Clarke County, Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Clarke County

County

Old Clarke County Courthouse and Confederate monument

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Virginia

Virginia's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Virginia

Founded

1836

Largest town

Berryville

Area

• Total

178 sq mi (460 km²)

• Land

176 sq mi (460 km²)

• Water

2.2 sq mi (6 km²) 1.2%

Population

(2020)

• Total

14,783

• Density

83.05/sq mi (32.07/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

6th

Clarke County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,783. Its county seat is Berryville. Clarke County is included in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Historic buildings and structures
Geography
- Adjacent counties
Demographics
- 2020 census
Transportation
- Major highways
Service
Communities
Gallery
See also

History

The first settlement of the Virginia Colony in the future Clarke County was in 1736 by Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron who built a home, Greenway Court, on part of his 5 million acres (20,000 km²) property, near what is now the village of White Post. White Post was named for the large signpost pointing the way to Lord Fairfax's home.

As it lay just west of the Blue Ridge border demarcated under Governor Spotswood at Albany in 1722, the area was claimed along with the rest of the Shenandoah Valley by the Six Nations Iroquois (who had overrun it during the later Beaver Wars in around 1672), until the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744, when it was purchased from them by Governor Gooch.

Many of the early settlers of what became Clarke County were children of Tidewater planters, who settled on large land grants from Lord Fairfax. Two thirds of the county was settled by the plantation group, and the plantation lifestyle thrived until the Civil War. County status came in 1836, when it was divided off from Frederick County. Clarke County was known for its large crops of wheat.

During the American Civil War, John S. Mosby, "the Gray Ghost" of the Confederacy, raided General Philip Sheridan's supply train in the summer of 1864, in Berryville. The Battle of Cool Spring was fought in Clarke County on July 17 and 18, 1864, followed by the Battle of Berryville on September 3, 1864.

In 1881 was founded the Bank of Clarke County, a still-functional regional bank with headquarters in Berryville.

Early in the 20th century, the future Virginia politician Harry F. Byrd Sr. and his wife established their first home near Berryville, where he undertook extensive agricultural activity growing peaches and apples. Byrd became a state senator in the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly, served a term as a Governor of Virginia, and was a United States senator for over 30 years. He headed the powerful Byrd Organization, which dominated state politics between the mid-1920s and the 1960s.

In 1996, Forrest Pritchard revitalized Smithfield Farm by starting a grass-fed, sustainable livestock operation. Renamed 'Smith Meadows', it is currently one of the oldest fully grass-finished farms in the United States, and its story was chronicled in the New York Times bestseller Gaining Ground.

Historic buildings and structures

Clermont Estate (1751)
Dearmont Hall (1850)
Fairfield (1765)
Soldier's Rest (1769)
Buck Marsh Church (1772)
Norwood (1780)
Burwell-Morgan Mill (1782)
Holy Cross Abbey (1784)
Audley Estate (1794)
Bel Voi (1803)
Long Branch Plantation (1811)
Rosemont Estate (1811)
Clay Hill (1816)
Smithfield Farm (1816)
Clifton (1833)
Clarke County Courthouse (1837)
Stone's Chapel (1848)
Glendale Farm (1850)
Site of Mosby's Raid (1863)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 178 square miles (460 km²), of which 176 square miles (460 km²) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) (1.2%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Virginia by total area.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	6,353	—
1850	7,352	15.7%
1860	7,146	−2.8%
1870	6,670	−6.7%
1880	7,682	15.2%
1890	8,071	5.1%
1900	7,927	−1.8%
1910	7,468	−5.8%
1920	7,165	−4.1%
1930	7,167	0.0%
1940	7,159	−0.1%
1950	7,074	−1.2%
1960	7,942	12.3%
1970	8,102	2.0%
1980	9,965	23.0%
1990	12,101	21.4%
2000	12,652	4.6%
2010	14,034	10.9%
2020	14,783	5.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**Clarke County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	12,387	12,309	88.26%	83.26%
Black or African American alone (NH)	742	564	5.29%	3.82%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	35	33	0.25%	0.22%
Asian alone (NH)	121	210	0.86%	1.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	5	15	0.04%	0.10%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	15	89	0.11%	0.60%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	239	676	1.70%	4.57%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	490	887	3.49%	6.00%
Total	14,034	14,783	100.00%	100.00%