Hampshire County is a county located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. As of 2010, the
populationA population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 23,964. Its
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is
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 18th century...
,
West Virginia's oldest townThere 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). Hampshire County was created by the
Virginia General AssemblyThe Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
on December 13, 1753, from parts of
FrederickFrederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
and
AugustaAs of the census of 2000, there were 65,615 people, 24,818 households, and 18,911 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 26,738 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
counties (
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" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
) and is the oldest county in the state of West Virginia. The county lies in both West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands regions. Hampshire County is part of the
Winchester, VA-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (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....
.
Name
Although its creation was authorized in 1753, Hampshire County was not actually organized until 1757 because the area was not considered safe due to the outbreak of the
French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
(1754–1763). According to Samuel Kercheval's
A History of the Valley of Virginia (1833), the county was named in honor of its several prize hogs. The story goes that
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and of Catherine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway....
(1693-1781), who owned the Royal Grant to the area, came upon some very large hogs in
WinchesterWinchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
and asked where they had been raised. He was told that they were from the South Branch Potomac River Valley (now Hampshire County). He remarked that when a county was formed west of
FrederickFrederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
that he would name it in honor of the county
HampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, famous for its very fat hogs.
Geography
According to the
U.S. 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...
, the county has a total area of 645 square miles (1,670.5 km²), of which 642 square miles (1,662.8 km²) is land and 3 square miles (7.8 km²) (0.45%) is water.
Major highways
 U.S. Highway 50 U.S. Highway 220 West Virginia Route 9 West Virginia Route 28 |
 West Virginia Route 29
 West Virginia Route 127
 West Virginia Route 259 |
Adjacent counties
- Allegany County, Maryland
Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the US state of Maryland. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 75,087. Its county seat is Cumberland...
(north)
- Morgan County
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, it's population was 17,541. Its county seat is Berkeley Springs. The county is one of three in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area...
(northeast)
- Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
(east)
- Hardy County
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,669 people, 5,204 households, and 3,564 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 7,115 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
(south)
- Mineral County
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 2010, the population was 28,212. Its county seat is Keyser.-Ancient history:...
(west)
Magisterial districts
- Bloomery Magisterial District
- Capon Bridge municipality
- Capon Magisterial District
- Gore Magisterial District
- Mill Creek Magisterial District
- Romney Magisterial District
- Romney municipality
- Sherman Magisterial District
- Springfield Magisterial District
Rivers and streams
- Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
- Cacapon River
The Cacapon River , located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, and scenery...
- Capon Springs Run
Capon Springs Run is a tributary stream of the Cacapon River in Hampshire County of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Capon Springs Run is a shallow, stony, non-navigable stream fed by the famous "Capon Springs" at its source on the flanks of Great North Mountain east of the hamlet of Capon Springs...
- Dillons Run
Dillons Run is a tributary stream of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.-Headwaters and course:...
- Edwards Run
Edwards Run is a tributary stream of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Edwards Run is named for Joseph Edwards and his family, whose plantation...
- Mill Branch
Mill Branch is a tributary stream of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in eastern Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.-Headwaters and course:...
- North River
North River is a tributary of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The river is located in Hampshire and Hardy counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The mouth of North River into the Cacapon is located at Forks of Cacapon...
- Grassy Lick Run
Grassy Lick Run is a tributary stream of the North River, itself a tributary of the Cacapon River, making it a part of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Grassy Lick Run flows south through the community of Kirby....
- Tearcoat Creek
Tearcoat Creek is an free-flowing tributary stream of the North River, itself a tributary of the Cacapon River, making it a part of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The creek is located in central Hampshire County, West Virginia...
- Bearwallow Creek
Bearwallow Creek is a tributary stream of Tearcoat Creek, itself a tributary of the North River, making it a part of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Bearwallow Creek is located in Hampshire County, West Virginia...
- Little Cacapon River
The Little Cacapon River is a free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River in the center of Hampshire County, West Virginia. Via the Potomac River, its waters are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, leading to the Atlantic Ocean. The Little Cacapon at an elevation of near the community of...
- North Fork Little Cacapon River
- South Fork Little Cacapon River
- North Branch Potomac River
- Green Spring Run
Green Spring Run is an tributary stream of the North Branch Potomac River in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Green Spring Run rises in Greenwood Hollow north of Springfield and meanders northeast through Green Spring Valley. The South Branch Valley Railroad and Green Spring...
- South Branch Potomac River
- Big Run
Big Run is a tributary stream of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Big Run flows through the city of Romney and the campus of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Hampshire County, West Virginia...
- Buffalo Creek
Buffalo Creek is a free-flowing tributary stream of the South Branch Potomac River, itself a tributary of the Potomac River, making it a part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Buffalo Creek is located in west-central Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia...
- Mill Creek
Mill Creek is a tributary stream of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Mill Creek flows into the South Branch west of Romney Bridge near Vanderlip along the...
- Mill Run
Mill Run is a tributary stream of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in Hampshire County in the Eastern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia...
Mountains
- South Branch Mountain
South Branch Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest to northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia, rising to its greatest elevation of 3,028 feet above sea-level in the Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area...
, 3028 feet (922 m)
- Pinnacle Ridge, 2844 feet (866.85 m)
- Nathaniel Mountain
Nathaniel Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest northeast through Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, rising to its greatest elevation of above sea-level. The mountain is bound at its western flank by the South Branch Potomac River and to its eastern flank by South...
, 2739 feet (834 m)
- Mill Creek Mountain
Mill Creek Mountain is a continuous mountain ridge that runs northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. Rising to its greatest elevation of 2,648 feet above sea-level at High Knob, Mill Creek is a folded mountain ridge,...
