Isle of Wight County is a
countyIn the United States, a county is a local level of government below the state . Counties are used in 48 of the 50 states, while Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. These are considered "county-equivalents", as are some cities not designated as part of a county. The U.S...
located in the
South Hampton RoadsSouth Hampton Roads, also known as Southside, is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water Hampton Roads Harbor...
region of the Commonwealth of
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...
, a
stateA U.S. state is any one of 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...
of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of 2000, the population was 29,728. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
Isle of WightIsle of Wight is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States.The town mainly consists of a post office, a church, historic Boykins tavern, Isle of Wight Academy , and the Isle of Wight courthouse complex.-References:...
As of 2007, its population was 35,035 and the median household income was $58,840.
During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at
JamestownJamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14, 1607. It is commonly regarded as the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States of America, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke. It was founded...
in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
.
Isle of Wight County is a
countyIn the United States, a county is a local level of government below the state . Counties are used in 48 of the 50 states, while Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. These are considered "county-equivalents", as are some cities not designated as part of a county. The U.S...
located in the
South Hampton RoadsSouth Hampton Roads, also known as Southside, is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water Hampton Roads Harbor...
region of the Commonwealth of
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...
, a
stateA U.S. state is any one of 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...
of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of 2000, the population was 29,728. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
Isle of WightIsle of Wight is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States.The town mainly consists of a post office, a church, historic Boykins tavern, Isle of Wight Academy , and the Isle of Wight courthouse complex.-References:...
As of 2007, its population was 35,035 and the median household income was $58,840.
History
During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at
JamestownJamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14, 1607. It is commonly regarded as the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States of America, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke. It was founded...
in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
.
Captain John SmithCaptain John Smith Admiral of New England was an English soldier, explorer, and author. He is remembered for his role in establishing the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia, and his brief association with the Virginia Indian girl Pocahontas during an...
in 1608 crossed the
James RiverThe James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people...
and obtained fourteen bushels of corn from the
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
inhabitants, the Warrosquyoackes or Warraskoyaks. They were a tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy, who had three towns in the area of modern Smithfield. The Warraskoyaks were driven off from their villages in 1622 and 1627, as part of the reprisals for the Great Massacre of 1622.
The first English
plantationA plantation is a large farm or estate, usually in a tropical or subtropical country, where crops are grown for sale in distant markets, rather than for local consumption. The term plantation is informal and not precisely defined....
s along the south shore within present-day Isle of Wight were established by
PuritanA Puritan of 16th and 17th-century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and group piety. Puritans felt that the English Reformation had not gone far enough, and that the Church of England was tolerant...
colonists, beginning with that of
Christopher LawneChristopher Lawne was an English merchant and Puritan of note, who emigrated to Virginia Colony on the Marygold in May 1618 and died the following year...
in May 1618. Several members of the Puritan Bennett family also came to settle the area, including
Richard BennettRichard Bennett was an English Colonial Governor of Virginia.Born in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, Bennett served as governor from April 30, 1652, until March 2, 1655. His uncle, Edward Bennett, was a wealthy merchant from London and one of the few Puritan members of the Virginia Company, who had...
who led the Puritans to neighboring Nansemond in 1635, and later became governor of the Virginia Colony.
By 1634, the Colony consisted of eight
shireA shire is a traditional division found in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in Australia.In Britain, "shire" is the original term for what is usually known as a county; the word county having been introduced at the Norman Conquest. The two are synonymous...
s or
countiesA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants. One of these was
Warrosquyoake ShireWarrosquoake Shire was officially formed in 1634 in the Virginia colony, but had already been known as "Warascoyack County" before this...
, renamed Isle of Wight County in 1637, after the
islandThe Isle of Wight is an English island and a county, located 3-5 miles from the south coast of the mainland, in the English Channel. It is separated from mainland England by the Solent and is situated south of the county of Hampshire...
in the
English ChannelThe English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates 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 only in the Strait of Dover...
of the same name. The name was probably changed because the
Isle of WightThe Isle of Wight is an English island and a county, located 3-5 miles from the south coast of the mainland, in the English Channel. It is separated from mainland England by the Solent and is situated south of the county of Hampshire...
had been the home of some of the principal colonists, although the Native American name also went through multiple Anglicisations, eventually becoming "Warwicke Squeake".
