Northumberland County, Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northumberland County
U.S. county
Northumberland County Courthouse in Heathsville
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1648
Seat	Heathsville
Largest community	Heathsville
Area
• Total	286 sq mi (740 km2)
• Land	191 sq mi (490 km2)
• Water	94 sq mi (240 km2)  33.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,839
• Density	41.40/sq mi (15.983/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

Northumberland County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 11,839. Its county seat is Heathsville. The county is located on the Northern Neck and is part of the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA winemaking appellation.

History

The area was occupied at the time of English settlement by the Algonquian-speaking historic tribes of the Wicocomico, Chickacoan, and Patawomeck. The county was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1648 during a period of rapid population growth and geographic expansion. Settlement began in this area of the Northern Neck around 1635. Originally, known as the Indian district Chickacoan, the area was first referred to as Northumberland (a namesake of Northumberland County, England) in the colonial records in 1644. The following year, John Mottrom served as the first burgess for the territory in the House of Burgesses, which met at the capital of the Virginia Colony at Jamestown. The county was formed from a part of York County. The land between the Potomac River and the York River was formed into Northumberland County officially in 1648, prior to the creation of Westmoreland County and Lancaster County.

The colonial court ordered the Wicocomico and Chickacoan tribes to merge and by 1655, assigned them a reservation of 4,400 acres (18 km²) near Dividing Creek, south of the Great Wicomico River. The Patawomeck Tribe was hunted nearly to extinction in 1666, and survived only by intermarriage. By the early 1700s, the Wicocomico tribe was greatly reduced, and English colonists took control of their lands. They were believed to be extinct as a tribe as, landless, they disappeared from the historical record. Descendants of the last weroance are working to regain recognition as a tribe, the Wicocomico Indian Nation. Descendants of the Patawomeck achieved tribal recognition from the state of Virginia in February 2010. The size of the county was drastically reduced in 1651 and 1653 when the colonial government organized Lancaster and Westmoreland counties from it.

Of the 172 counties that have ever existed in Virginia's history, Northumberland ended up being an "ancestor" to 116 of these—more than the current 95 counties (several were lost to other states, such as West Virginia).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km²), of which 191 square miles (490 km²) is land and 94 square miles (240 km²) (33.0%) is water. The county is located between the Rappahannock River to the south and Potomac River to the north. Chesapeake Bay is immediately east of the county.

Adjacent counties

• Lancaster County – south
• Richmond County – west
• Westmoreland County – northwest
• St. Mary's County, Maryland – north (not contiguous)

Demographics

2020 census

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 can be of any race.

Education

Northumberland County Public Schools instructs about 1200 students in the county. Northumberland Elementary, Middle, and High School all share the same campus. The Middle and High school students share the High School building while the Elementary students have their own dedicated building on campus. The Superintendent is Dr. Holly Wargo.

Reedville, menhaden fishing industry

Reedville is a small village in eastern Northumberland County on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Reedville is home to the Atlantic menhaden fishing industry. It is named for Captain Elijah W. Reed (1827-1888), who is credited with bringing the menhaden fishing industry, and the tremendous wealth that resulted from it, to Reedville—and to Northumberland County in general.

Dozens of fish-processing factories, most recently Omega Protein Corporation (successor to Zapata Haynie, Reedville Oil and Guano Company and Haynie Products Company) and Standard Products Company, have dotted the Northumberland coastline near Reedville and adjacent fishing communities.

Today, Omega Protein remains the largest industrial organization in the area. Omega, with a fleet of large oceangoing fish-harvesting vessels, supported by a number of spotter aircraft, is a major industry in the area and on the Eastern seaboard. Menhaden, once caught, are cooked in large mass and processed for further use in various applications, including as a protein additive for poultry feed.

Located at the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 360, Reedville is a popular place to begin fishing charters and trips to Tangier Island in the Bay. Reedville is also a tourist destination itself, steeped in the history of the menhaden fishing industry. The Millionaire's Row of Victorian Era mansions and several watercraft of the Reedville Fishermen's Museum are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Communities

Town

• Kilmarnock in Lancaster County extends into southeastern Northumberland County.

Census-designated place

• Heathsville

Other unincorporated communities

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Northumberland (Virginia) para niños