, 2648 feet (807 m)
- Cacapon Mountain
Cacapon Mountain runs northwest through Morgan and Hampshire counties in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, rising to its greatest elevation of 2,618 feet above sea-level at High Point. Cacapon Mountain is a folded mountain ridge, belonging to the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Province. Cacapon...
, 2618 feet (797 m)
- Spring Mountain, 2436 feet (742.49 m)
- Spring Gap Mountain
Spring Gap Mountain runs southwest northeast through Morgan and Hampshire counties in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, rising to its greatest elevation of north of "Spring Gap", from which the mountain takes its name...
, 2237 feet (681 m)
- North River Mountain
North River Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest to northeast in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. Named for the North River that parallels its western flanks for its entire length, North River Mountain reaches its highest elevation of near the community of Delray. North...
, 2149 feet (655 m)
- Cooper Mountain
Cooper Mountain runs southwest northeast through Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, rising to its greatest elevation of above sea-level at Bens Knob. The mountain's other knob, Butchers Knob, has an elevation of . Cooper Mountain is flanked to its west by North River Mountain...
, 2028 feet (618 m)
- Baker Mountain, 2024 feet (616 m)
- Patterson Creek Mountain
Patterson Creek Mountain is a mountain ridge that forms the border between Mineral and Hampshire counties and Grant and Hardy Counties in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The mountain's namesake, Patterson Creek, parallels its western flank...
, 2005 feet (611 m)
- Sideling Hill
Sideling Hill is a long, steep, narrow mountain ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains, located in Washington County in western Maryland and adjacent West Virginia and Pennsylvania, USA...
, 1930 feet (588 m)
- Little Cacapon Mountain
Little Cacapon Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The mountain takes its name from the Little Cacapon River, a Potomac River tributary that lies on its western flanks. Little Cacapon Mountain reaches its highest point...
, 1575 feet (480 m)
- Ice Mountain
Ice Mountain is a mountain ridge and algific talus slope that is part of a preserve near the community of North River Mills in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States....
, 1489 feet (453 m)
- The Devil's Nose
The Devil's Nose is a steep but small mountain ridge that spans southwest northeast between the Little Cacapon and Potomac rivers in northeastern Hampshire County, West Virginia. From its southern end near Neals Run on Johnsons Hollow, The Nose rises from the landscape curving along a bend in the...
, 1121 feet (341 m)
Other geological formations
- Caudy's Castle
Caudy's Castle is a rock pinnacle of Ridgeley sandstone that stands 1,400 feet above sea level over the Cacapon River near the Bloomery Pike south of Forks of Cacapon in Hampshire County, West Virginia...
- Hanging Rocks
Hanging Rocks are perpendicular cliffs rising nearly above the South Branch Potomac River in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Hanging Rocks are located four miles north of Romney at Wappocomo on West Virginia Route 28. Hanging Rocks has also been known throughout its history...
- Mechanicsburg Gap
Mechanicsburg Gap is a water gap mountain pass through Mill Creek Mountain in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia....
- The Trough
The Trough is a large river gorge carved by the South Branch Potomac River and situated in the Allegheny Mountains of Hampshire and Hardy Counties, West Virginia, USA...
Hampshire County maps
Demographics
Historical populations
of Hampshire County
>
| Year |
Population |
| 1790 |
7,346 |
| 1800 |
8,348 |
| 1810 |
9,784 |
| 1820 |
10,889 |
| 1830 |
11,279 |
| 1840 |
12,295 |
| 1850 |
14,036 |
| 1860 |
13,913 |
| 1870 |
7,643 |
| 1880 |
10,366 |
| 1890 |
11,419 |
>
| Year |
Population |
| 1900 |
11,806 |
| 1910 |
11,694 |
| 1920 |
11,713 |
| 1930 |
11,836 |
| 1940 |
12,974 |
| 1950 |
12,577 |
| 1960 |
11,705 |
| 1970 |
11,710 |
| 1980 |
14,867 |
| 1990 |
16,498 |
| 2000 |
20,203 |
| 2010 |
23,964 |
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 20,203 people, 7,955 households, and 5,640 families residing in the county. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 32 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 11,185 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.04%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.83%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.24%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.16%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.02%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.12% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 7,955 households out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,666, and the median income for a family was $37,616. Males had a median income of $28,884 versus $19,945 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $14,851. About 12.90% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.70% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.
County parks
- Central Hampshire Park, Augusta
- Green Spring Recreational Park, Green Spring
- Hampshire Park & 4-H Camp, Romney
- Romney Recreation Center, Romney
- Shanks Roadside Park, Shanks
Wildlife management areas
- Edwards Run Wildlife Management Area
Edwards Run Wildlife Management Area is located on two miles north of Capon Bridge on Cold Stream Road near Cold Stream in Hampshire County, West Virginia...
- Fort Mill Ridge Wildlife Management Area
The Fort Mill Ridge Wildlife Management Area is located on two miles southwest of Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia. Fort Mill Ridge WMA is owned by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources...
- Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area is located on south of Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia. The wildlife management area's principle access road is off of Grassy Lick Road . Nathaniel Mountain is one of West Virginia's largest and most important wildlife management areas...
- Short Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Short Mountain Wildlife Management Area is located on eight miles south of Augusta off Augusta-Ford Hill Road in Hampshire County, West Virginia...
- South Branch Wildlife Management Area
The South Branch Wildlife Management Area is of mixed oak-hickory woodlands and pastures in Hampshire and Hardy Counties, West Virginia, USA. The South Branch WMA consists of four separate tracts along the South Branch Potomac River around and south of the river gorge known as The Trough...
