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Westmoreland County, Virginia

 

 
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Westmoreland County, Virginia
 
 
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Westmoreland County is a county
County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
 located in the Northern Neck
Northern Neck

The 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....
 of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000

File:US-Census-2000Logo.svgThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the United States Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons Enumeration during the United States Census, 1990....
, the population was 16,718. Its county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish 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 Montross
Montross, Virginia

Montross is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 315 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Westmoreland County, Virginia....
.

moreland County was the birthplace of George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
, the first President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 (at the former settlement of Bridges Creek, Virginia); James Monroe
James Monroe

James Monroe was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States . His administration was marked by the acquisition of Florida ; the Missouri Compromise , in which Missouri was declared a slave state; the admission of Maine in 1820 as a free state; and the profession of the Monroe Doctrine , declaring U.S....
, the fifth President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
; and General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
, commander of the Confederate
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 armies. It was the residence of Col. Nicholas Spencer
Nicholas Spencer

Col. Nicholas Spencer was a London merchant who emigrated to Westmoreland County, Virginia, where he became a planter and which he represented in the Virginia House of Burgesses....
, who patented the land at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon was the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The name may also refer to several other places around the world:...
 in 1674 with his friend Lt.






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Encyclopedia


Westmoreland County is a county
County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
 located in the Northern Neck
Northern Neck

The 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....
 of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000

File:US-Census-2000Logo.svgThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the United States Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons Enumeration during the United States Census, 1990....
, the population was 16,718. Its county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish 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 Montross
Montross, Virginia

Montross is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 315 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Westmoreland County, Virginia....
.

History

Westmoreland County was the birthplace of George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
, the first President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 (at the former settlement of Bridges Creek, Virginia); James Monroe
James Monroe

James Monroe was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States . His administration was marked by the acquisition of Florida ; the Missouri Compromise , in which Missouri was declared a slave state; the admission of Maine in 1820 as a free state; and the profession of the Monroe Doctrine , declaring U.S....
, the fifth President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
; and General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
, commander of the Confederate
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 armies. It was the residence of Col. Nicholas Spencer
Nicholas Spencer

Col. Nicholas Spencer was a London merchant who emigrated to Westmoreland County, Virginia, where he became a planter and which he represented in the Virginia House of Burgesses....
, who patented the land at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon was the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The name may also refer to several other places around the world:...
 in 1674 with his friend Lt. Col. John Washington, ancestor of George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
. Spencer, who served as President of the Council and acting Governor of Virginia, was the cousin of and agent for the Barons Colepeper
Baron Colepeper

Baron Colepeper is an extinct title in the Peerage of Great Britain. Colepeper is sometimes rendered Culpeper, Baron Colepeper of Thoresway, or Baron Thoresway....
, proprietors of the Northern Neck
Northern Neck

The 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....
.

As originally established by the British colonial government of Virginia, the territory of Westmoreland County encompassed much of what later become the various counties and cities of Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia consistsof several County and independent cities in the U.S. state of Virginia in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C....
 (once including, for example, the areas which later became the city of Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 128,283....
, Arlington County
Arlington County, Virginia

Arlington County is an urban area county of about 206,800 residents in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is located directly across the Potomac River to the west of Washington, D.C....
, Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County is a County in Northern Virginia Virginia, in the United States. , the estimated population of the county is 1,077,000, making it by far the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, and Prince William County
Prince William County, Virginia

Prince William County is a county located in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The estimated population in 2007 of the county was 383,644, a 36.6% increase since 2000....
, among other places).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The 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 , of which, of it is land and of it (9.29%) is water. The county is located on the Northern Neck
Northern Neck

The 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....
 peninsula and is part of the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA
Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA

The Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA is an American Viticultural Area in eastern portion of the state of Commonwealth of Virginia....
 winemaking appellation
Appellation

An appellation is a geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors, may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label....
.

Adjacent counties

  • Charles County, Maryland
    Charles County, Maryland

    Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2000, the population was 120,546. Its county seat is La Plata, Maryland....
     - north
  • St. Mary's County, Maryland - northeast
  • Northumberland County, Virginia
    Northumberland County, Virginia

    Northumberland County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state in the United States. In 2000, its population was 12,259....
     - southeast
  • Richmond County, Virginia
    Richmond County, Virginia

    Richmond County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state in the United States. As of 2000, the population was 8,809....
     - south
  • Essex County, Virginia
    Essex County, Virginia

    Essex County is a county located in the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 9,989. Its county seat is Tappahannock, Virginia....
     - southwest
  • King George County, Virginia
    King George County, Virginia

    King George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state in the United States. As of the United States Census, 2000, the population was 16,803....
     - northwest


National protected area
Protected area

Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental, cultural or similar value. The term protected area includes marine protected area, which refers to protected areas whose boundaries include some area of ocean....

  • George Washington Birthplace National Monument
    George Washington Birthplace National Monument

    The George Washington Birthplace National Monument is in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. Originally settled by John Washington, George Washington's great-grandfather, George Washington was born here on February 22, 1732....


Demographics

As of the census
Census

A 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....
 of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
 was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 65.41% White
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 30.89% Black
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
 or African American
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 0.28% Native American
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 0.36% Asian
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 1.75% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 1.29% from two or more races. 3.46% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
 or Latino
Race (United States Census)

Race 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-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
 of any race.

There were 6,846 households out of which 25.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.70% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 27.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,797, and the median income for a family was $41,357. Males had a median income of $31,333 versus $22,221 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per 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....
 for the county was $19,473. About 11.20% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.10% of those under age 18 and 12.50% of those age 65 or over.