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
,
St. Luke's ChurchSt. Luke's Church, also known as Benns Church, Old Brick Church, or Newport Parish Church is an historic church located in the unincorporated community of Benns Church, near Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and has been known variously as the Old Brick Church or the Newport Parish...
http://www.historicstlukes.org/history.html, built in 1632, the nation's only original Gothic church and the oldest existing church of English foundation in America is located in the county.
In 1732 a considerable portion of the northwestern part of the original shire was added to
Brunswick CountyBrunswick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 18,419. Its county seat is Lawrenceville.- History :...
; and in 1748 the entire county of
SouthamptonSouthampton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 17,482. Its county seat is Courtland.-History:...
was carved out of it.
During the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
, Company F of the 61st Virginia Infantry of the Confederate Army was called the "Isle of Wight Avengers."
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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the county has a total area of 363 square miles (940 km²), of which, 316 square miles (818 km²) of it is land and 47 square miles (121 km²) of it (12.93%) is water.
The county is bounded by the James River on the north and the
Blackwater RiverThe Blackwater River of southeastern Virginia flows from its source near the city of Petersburg, Virginia for about 105 miles through the Inner Coastal Plain region of Virginia . The Blackwater joins the Nottoway River to form the Chowan River, which empties into Albemarle Sound...
to the south. The land is generally low-lying, with many
swampA swamp is a wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a substantial number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types...
s and
pocosinPocosin is a term for a type of palustrine wetland with deep, acidic, sandy, peat soils. Groundwater saturates the soil except during brief seasonal dry spells and during prolonged droughts...
s.
Adjacent Counties and Independent Cities
- Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. It is at the south-western end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News Point on the...
- northeast
- Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of eastern Virginia. By area, it is the largest of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, and the largest independent city in land-area in the entire Commonwealth. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 63,677...
- southeast
- Southampton County
Southampton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 17,482. Its county seat is Courtland.-History:...
- south & west
- Franklin, Virginia
Franklin is an independent city in Virginia. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Franklin with Southampton county for statistical purposes. The population was 8,346 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- southwest
- Surry County
Surry County is a county located in the South Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2000 census, the population was 6,829. Its county seat is Surry....
- northwest
Demographics
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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 29,728 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 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. It is a key term used in geography....
was 94 people per square mile (36/km²). There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.08%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 27.15%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.26%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.34%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.03%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.28% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 0.86% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 11,319 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
averageIn mathematics, an average, central tendency of a data set is a measure of the "middle" or "expected" value of the data set. There are many different descriptive statistics that can be chosen as a measurement of the central tendency of the data items. These include arithmetic mean, the median and...
household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The
medianIn probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest...
age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,387, and the median income for a family was $52,597. Males had a median income of $37,853 versus $22,990 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the county was $20,235. About 6.60% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.
Unincorporated towns & communities
- Battery Park
- Benns Church
Benns Church is an unincorporated community in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 258 and State Routes 10 and 32, southeast of Smithfield....
- Burwell's Bay
- Carrollton
Carrollton is an unincorporated community in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. It lies near the intersection of U.S. Routes 17 and 258 and State Route 32. Carrollton is located near the southern end of the James River Bridge, across from Newport News, VA. Carrollton has recently...
- Carrsville
Carrsville is a small unincorporated community in Isle of Wight County in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States. Carrsville was located on the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad, built through the area in the mid 1830s to provide a link between the Roanoke River and...
- Central Hill
- Indika
- Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States.The town mainly consists of a post office, a church, historic Boykins tavern, Isle of Wight Academy , and the Isle of Wight courthouse complex.-References:...
- Lawson
- Mogart's Beach
- Raynor
- Rescue
- Rushmere
Rushmere is a census-designated place in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,083 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rushmere is located at ....
- Stott
- Walters
Walters is an unincorporated community in Isle of Wight County in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States.Walters was located on a now-abandoned portion of the Virginian Railway , built by industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers to ship coal from West Virginia to port...
- Wills Corner
- Zuni
Zuni is an unincorporated community in Isle of Wight County in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States.Zuni is home to a dentist's office, a Ruritan club, a general store, a gas station, and two churches and is served by its own Post Office. The name is properly...
Trivia
- As one of the original eight Shires of Virginia
The eight Shires of Virginia were formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony. These shires were based on a form of local government used in England at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later...
established in 1634, of which five have survived continuously in their original form, Isle of Wight County is one of the oldest county governments in the United States of America.
External links