- Wardensville Wildlife Management Area
Public schools
- Hampshire County Schools
Hampshire County Schools is the operating school district within Hampshire County, West Virginia. It is governed by the Hampshire County Board of Education.-High schools:Serves grades 9-12*Hampshire High School , Romney-Middle schools:Serves grades 6-8...
- West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind
The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind were established by an Act of the Legislature on March 3, 1870. The School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind offer comprehensive educational programs for hearing impaired and visually impaired students respectively. There is also a unit for...
Earliest European settlers
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 18th century...
was initially settled by hunters and traders around 1725. In 1738, John Pearsall (or Pearsoll) and his brother Job built homes and in 1758 a fort (
Fort PearsallFort Pearsall was an early frontier fort constructed in 1756 in Romney, West Virginia to protect local settlers in the South Branch Potomac River valley against Native American raids...
) for defense against
Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in present-day Romney. Their settlement was then known as
Pearsall's Flats. In 1748,
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and of Catherine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway....
sent a surveying party, including 16 year-old
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, to survey his lands along the
PotomacThe Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and South Branch Potomac
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. Washington spent three summers and falls surveying Lord Fairfax's
Northern NeckThe Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It encompasses the following Virginia counties: Lancaster,...
estate, which included all of the present-day
Eastern Panhandle of West VirginiaThe Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and...
. In April 1748, he laid off several lots in an area known as
the TroughThe Trough is a large river gorge carved by the South Branch Potomac River and situated in the Allegheny Mountains of Hampshire and Hardy Counties, West Virginia, USA...
, about ten miles (16 km) south of Romney, and he is known to have been in present-day Romney on October 19, 1749. Oral traditions claimed that Washington laid present-day Romney out into lots at that time, but written records from that era indicate that Romney was surveyed and laid out into lots by
James GennJames Douglas Genn is a filmmaker, writer and director, born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1972.He is the son of Canadian artist Robert Genn, the brother of musician Dave Genn, and is the twin brother to artist and musician Sara Genn...
prior to Washington's arrival. Genn was also employed by Lord Fairfax.
18th century Hampshire County
In 1756,
Fort PearsallFort Pearsall was an early frontier fort constructed in 1756 in Romney, West Virginia to protect local settlers in the South Branch Potomac River valley against Native American raids...
was constructed on Job Pearsall's plantation for protection against
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
raids and George Washington provisioned and garrisoned the Fort at various times until 1758. At that time, there were at least 100 people living in the general area. Following the end of hostilities in the area, Lord Fairfax recognized that more settlers would be interested in moving into the area and that he could earn some extra revenue by selling plots in the town. He sent a survey party to Romney in 1762 to formally lay out the town into 100 lots. At that time, he renamed the town Romney, in honor of the
Cinque PortsThe Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
city on the
English ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in
KentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Confusion ensued for several decades concerning land ownership within the town as counterclaims were made by the original settlers and those who purchased lots laid out by Lord Fairfax's surveyors.
The first meeting of the Hampshire County Court was held in 1757, at
Fort PleasantFort Pleasant, also known as the Isaac Van Meter House, is a historic home located near the unincorporated community of Old Fields north of Moorefield, Hardy County, West Virginia. The residence was completed by Isaac Van Meter and his wife Elizabeth Inskeep Van Meter by the late 18th century, and...
, now
Old FieldsOld Fields is an unincorporated community on the South Branch Potomac River in northern Hardy County, West Virginia, USA.According to the Geographic Names Information System, Old Fields has also been known throughout its history as Indian Old Field, Indian Old Fields, and Oldfields.-History:The...
in Hardy County, and was presided by the Right Honorable
Thomas Bryan MartinColonel Thomas Bryan Martin was an early American jurist, legislator, and prominent landowner.-Biography:Martin was born in England to Denny Martin and his wife, Frances Fairfax , sister of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , and arrived in Virginia from England in 1751...
, Lord Fairfax's nephew. By that time, Hampshire County's population had fallen dramatically as most of the settlers had fled the county in fear of the Native Americans. The only families remaining lived near Fort Pearsall, near present-day Romney, and
Fort EdwardsFort Edwards can refer to:* A French and Indian War fort near Capon Bridge, West Virginia* A 19th-century US Army and trading post near Warsaw, Illinois, discussed in Fort Johnson* A Boer War fort in South Africa discussed in Breaker Morant...
, at present-day
Capon BridgeCapon Bridge is a town located in eastern Hampshire County, West Virginia along the Northwestern Turnpike , approximately twenty miles west of Winchester, Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,178, 200 of which live within the town limits. Originally known as Glencoe, Capon...
on the
Cacapon RiverThe Cacapon River , located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, and scenery...
. The vast majority of the remaining settlers, however, were in the vicinity of present Old Fields-Moorefield-Petersburg and were protected by the several forts in the area, including Fort Pleasant
Once the Native Americans were defeated at the
Battle of Point PleasantThe Battle of Point Pleasant, known as the Battle of Kanawha in some older accounts, was the only major battle of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, primarily between Virginia militia and American Indians from the Shawnee and Mingo tribes...
in 1774 settlers, once again, returned to the county. By 1790, when the first national census was taken, Hampshire County had 7,346 residents, making it the second most populous county in the present state of West Virginia at that time.
BerkeleyBerkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
was the most populous county, with 19,713 people. There were nine counties that comprised the present state, with a total population of 55,873 people.
During the
Whiskey RebellionThe Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
in 1794, many Hampshire County men volunteered to serve under Major 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 troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
to put down the insurrection. The men most likely volunteered at
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...
in
Hardy CountyAs of the census of 2000, there were 12,669 people, 5,204 households, and 3,564 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 7,115 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
and then marched north to
Cumberland, MarylandCumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
. Approximately 1,200 of the 12,950 men under Morgan's command came from the area that would later become West Virginia.