Business and economy

The county's economy is largely based on agriculture, primarily dairy . Tourism is another significant economic driver, related to historical sites such as George Washington Birthplace National Monument
George Washington Birthplace National Monument

The George Washington Birthplace National Monument is in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. Originally settled by John Washington, George Washington's great-grandfather, George Washington was born here on February 22, 1732....
 and Robert E. Lee's birthplace, Stratford Hall Plantation
Stratford Hall Plantation

Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States, was the home of four generations of the Lee family of Virginia, including two signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, and was the birthplace of Robert E....
, as well as gambling activities available in Colonial Beach
Colonial Beach, Virginia

Colonial Beach is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,228 at the 2000 census. Possessing the second largest beach front in the state, Colonial Beach was a popular resort town in the early to mid-20th century, before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge made ocean beaches on the Eastern Shore of Maryland...
. The county is also an extended exurb of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....


Montross is home to Northern Neck Coca-Cola Bottling Inc. (makers of Northern Neck Ginger Ale) and the Westmoreland News
Westmoreland News

The Westmoreland News is a weekly newspaper serving Westmoreland County, Virginia. Founded in 1949 with the motto, "Serving the largest population in the Northern Neck", it was originally published by Tidewater Weeklies of Bowling Green, Virginia....
, a weekly newspaper.

Distinguished residents

  • George Washington
    George Washington

    George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
    , the first president of the United States
    President of the United States

    The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
  • James Monroe
    James Monroe

    James Monroe was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States . His administration was marked by the acquisition of Florida ; the Missouri Compromise , in which Missouri was declared a slave state; the admission of Maine in 1820 as a free state; and the profession of the Monroe Doctrine , declaring U.S....
    , the fifth president of the United States
  • Robert E. Lee
    Robert E. Lee

    Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
    , a general best known for fighting on behalf of the Confederate Army
    Confederate States Army

    The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
     in the American Civil War
    American Civil War

    The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
  • Thomas Brown
    Thomas Brown (politician)

    Thomas Brown was an Politics of the United States who served as Florida's second List of Governors of Florida from 1849 to 1853. He is buried at the Old City Cemetery in Tallahassee, Florida....
    , the second governor of Florida
  • Nicholas Spencer
    Nicholas Spencer

    Col. Nicholas Spencer was a London merchant who emigrated to Westmoreland County, Virginia, where he became a planter and which he represented in the Virginia House of Burgesses....
    , acting governor of Virginia, co-patentee of Mount Vernon
    Mount Vernon

    Mount Vernon was the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The name may also refer to several other places around the world:...
     estate
  • Thomas Lee
    Thomas Lee (Virginia colonist)

    Thomas Lee was a leading political figure of colonial Virginia. He was a member of the Lee family, a political dynasty which included many figures from the pre-Revolutionary War era until the late 20th century....
    , a leading political figure in colonial Virginia
  • Richard Henry Lee
    Richard Henry Lee

    Richard Henry Lee was an United States statesman from Virginia best known for the motion in the Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence from Great Britain....
    , a signer of United States Declaration of Independence
    United States Declaration of Independence

    The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the Thirteen Colonies then at war with Kingdom of Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire....
    , United States Senator, and the sixth president of the United States in Congress Assembled (under the Articles of Confederation
    Articles of Confederation

    The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the constitution of the revolutionary wartime alliance of the thirteen United States. The Articles' ratification was completed in 1781, and legally federated several sovereign and independent states, allied under the Articles of Association into a new federation styled the "United States...
    )
  • Francis Lightfoot Lee
    Francis Lightfoot Lee

    Francis Lightfoot Lee , was a member of the House of Burgesses in the Colony of Virginia. He was active in protesting issues such as the Stamp Act which moved the Colony in the direction of seeking Independence from British control....
    , a signer of United States Declaration of Independence
    United States Declaration of Independence

    The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the Thirteen Colonies then at war with Kingdom of Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire....
  • Walter Balderson
    Walter Balderson

    Walter Balderson is an Emmy Award-winning United States television editor and video engineer, who participated in the advent of color television beginning in the early 1950s and later was one of the first editors to use videotape for instant replay on network television sports events....
    , Emmy Award
    Emmy Award

    The Emmy Award, also known as the 'Emmy', is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards....
    -winning video engineer
  • John dos Passos
    John Dos Passos

    John Roderigo Dos Passos was an American novelist and artist....
    , the author of the U.S.A. trilogy
    U.S.A. trilogy

    The U.S.A. Trilogy is the major work of American writer John Dos Passos, comprising the novels The 42nd Parallel , 1919, also known as Nineteen Nineteen , and The Big Money ....
     and other works
  • Sloan Wilson
    Sloan Wilson

    Sloan Wilson was an United States author....
    , the author of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
    The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

    The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, by Sloan Wilson, is a novel about the United States search for purpose in world dominated by business. Tom and Betsy Rath share a struggle to find contentment in their hectic and material culture while several other characters fight essentially the same battle, but struggle in it for different reasons....


Towns

  • Colonial Beach
    Colonial Beach, Virginia

    Colonial Beach is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,228 at the 2000 census. Possessing the second largest beach front in the state, Colonial Beach was a popular resort town in the early to mid-20th century, before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge made ocean beaches on the Eastern Shore of Maryland...
  • Montross
    Montross, Virginia

    Montross is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 315 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Westmoreland County, Virginia....


See also

  • George Washington Birthplace National Monument
    George Washington Birthplace National Monument

    The George Washington Birthplace National Monument is in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. Originally settled by John Washington, George Washington's great-grandfather, George Washington was born here on February 22, 1732....
  • Stratford Hall Plantation
    Stratford Hall Plantation

    Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States, was the home of four generations of the Lee family of Virginia, including two signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, and was the birthplace of Robert E....


External links