Westmoreland County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Westmoreland County
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Westmoreland County Courthouse in Montross
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Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
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Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States | |
State | Virginia | |
Named for | Westmorland | |
Seat | Montross | |
Largest town | Colonial Beach | |
Area | ||
• Total | 253 sq mi (660 km2) | |
• Land | 229 sq mi (590 km2) | |
• Water | 24 sq mi (60 km2) 9.3% | |
Population
(2020)
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• Total | 18,477 | |
• Density | 73.03/sq mi (28.20/km2) | |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 1st |
Westmoreland County is a county located in the Northern Neck of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 18,477. Its county seat is Montross.
Contents
History
As originally established by the Virginia colony's House of Burgesses, it was separated out of Northumberland County in 1653, and the territory of Westmoreland County encompassed much of what later became the various counties and cities of Northern Virginia, including the city of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Prince William County. These were part of Westmoreland until 1664, when Stafford County was formed.
Westmoreland County was the birthplace of George Washington, the first President of the United States (at the former settlement of Bridges Creek, Virginia); of James Monroe, the fifth President; and of General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate armies.
The county was the place of residence for Colonel Nicholas Spencer (1633-1689), who patented the land at Mount Vernon in 1674 with his friend Lt. Col. John Washington, ancestor of George Washington. Spencer, who served as President of the Council and acting Governor of the Colony of Virginia, was the cousin of, and agent for, the Barons Colepeper, proprietors of the Northern Neck. Spencer lived at his plantation, Nomini, which his descendants later sold to Robert Carter I. Robert Carter's grandson, Robert Carter III, voluntarily freed almost 500 slaves from Nomini Hall beginning in 1791 and settled many on lands he gave them. His manumission is the largest known release of slaves in North America prior to the American Civil War and the largest number ever manumitted by an individual in the U.S.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 253 square miles (660 km2), of which 229 square miles (590 km2) is land and 24 square miles (62 km2) (9.3%) is water. The county is located on the Northern Neck and is part of the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA winemaking appellation.
Adjacent counties
- Charles County, Maryland - north
- St. Mary's County, Maryland - northeast
- Northumberland County, Virginia - southeast
- Richmond County, Virginia - south
- Essex County, Virginia - southwest
- King George County, Virginia - northwest
National protected areas
- George Washington Birthplace National Monument
- Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge (part) Mothershead unit
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1820 | 6,901 | — | |
1830 | 8,396 | 21.7% | |
1840 | 8,019 | −4.5% | |
1850 | 8,080 | 0.8% | |
1860 | 8,282 | 2.5% | |
1870 | 7,682 | −7.2% | |
1880 | 8,846 | 15.2% | |
1890 | 8,399 | −5.1% | |
1900 | 9,243 | 10.0% | |
1910 | 9,313 | 0.8% | |
1920 | 10,240 | 10.0% | |
1930 | 8,497 | −17.0% | |
1940 | 9,512 | 11.9% | |
1950 | 10,148 | 6.7% | |
1960 | 11,042 | 8.8% | |
1970 | 12,142 | 10.0% | |
1980 | 14,041 | 15.6% | |
1990 | 15,480 | 10.2% | |
2000 | 16,718 | 8.0% | |
2010 | 17,454 | 4.4% | |
2020 | 18,477 | 5.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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White alone (NH) | 11,087 | 11,758 | 63.52% | 63.64% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,855 | 4,470 | 27.82% | 24.19% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 64 | 67 | 0.37% | 0.36% |
Asian alone (NH) | 91 | 146 | 0.52% | 0.79% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 11 | 0.02% | 0.06% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 14 | 68 | 0.08% | 0.37% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 338 | 908 | 1.94% | 4.91% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,002 | 1,049 | 5.74% | 5.68% |
Total | 17,454 | 18,477 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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.
Communities
Towns
Economy
The county's economy is largely based on agriculture. Tourism is another significant economic driver, related to historical sites such as George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Robert E. Lee's birthplace, Stratford Hall Plantation, and the Westmoreland County Museum as well as gambling activities available in Colonial Beach. The county is also an extended exurb of Washington, D.C.
Northern Neck Coca-Cola Bottling Inc. (makers of Northern Neck Ginger Ale) and the weekly Westmoreland News are located in Montross.
Notable residents
- Laetitia Corbin Lee (1657–1706), American colonist
- George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States
- John Washington (1631-1677), great-grandfather of George Washington
- Bushrod Washington (1762-1829), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, founder and first president of the American Colonization Society, nephew of George Washington and inheritor of Mount Vernon
- James Monroe (1758-1831), the fifth president of the United States
- Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), a general best known for fighting on behalf of the Confederate Army in the American Civil War
- Richard Henry Lee, a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence, United States Senator, and the sixth president of the United States in Congress Assembled (under the Articles of Confederation)
- Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence
- Richard "Squire" Lee
- Thomas Brown, the second governor of Florida
- Nicholas Spencer, acting governor of Virginia, co-patentee of Mount Vernon estate
- Thomas Lee, a leading political figure in colonial Virginia
- Nathaniel Rochester, founder of Rochester, New York
- Thomas Sandford, American Revolutionary War soldier, Kentucky legislator , Member of the Eighth and Ninth U.S. Congress.
- Sloan Wilson, the author of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
- Rob Wittman, United States Congressman (VA-1, Republican)
- Thomas Marshall (1700-1752) Grandfather of Chief Justice John Marshall
- Walter Balderson, Emmy Award-winning video engineer
- John dos Passos, the author of the U.S.A. trilogy and other works
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Westmoreland (Virginia) para niños