Early Churches
The early missionaries helped to sustain the religious faith of the early European inhabitants. In 1775 two
BaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
missionaries among a group of settlers moved to the
CacaponThe Cacapon River , located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, and scenery...
and organized the first European church in the county. In 1771 the work of the
Methodist Episcopal ChurchThe Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
was begun, in which later developments led to the formation of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, SouthThe Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
. In 1753 Hampshire County had been formed into a parish by the Protestant Episcopal Church and in 1773 a missionary sent by that church began work. In 1787 a
Primitive BaptistPrimitive Baptists, also known as Hard Shell Baptists or Anti-Mission Baptists, are conservative, Calvinist Baptists adhering to beliefs that formed out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 1800’s over the appropriateness of mission boards, bible tract societies, and temperance...
church was established at North River. Soon after the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
there was preaching by the Presbyterians at different points in the county. In 1792 a Presbyterian church was organized at Romney and another,
Mount Bethel ChurchMount Bethel Church is a Presbyterian church located at the junction of County Route 5 and County Route 5/4 in the unincorporated community of Three Churches north of Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States.The Presbyterians established a church near here in 1792...
, at
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...
.
Early Industry
The wide lowlands of Hampshire County certainly invited
agricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, and fields of
wheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and
tobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
surrounded the important truck-patch of the settler. The rolling uplands offered pasturage for horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs, which were driven across country to market at
WinchesterWinchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
. The streams abounded in fish and the mountains contained not only game but timber and stone for early settlers' homes. The limestone was burned for lime at Bloomery Gap, where remains of old lime-kilns give evidence of an early industry. Soon it was discovered that some of the strata contained
iron ore. Much of it was transported to present-day
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.- History :...
, from an area along South Branch Potomac River south of the present limits of the county. In Bloomery Gap, a ruined furnace still stands, mute evidence of another former industry. In the early days the increasing population stimulated not only farming and grazing but every industry of a new country.Hampshire County was also known for its many gunmakers,located on or near the main road from Winchester to Romney.Among them were,Henry Topper,Jacob Kline,George Young, Benjamin Shane,George Glaze,William Britton and the Sheetz Family.
19th century Hampshire County
The building of the
Northwestern TurnpikeThe Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia , important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1830s. In modern times, west of Winchester, Virginia, U.S...
(
U.S. Route 50U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
) was an integral part of the development of Hampshire County. General Daniel Morgan first suggested the road be built in 1748, but his recommendations were not acted upon until the 1830s. Colonel
Claudius CrozetBenoit Claudius Crozet was an educator and civil engineer.Crozet was born in France. After serving in the French military, in 1816, he immigrated to the United States. He taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and helped found the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington,...
, a Frenchman who had previously worked for Napoleon Bonaparte, engineered the road which connected
ParkersburgAs of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...
with Winchester, Virginia. The turnpike traversed Hampshire County stretching through the communities of Capon Bridge,
LoomLoom is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. Loom is located between Capon Bridge and Hanging Rock along the Northwestern Turnpike on the western flanks of Cooper Mountain...
,
Hanging RockHanging Rock is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Hanging Rock is named for the "Hanging Rock" outcrop that hangs over the Northwestern Turnpike . It should not be confused with the plural "Hanging Rocks" over the South Branch Potomac River north of...
,
Pleasant DalePleasant Dale is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Pleasant Dale is located between Capon Bridge and Augusta on the Northwestern Turnpike . Tearcoat Creek flows through Pleasant Dale and offers whitewater rafting in the Spring from the U.S. Route 50...
,
AugustaAugusta is an unincorporated community in central Hampshire County, West Virginia. It is located along the Northwestern Turnpike at the northern terminus of Augusta-Ford Hill Road between Shanks and Pleasant Dale, east of Romney...
,
FrenchburgFrenchburg is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Frenchburg is located along the Northwestern Turnpike where the Little Cacapon River is formed by the confluence of the North and South forks of the Little Cacapon east of Shanks...
,
ShanksShanks is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the Shanks community has a population of 806....
, and
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 18th century...
. Through the years, Romney became an important rest stop for travelers on the turnpike. This aided the local economy as hotels and taverns began to appear in the area.
During the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Hampshire Guards and Frontier Riflemen joined the
Confederate ArmyThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. Although there were no major battles in Hampshire County, Romney changed hands at least fifty-six times during the war. It was often a case of one army evacuating the area allowing the opposing army to move into the town. This places Romney second behind Winchester as the town that changed hands the most during the American Civil War. On June 11, 1861, it changed hands twice in the same day. Some local Hampshire County historians speculate that Romney actually changed hands more than Winchester but there are no surviving records to support the claim.
Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
| Site |
Year Built |
Address |
Community |
Listed |
Capon Springs Historic DistrictCapon Springs, also known as Frye's Springs and Watson Town, is a national historic district in Capon Springs, West Virginia that includes a number of resort buildings ranging in age from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century...
|
18th-19th centuries |
Capon Springs Road (CR 16) |
Capon Springs Capon Springs is an unincorporated hamlet in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. According to the 2000 census, the Capon Springs community has a population of 95....
|
1993 |
| Captain David Pugh House The Captain David Pugh House is a historic 19th century Federal style residence on the Cacapon River in the unincorporated community of Hooks Mills in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. It is also known by its past name, Riversdell. It is a 2 1/2 story frame dwelling built in 1835. ...
|
1835 |
Cacapon River Road (CR 14) |
Hooks Mills Hooks Mills is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. It is located on Hooks Mill Road which intersects Cacapon River Road 4.5 miles south of Capon Bridge...
|
2004 |
| Fort Van Meter Fort Van Meter — also known as Fort Pleasant and Town Fort — was an 18th century frontier fort in the South Branch Potomac River Valley south of Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. It is located approximately a mile and a half north of the rugged river gorge known as The Trough...
|
circa 1756 |
South Branch River Road (CR 8) |
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 18th century...
|
2009 |
Hampshire County CourthouseThe Hampshire County Courthouse is a Neoclassical edifice in the center of downtown Romney, county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia. The present building was constructed in 1922 to replace the previous 1833 Neoclassical courthouse that had been destroyed by fire in 1921...
|
1922 |
Main & High Streets |
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 18th century...
|
2005 |
| Hickory Grove |
1838 |
South Branch River Road (CR 8) |
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 18th century...
|
2011 |
| Hook's Tavern |
circa 1790 |
Northwestern TurnpikeThe Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia , important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1830s. In modern times, west of Winchester, Virginia, U.S...
