Keswick, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Keswick is an unincorporated community
in Albemarle County
, Virginia
, United States
, about six miles east of Charlottesville
.
Keswick has few businesses, and lacks a central business district
. It is predominantly residential, with a mixture of large farms, estates, middle-income, and low-income housing. Since many of the parcels of land in Keswick are large, it is relatively undeveloped and still retains its natural beauty, which is enhanced by a prominent view of the Southwest Mountains
. The drive through Keswick "has often been cited as one of the most scenic in America," writes the New York Times. Many of the estates were plantations in the 18th century. No major development took place in Keswick until the 1990s, and the development since then has been subject to strict scrutiny by Albemarle County officials.
The town includes Keswick Hall, a club and estate owned by Orient-Express Hotels
, which includes a golf course. The town is also home to Keswick Vineyards, a family owned and operated vineyard and winery. Oakland School, a special boarding
and day school for children with learning disabilities, is in Keswick, as is The Little Keswick School, a highly respected boarding school for students with social and emotional problems. A CSX freight rail line runs through the town. The Shackelford family, long prominent in Albemarle and Orange
counties and in the Monticello Association
, has a family cemetery in Keswick.
The postal delivery area by the name of Keswick is substantially larger than Keswick itself, extending to the north nearly to Gordonsville
and to the west to Stony Point
, encompassing towns too small to have a post office, including Cash Corner, Cismont
, Lindsay
, Stony Point
, Boyd Tavern, Cobham
, Whitlock, and Rosena
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Albemarle County
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, about six miles east of Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
.
Keswick has few businesses, and lacks a central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. It is predominantly residential, with a mixture of large farms, estates, middle-income, and low-income housing. Since many of the parcels of land in Keswick are large, it is relatively undeveloped and still retains its natural beauty, which is enhanced by a prominent view of the Southwest Mountains
Southwest Mountains
The Southwest Mountains of Virginia are a mountain range centered around Charlottesville, parallel to and geologically associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, which lie about 30 miles to the west...
. The drive through Keswick "has often been cited as one of the most scenic in America," writes the New York Times. Many of the estates were plantations in the 18th century. No major development took place in Keswick until the 1990s, and the development since then has been subject to strict scrutiny by Albemarle County officials.
The town includes Keswick Hall, a club and estate owned by Orient-Express Hotels
Orient-Express Hotels
Orient-Express Hotels Ltd is a hotel and leisure company that operates high end hotels, cruise and train services around the world. As of 2008 it owns or partly owns more than 40 individual deluxe hotels, three restaurants, six tourist trains and two river cruise businesses in more than 25...
, which includes a golf course. The town is also home to Keswick Vineyards, a family owned and operated vineyard and winery. Oakland School, a special boarding
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and day school for children with learning disabilities, is in Keswick, as is The Little Keswick School, a highly respected boarding school for students with social and emotional problems. A CSX freight rail line runs through the town. The Shackelford family, long prominent in Albemarle and Orange
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
counties and in the Monticello Association
Monticello Association
Founded in 1913, the Monticello Association is a non-profit organization of the lineal descendants of Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president of the United States. Jefferson was the designer, builder, owner and principal resident of Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. Historically the Association has...
, has a family cemetery in Keswick.
The postal delivery area by the name of Keswick is substantially larger than Keswick itself, extending to the north nearly to Gordonsville
Gordonsville, Virginia
Gordonsville is a town in Louisa and Orange counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 1,496 at the 2010 census.-History:Nathaniel Gordon purchased in 1787 and in 1794, or possibly earlier, applied for and was granted a license to operate a tavern...
and to the west to Stony Point
Stony Point, Virginia
Stony Point is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia. The region acknowledged as Stony Point includes the historical villages of Proffit and Rosena. The physical core of Stony Point is the , , and several dozen surrounding homes. A general store is the sole public service...
, encompassing towns too small to have a post office, including Cash Corner, Cismont
Cismont, Virginia
Cismont is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....
, Lindsay
Lindsay, Virginia
Lindsay is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....
, Stony Point
Stony Point, Virginia
Stony Point is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia. The region acknowledged as Stony Point includes the historical villages of Proffit and Rosena. The physical core of Stony Point is the , , and several dozen surrounding homes. A general store is the sole public service...
, Boyd Tavern, Cobham
Cobham, Albemarle County, Virginia
Cobham is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia....
, Whitlock, and Rosena
Rosena, Virginia
Rosena is an unincorporated community in Albemarle County, Virginia. It lies at the intersection of Rt. 20 and Rt. 640, within the Stony Point community...
.