official population.
| City |
2006 (estimate) |
2000 |
1990 |
County |
MartinsburgMartinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2008 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,020, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
|
16,392 |
14,972 |
14,073 |
Berkeley |
KeyserKeyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census. Keyser is styled as the "Friendliest City in the U.S.A.".- History :Keyser was originally...
|
5,334 |
5,303 |
5,870 |
Mineral |
| Ranson Ranson is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,951 at the 2000 census...
|
3,957 |
2,951 |
2,890 |
Jefferson |
Charles TownCharles Town is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States.Charles Town is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States....
|
3,869 |
2,907 |
3,122 |
Jefferson |
| Petersburg Petersburg is a city in Grant County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,423 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. Petersburg was founded circa 1745 by Jacob Peterson, who owned the area's first merchandising store...
|
2,695 |
2,423 |
2,360 |
Grant |
MoorefieldMoorefield is a town in Hardy County, West Virginia, USA. Moorefield is the county seat of Hardy County. It was originally chartered in 1777 and named for Conrad Moore, who owned the land upon which the town was laid out...
|
2,426 |
2,375 |
2,148 |
Hardy |
RomneyRomney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 1700s...
|
1,971 |
1,940 |
1,966 |
Hampshire |
| Shepherdstown Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA. Shepherdstown claims to be the oldest town in the state. In 1734, Thomas Shepherd was granted , on the south side of the Potomac river. From that tract, he selected and laid out a town. He named his town Mecklenburg and petitioned...
|
1,172 |
803 |
1,287 |
Jefferson |
| Bolivar Bolivar is a town in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The population was 1,045 at the 2000 census. Originally known as Mudfort, Bolivar was granted a charter as a town by the Virginia General Assembly in December 1825...
|
1,087 |
1,045 |
1,013 |
Jefferson |
| Piedmont Piedmont is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census. Piedmont was chartered in 1856...
|
935 |
1,014 |
1,094 |
Mineral |
NOTE: This list does not include the unincorporatedIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city or town with its own government. Thus, an unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a type of place identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
s of InwoodInwood is a census-designated place in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, located south of Martinsburg. The population was 2,084 at the 2000 census....
(pop. 2,084) and Fort AshbyFort Ashby is an census-designated place in Mineral County, West Virginia along Patterson Creek. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,354 at the 2000 census...
(pop. 1,354). The U.S. Census Bureau does not release estimates for CDPs. The population figures listed are from the 2000 census.
Statistical areas
Several counties in the Eastern Panhandle are part of
metropolitanA metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
, micropolitan, and consolidated metropolitan statistical areas defined by the
United States Office of Management and BudgetThe Office of Management and Budget is a Cabinet-level office, and is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States...
.
| MSA/CMSA |
Population (2000 The Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
) |
WV Counties |
| Cumberland, MD-WV MSA Cumberland, MD-WV MSA, or Cumberland Metro for short, denotes the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Cumberland, Maryland and the surrounding economic region of Allegany County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia....
|
102,008 |
Mineral |
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSAThe Hagerstown Metropolitan Area, officially designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Maryland-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area , constitutes the primary cities of Hagerstown, Maryland, Martinsburg, West Virginia, and surrounding areas...
|
222,771 |
Berkeley, Morgan |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA |
4,796,183 |
Jefferson |
| Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV CMSA The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is a consolidated metropolitan area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and two counties in the Eastern Panhandle of West...
|
7,538,385 |
Berkeley, Jefferson |
| Winchester, VA-WV MSA Winchester, VA-WV MSA is a U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget as of June, 2003. Its population as of 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates is 122,369....
|
102,997 |
Hampshire |
County information
| County |
Named For |
Founded |
Seat |
| Berkeley |
Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt |
February 1772 |
MartinsburgMartinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2008 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,020, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
|
| Grant |
Ulysses Simpson Grant |
February 14, 1866 |
Petersburg Petersburg is a city in Grant County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,423 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. Petersburg was founded circa 1745 by Jacob Peterson, who owned the area's first merchandising store...
|
| Hampshire |
County of Hampshire, England Hampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders , Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
|
December 13, 1753 |
RomneyRomney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 1700s...
|
| Hardy |
Samuel Hardy Samuel Hardy was an American lawyer and statesman from Virginia, who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress....
|
December 10, 1785 |
MoorefieldMoorefield is a town in Hardy County, West Virginia, USA. Moorefield is the county seat of Hardy County. It was originally chartered in 1777 and named for Conrad Moore, who owned the land upon which the town was laid out...
|
| Jefferson |
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States , the principal author of the Declaration of Independence , and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States...
|
January 8, 1801 |
Charles TownCharles Town is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States.Charles Town is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States....
|
| Mineral |
minerals located in the county |
February 1, 1866 |
KeyserKeyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census. Keyser is styled as the "Friendliest City in the U.S.A.".- History :Keyser was originally...
|
| Morgan |
General Daniel MorganDaniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded the troops that suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that Morgan...
|
February 9, 1820 |
Berkeley SpringsBath is a town in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Morgan County. The town is incorporated as Bath, but it is often referred to by the name of its post office, Berkeley Springs. The population of the town was 663 according to the 2000 United States...
|
| Pendleton |
Edmund PendletonEdmund Pendleton was a Virginia politician, lawyer and judge, active in the American Revolutionary War. -Early years:...
|
December 4, 1787 |
Franklin Franklin is a town in Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 797 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pendleton County...
|
Places of worship
- Hedgesville
Hedgesville is a town in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The population was 240 at the 2000 census. The Town of Hedgesville was laid out in 1832 along the old Warm Springs Road and named for the prominent local Hedges family. Hedgesville is a National...
is home to one of only a few Karaite Jewish religious centers outside IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
.
- Hampshire County
Hampshire County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 20,203. Its county seat is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town . Hampshire County was created by the Virginia General Assembly on December 13, 1753, from parts of Frederick and Augusta counties ...
is home to two religious learning centers: The BuddhistBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
Bhavana Society Forest Monastery and Retreat Center in High ViewHigh View is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. It is located south of Capon Bridge along West Virginia Route 259 on the Virginia line. High View is home to The Bhavana Society Forest Monastery and Retreat Center. According to the 2000 census, the High View...
and the Global Country of World Peace's Transcendental MeditationThe Transcendental Meditation technique, or TM technique is a form of mantra meditation introduced in India in 1955 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi...
Learning Center and Retreat in Three ChurchesThree Churches is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The town is located north of Romney along Jersey Mountain Road at a crossroads with Three Churches Hollow Road...
.
Potomac Highlands
Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton Counties also belong to another geographical region of West Virginia known as the
Potomac Highlands of West VirginiaThe Potomac Highlands of West Virginia are the root of the Eastern Panhandle, bordering Maryland and Virginia. They comprise the following counties:*Grant*Hampshire*Hardy*Mineral*Pendleton*Pocahontas*Randolph...
.
See also
External links