(US 50) |
Capon Bridge Capon Bridge is a town located in eastern Hampshire County, West Virginia along the Northwestern Turnpike , approximately twenty miles west of Winchester, Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,178, 200 of which live within the town limits. Originally known as Glencoe, Capon...
|
2011 |
| Kuykendall Polygonal Barn The Kuykendall Polygonal Barn was an early 20th-century polygonal barn in the South Branch Potomac River valley near Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia. The Kuykendall Polygonal Barn was the only 15-sided barn built in West Virginia, and one of only a few such known to have been constructed...
|
circa 1906 |
South Branch River Road (CR 8) |
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 18th century...
|
1985 |
| Literary Hall Literary Hall is the historic former site of the Romney Literary Society and currently serves as a museum featuring local memorabilia in Romney, West Virginia, United States.-Romney Literary Society and the First Literary Hall:...
|
1869–1870 |
Main & High Streets |
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 18th century...
|
1979 |
| North River Mills Historic District North River Mills Historic District is a national historic district located at North River Mills, Hampshire County, West Virginia. The district encompasses 25 contributing buildings and five contributing sites. The district lies along Hiett Run, which...
|
18th-20th centuries |
Cold Stream Road (CR 45/20) & North River Road (CR 4/2) |
North River Mills North River Mills is a historic unincorporated village in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. North River Mills is located between Capon Bridge and Slanesville on Cold Stream Road at its intersection with North River Road...
|
2011 |
| Old Methodist District Parsonage The Old Methodist District Parsonage is a 19th century Italianate residence in Romney, West Virginia, United States. It is a two story brick dwelling constructed between 1868 and 1882 to serve as the district parsonage for the area's Methodist churches...
|
1868–1882 |
351 North High Street (WV 28) |
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 18th century...
|
2005 |
Scanlon Log HouseScanlon Farm is a late 19th-century loghouse and farm overlooking Three Churches Run east of the unincorporated community of Three Churches, West Virginia...
|
late 19th century |
Three Churches Hollow Road (CR 5/4) |
Three Churches Three 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...
|
1988 |
| Sloan-Parker House The Sloan-Parker House or Stone House, constructed in 1790 of locally quarried fieldstone for Richard Sloan, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Located on the Northwestern Turnpike near Junction, West Virginia west of Romney it has served as a stage coach stop as well...
|
1790 |
Northwestern TurnpikeThe Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia , important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1830s. In modern times, west of Winchester, Virginia, U.S...
(US 50) |
Junction Junction is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Historically referred to as Moorefield Junction, Junction received its name because of its location at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 220/West Virginia Route 28 and the Northwestern Turnpike...
|
1975 |
| Sycamore Dale Sycamore Dale is a 19th-century Greek Revival plantation home overlooking the South Branch Potomac River southwest of Romney, West Virginia. Sycamore Dale is one of several historic estates along South Branch River Road...
|
1836 |
South Branch River Road (CR 8) |
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 18th century...
|
1980 |
| Washington Bottom Farm Washington Bottom Farm is a 19th century Greek Revival plantation house and farm on a plateau overlooking the South Branch Potomac River north of Romney, West Virginia, United States. The populated area adjacent to Washington Bottom Farm is known as Ridgedale...
|
circa 1835 |
Washington Road (CR 28/3) |
Ridgedale Ridgedale is an unincorporated area in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located within a horsehoe bend in the South Branch Potomac River between the communities of Blues Beach and Wappocomo. Ridgedale is named for the recently restored 1835 plantation built by George W....
|
2001 |
| Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House The Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House is believed to be the oldest house in Romney and the oldest public office building in the U.S. state of West Virginia...
|
circa 1760 |
51 West Gravel Lane |
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 18th century...
|
1977 |
Incorporated cities and towns
- City of Romney
Romney 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 18th century...
- Town of Capon Bridge
Capon Bridge is a town located in eastern Hampshire County, West Virginia along the Northwestern Turnpike , approximately twenty miles west of Winchester, Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,178, 200 of which live within the town limits. Originally known as Glencoe, Capon...
Unincorporated communities
- Augusta
Augusta is an unincorporated community in central Hampshire County, West Virginia. It is located along the Northwestern Turnpike at the northern terminus of Augusta-Ford Hill Road between Shanks and Pleasant Dale, east of Romney...
- Barnes Mill
Barnes Mill is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located along the Little Cacapon River on Little Cacapon River Road north of Frenchburg. The original "Barnes Mill", from which the community takes its name, was built here on the Little...
- Bloomery
Bloomery is an unincorporated hamlet in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Bloomery is located along the Bloomery Pike , northwest of Winchester, Virginia...
- Blues Beach
Blue Beach is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Blue Beach is a predominantly river camp community located south of Springfield and north of Wappocomo on West Virginia Route 28 along the South Branch Potomac River...
- Bubbling Spring
Bubbling Spring is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Bubbling Spring is situated on Cacapon River Road along the Cacapon River south of Capon Bridge and north of Hooks Mills. It takes its name from the Bubbling Spring on the Cacapon there...
- Capon Lake
Capon Lake is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region. Capon Lake is situated between Yellow Spring and Intermont at the junction of West Virginia Route 259 and Capon Springs Road along the Cacapon River. Capon Springs Run empties into the...
- Capon Springs
Capon Springs is an unincorporated hamlet in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. According to the 2000 census, the Capon Springs community has a population of 95....
- Capon Springs Station
Capon Springs Station was an unincorporated hamlet in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia centered around a station on the Winchester and Western Railroad...
- Cold Stream
Cold Stream is an incorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Cold Stream is located north of Capon Bridge on Cold Stream Road . Referred to as Edwards Run in its past, the community of Cold Stream is in proximity to where Edwards Run empties into the Cacapon River....
- Creekvale
Creekvale is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Creekvale is located southeast of Levels along the Little Cacapon River on Little Cacapon-Levels Road . Creekvale had a post office in operation from 1918 to 1935....
- Davis Ford
Davis Ford is an unincorporated community on the Cacapon River in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It lies primarily on Cacapon River Road at the ford from which it takes its name. The Yellow Spring post office serves the Davis Ford community....
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Delray Delray is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Delray is located in the North River Valley along Delray Road between Sedan and Rio. According to the 2000 census, the Delray community has a population of 151.Delray began a small agricultural community...
Dillons RunDillons Run is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. It is located at the intersection of Dillons Run Road and Haines Road along Dillons Run stream from which it takes its name. Dillons Run no longer has its own post office in operation. It was originally known as...
DonaldsonDonaldson is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located in Green Spring Valley on Green Spring Road between Green Spring and Springfield. Donaldson was once a thriving railroad community along the South Branch Valley Railroad with its own...
Forks of CacaponForks of Cacapon , formerly Forks of Capon , is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The community is named for its location at the confluence of the North River and Cacapon River...
FrenchburgFrenchburg is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Frenchburg is located along the Northwestern Turnpike where the Little Cacapon River is formed by the confluence of the North and South forks of the Little Cacapon east of Shanks...
GlebeGlebe is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. Glebe is situated at the mouth of the Trough on the South Branch Potomac River 9.5 miles southwest of Romney on South Branch River Road . The community received its name from the old stone glebehouse that was constructed...
GoodGood is an unincorporated community in northeastern Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA atop Bear Garden Mountain. Good is located on the Bloomery Pike at I.L. Pugh Road east of Bloomery and northwest of Winchester on the West Virginia/Virginia border...
GraceGrace is an unincorporated community on the South Branch Potomac River in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. Grace lies at the intersection of Grace's Cabin Road and West Virginia Route 28 across the South Branch from Blues Beach....
Green SpringGreen Spring is an unincorporated census-designated place and railroad town in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 218. Green Spring is located north of Springfield on Green Spring Road near the confluence of the North and South Branches of the Potomac...
HainesvilleHainesville is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. Hainesville is located southwest of Slanesville at the crossroads of Old Martinsburg Road and Kedron Road . Formerly known as Haines Store, Hainesville once had its own post office in operation....
Hanging RockHanging Rock is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Hanging Rock is named for the "Hanging Rock" outcrop that hangs over the Northwestern Turnpike . It should not be confused with the plural "Hanging Rocks" over the South Branch Potomac River north of...
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Higginsville Higginsville is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. Higginsville once served as a stagecoach stop on the old Cumberland Road between Winchester and Cumberland, now known as the Slanesville Pike ....
High ViewHigh View is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. 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...
Hooks MillsHooks Mills is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. It is located on Hooks Mill Road which intersects Cacapon River Road 4.5 miles south of Capon Bridge...
HoyHoy is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located southwest of Slanesville and northwest of Hanging Rock at the intersection of Offutt School Road and Hoy Road . A series of hills separates the community from the North River which lies to its...
IntermontIntermont is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA located along West Virginia Route 259 on the Cacapon River. It was originally known as Mutton Run until 1920 when its name was changed to Intermont...
JerichoJericho is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia on the Virginia line. It is located on West Virginia Route 259 between High View and Lehew atop Timber Ridge....
JunctionJunction is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Historically referred to as Moorefield Junction, Junction received its name because of its location at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 220/West Virginia Route 28 and the Northwestern Turnpike...
KirbyKirby is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia situated along Grassy Lick Run, a tributary of North River. Kirby is located south of Romney at the crossroads of Grassy Lick Road and Rock Oak Road ....
LargentLargent is an unincorporated village in Morgan County and partly Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Largent is located on the Cacapon River, about 18 miles southwest of Berkeley Springs along Cacapon Road . Its post office was in operation from 1906 until the 1950s...
LehewLehew is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia on the Virginia line. Lehew is located on Timber Ridge along West Virginia Route 259 at its crossroads with H.G. Brill Road and White Pine Ridge Road .-External links:...
LevelsLevels is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the Levels community has a population of 147. It is home to John J...
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Little Cacapon Little Cacapon is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Little Cacapon is located at the mouth of the Little Cacapon River on the Potomac, east of Okonoko. Okonoko-Little Cacapon Road and Spring Gap-Neals Run Road converge south of Little Cacapon...
LoomLoom is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. Loom is located between Capon Bridge and Hanging Rock along the Northwestern Turnpike on the western flanks of Cooper Mountain...
MechanicsburgMechanicsburg is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, in the United States. It is located on the Northwestern Turnpike west of Romney at Mill Creek Gap . Mechanicsburg is the site of "The Burg" , used as a headquarters by both armies during the American Civil War...
MillbrookMillbrook is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. Millbrook is located along Dillons Run on Dillons Run Road in southeastern Hampshire County....
MillenMillen is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA between Donaldson and Green Spring on Green Spring Road and the South Branch Valley Railroad...
Millesons MillMillesons Mill is an unincorporated hamlet in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. Millesons Mill is located between Springfield and Points on Springfield Pike along the South Branch Potomac River. Milleson Road meets Springfield Pike in Millesons Mill....
Neals RunNeals Run is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Neals Run is located south of Little Cacapon near the confluence of the Little Cacapon River and Neals Run on Spring Gap-Neals Run Road...
NeroNero is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. It is located on Back Creek Road south of Lehew. Nero lies along Loman Branch, a tributary stream of the Cacapon River. While it is still inhabited, Nero no longer has its own post office in operation....
North River MillsNorth River Mills is a historic unincorporated village in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. North River Mills is located between Capon Bridge and Slanesville on Cold Stream Road at its intersection with North River Road...
OkonokoOkonoko is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Okonoko is located north of Levels on the Potomac River at Bright's Hollow...
PancakePancake is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Pancake is located on Pancake Road , once connecting to South Branch River Road across the South Branch Potomac River. Pancake was once a stop along the South Branch Valley Railroad and is named for the...
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Pin Oak Pin Oak is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Pin Oak is located along West Virginia Route 29 between Paw Paw and Forks of Cacapon. Pin Oak is roughly centered at the intersection of Pin Oak Road and Cabin Run Road with West Virginia Route 29...
Pleasant DalePleasant Dale is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Pleasant Dale is located between Capon Bridge and Augusta on the Northwestern Turnpike . Tearcoat Creek flows through Pleasant Dale and offers whitewater rafting in the Spring from the U.S. Route 50...
PointsPoints is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the Points community has a population of 478....
PurgitsvillePurgitsville is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the ZCTA for Purgitsville had a population of 813. Purgitsville is located on U.S. Highway 220/West Virginia Route 28 at its intersection with Huffman Road south of...
RadaRada is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Rada is located on U.S. Highway 220/West Virginia Route 28 between Junction and Purgitsville in southwest Hampshire County along Mill Creek...
Raven RocksRaven Rocks is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It lies on Springfield Pike between the communities of Springfield and Millesons Mill....
RidgedaleRidgedale is an unincorporated area in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located within a horsehoe bend in the South Branch Potomac River between the communities of Blues Beach and Wappocomo. Ridgedale is named for the recently restored 1835 plantation built by George W....
RioRio is an unincorporated community in southern Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Rio is located just north of the Hardy County line at the crossroads of Augusta-Ford Hill Road and Delray Road in the North River Valley...
RuckmanRuckman is an unincorporated farming community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Ruckman is located at the intersections of Ash Ruckman Road with J.C. Ruckman and Edgar Loy Roads south of Augusta and northeast of Kirby. It is named for the Ruckman family that is still...
SectorSector is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located along the west bank of the South Branch Potomac River on Fleming-Sector Road across from Glebe....
SedanSedan is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Sedan is located between Hanging Rock and Delray on Delray Road in the North River Valley. The community was named for the Battle of Sedan, shortly after the battle was fought during the Franco-Prussian...
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Shanks Shanks is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the Shanks community has a population of 806....
ShilohShiloh is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Shiloh is located on Gore Road near the Virginia line. Shiloh was once a stop on the old Winchester and Western Railroad. The community was named for Shiloh, a site mentioned in the Hebrew Bible that...
SlanesvilleSlanesville is an unincorporated community in northeastern Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Slanesville is located at the crossroads of Bloomery Pike with Slanesville Pike and Cold Stream Road...
South Branch DepotSouth Branch Depot is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Originally known as Forks of Potomac because of its proximity to the confluence of the North and South Branches of the Potomac River and then later in the early 20th century as French's Station...
SpringfieldSpringfield is an unincorporated census-designated place in northwestern Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, Springfield had a population of 477. Springfield is located north of Romney along West Virginia Route 28 at its junction with Green Spring Road and...
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...
VanceVance is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Vance lies on the South Branch Potomac River. Most of its residents reside along West Virginia Route 28. Buffalo Creek empties into the South Branch at Vance....
VanderlipVanderlip is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Vanderlip is located west of Romney along the Northwestern Turnpike and the South Branch Valley Railroad. At times the community was referred to as West Romney Station, while its post office used the...
WappocomoWappocomo is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The community is located south of Springfield on West Virginia Route 28 at Hanging Rocks along the South Branch Potomac River...
Woodrow
Yellow SpringYellow Spring is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. According to the 2000 census, the Yellow Spring community has a population of 296. Yellow Spring is named after the "Yellow Spring" located there on the Cacapon River. The community lies at the...
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Notable natives and residents
- Jesse B. Aikin
Jesse Bowman Aikin was a shape note "singing master", and compiler of the shape note tunebook The Christian Minstrel. Aikin was the first to produce a song book with a seven-shape note system. He vigorously defended his "invention" and his patent, which included the elimination of bass and treble...
, shape noteShape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation, introduced in 1801, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools...
"singing master"
- Stephen Ailes
Stephen Ailes was a prominent member of the District of Columbia Bar and a partner in the firm of Steptoe & Johnson. He served as the United States Under Secretary of the Army from February 9, 1961 to January 28, 1964 and as United States Secretary of the Army from January 28 ,1964 to July 1, 1965...
, United States Secretary of the ArmyThe Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...
- William H. Ansel, Jr., Treasurer of West Virginia and historian
- William Armstrong
William Armstrong was a U.S. Representative from Virginia.Born in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Armstrong immigrated to the United States in 1792 with his parents, who settled in Virginia....
, U.S. Representative from 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" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
- John Rinehart Blue, West Virginia House Delegate
The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates.-Historical:-Current:-District organization:...
- George Edwin Brill
George Edwin Brill, was an American postal inspector who was instrumental in the arrest of Frank M. Young....
, USPISThe United States Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. Its jurisdiction is defined as "crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S...
postal inspectorPostal Inspector is a 1936 American film directed by Otto Brower.- Cast :*Ricardo Cortez as Inspector Bill Davis*Patricia Ellis as Connie Larrimore*Michael Loring as Charlie Davis*Bela Lugosi as Gregory Benez*Wallis Clark as Inspector Gil Pottle...
- Edna Brady Cornwell
Edna Brady Cornwell was the wife of former Governor of West Virginia John J. Cornwell and served as that state's First Lady, 1917-1921. She was born May 26, 1868, at Romney, West Virginia. In 1891 she married John J. Cornwell, publisher of the Hampshire Review. As first lady, she hosted social...
, First Lady of West Virginia
- John J. Cornwell
John Jacob Cornwell was a Democratic politician from Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia. Cornwell served as the 15th Governor of the US state of West Virginia...
, 15th Governor of West Virginia
- Marshall S. Cornwell
Marshall S. Cornwell was an American newspaper publisher, writer, and poet in the U.S. state of West Virginia.-Early life and education:...
, newspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
publisherPublishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, poetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and authorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
- William Henry Foote, Presbyterian clergyman and historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
- William Foreman
Captain William Foreman was a colonial American officer from Hampshire County, Virginia, who was killed during an Indian ambush at the McMechen Narrows on the Ohio River south of Wheeling, Virginia in 1777.-Fort Forman:...
, early American military leader
- Henepola Gunaratana
Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk. He is often affectionately known as Bhante G.Bhante is a title which literally means venerable sir in Pāli...
, Bhavana Society founder
- John J. Jacob
John Jeremiah Jacob was a Democratic politician from Green Spring , West Virginia. Jacob served two terms as the fourth Governor of the US state of West Virginia...
, 4th Governor of West Virginia
- Jonah Edward Kelley
-External links: *Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entry for...
, Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient |
Herman G. Kump Herman Guy Kump was the Democratic Governor of West Virginia from 1933 to 1937. In 1907, he married Edna Hall Scott. He served as the 19th Governor of West Virginia during the Great Depression.-Early years:...
, 19th Governor of West Virginia
Charles S. LawrenceCharles S. Lawrence was a United States Army colonel who would survive the Bataan Death March to later become the first Executive Vice President of the Institute of Food Technologists .-Early life and career:...
, IFTThe Institute of Food Technologists or IFT is an international, non-profit professional organization for the advancement of food science and technology. It is the largest of food science organizations in the world, encompassing 22,000 members worldwide as of 2006. It is referred to as "THE Society...
Executive Vice President
Thomas Bryan MartinColonel Thomas Bryan Martin was an early American jurist, legislator, and prominent landowner.-Biography:Martin was born in England to Denny Martin and his wife, Frances Fairfax , sister of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , and arrived in Virginia from England in 1751...
, burgess, juristA jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, and the county's first judge
Rae Ellen McKee, 1991 National Teacher of the YearThe National Teacher of the Year is a professional award in the United States. The program began in 1952, as a project by the Council of Chief State School Officers , and aims to reward excellence in teaching...
Jerry MezzatestaJerry Mezzatesta is an American politician in the U.S. state of West Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Mezzatesta was the West Virginia House of Delegates member from the 50th District which represents Mineral County and Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle...
, West Virginia House DelegateThe West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates.-Historical:-Current:-District organization:...
Ann PancakeAnn Pancake is an American fiction writer and essayist. She has published short stories and essays describing the people and atmosphere of Appalachia, often from the first-person perspective of those living there...
, authorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Catherine PancakeCatherine Pancake is an American filmmaker and musician, based in Baltimore, Maryland since ca. 1993. A native of West Virginia, she is a relative of the writers Breece D'J Pancake, Ann Pancake, and actor Sam Pancake...
, filmmaker
Sam PancakeSam Pancake is a American actor. He is the brother of Catherine Pancake and Ann Pancake, a writer. He graduated from Hampshire High School and currently resides in Los Angeles....
, actorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Lee Hawse PattesonLee Hawse Patteson was the wife of former Governor of West Virginia Okey L. Patteson and served as that state's First Lady, 1949-1953. She was born May 28, 1902 at Romney, West Virginia. She married Okey L. Patteson in 1923. As first lady, she entertained guests and began the tradition of...
, First Lady of West Virginia
Yogavacara Rahula, Bhavana Society vice-abbot
Ruth RowanRuth Rowan is an American politician from the U.S. state of West Virginia. She is a member of the Republican Party and is currently the West Virginia House of Delegates member from the 50th District, which represents Mineral County and Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle...
, West Virginia House DelegateThe West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates.-Historical:-Current:-District organization:...
Felix WalkerFelix Walker was a Democratic-Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1817 and 1823.Walker was born near the Potomac River in what was then Hampshire County, Virginia, now part of West Virginia...
, U.S. Representative from North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Francis WhiteFrancis White was a U.S. Representative from Virginia.Born near Winchester, Virginia, White attended school in Winchester. He engaged in agricultural pursuits....
, U.S. Representative from 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" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Robert WhiteRobert White was the Democratic Attorney General of West Virginia from 1877-1881.White was born February 7, 1833, in Romney, Virginia to John B. White and Frances A. Streit. He attended common schools in Virginia, worked six years in his father's county clerk's office, and studied law at...
, Attorney General of West Virginia |
See also
Hampshire County external links