Berkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley County is a
county located in the
U.S. state of
West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 75,905. Its
county seat is
Martinsburg6. Berkeley is the second oldest county in West Virginia. It was created in
1772 from the northern third of
Frederick County,
Virginia and named for
Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, Colonial Governor of Virginia from
1768 to
1770. Due to being close to
Washington, D.C., Berkeley County is the fastest growing county in the state in West Virginia.
This county is a part of the
Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 833
km² (322
mi²). 832 km² (321 mi²) of it is land and 1 km² (0 mi²) of it (0.14%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
*
Allegany County, Maryland (north)
*
Jefferson County (east)
*
Frederick County, Virginia (south)
*
Morgan County (west)
Rivers and streams
*
Potomac River**
Back Creek***
Tilhance Creek**
Cherry Run**
Meadow Branch (tributary of
Sleepy Creek in Morgan County)
**
Opequon Creek***
Middle Creek***
Mill Creek***
Tuscarora CreekMagisterial districts
*Arden
*Falling Waters
*Gerrardstown
*Hedgesville
*Martinsburg
*Mill Creek
*Opequon
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 75,905 people, 29,569 households, and 20,698 families residing in the county. The
population density was 91/km² (236/mi²). There were 32,913 housing units at an average density of 40/km² (102/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.74%
White, 4.69%
Black or
African American, 0.25%
Native American, 0.46%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 0.56% from
other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 1.52% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
| Historical populations |
|---|
Census
year | Population |
|---|
|
| 1790 | 19,713 |
| 1800 | 22,006 |
| 1810 | 11,479 |
| 1820 | 11,211 |
| 1830 | 10,518 |
| 1840 | 10,972 |
| 1850 | 11,771 |
| 1860 | 12,525 |
| 1870 | 14,900 |
| 1880 | 17,380 |
| 1890 | 18,702 |
| 1900 | 19,469 |
| 1910 | 21,999 |
| 1920 | 24,554 |
| 1930 | 28,030 |
| 1940 | 29,016 |
| 1950 | 30,359 |
| 1960 | 33,791 |
| 1970 | 36,356 |
| 1980 | 46,846 |
| 1990 | 59,253 |
| 2000 | 75,905 |
| 2004 | 89,362 |
| 2005 | 93,394 |
There were 29,569 households out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were
married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,763, and the median income for a family was $44,302. Males had a median income of $32,010 versus $23,351 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $17,982. About 8.70% of families and 11.50% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.
Berkeley County was created by an act of the
House of Burgesses in February
1772 from the northern third of
Frederick County (
Virginia). At the time of the county's formation it also consisted of the areas that make up the present-day
Jefferson and
Morgan counties. Most historians believe that the county was named for
Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt (
1718-
1770), Colonial Governor of Virginia from
1768 to
1770. West Virginia's Blue Book, for example, indicates that Berkeley County was named in his honor. He served as a colonel in England's
North Gloucestershire militia in
1761, and represented that division of the county in parliament until he was made a peer in
1764. He claimed the title of
Baron Botetourt as the lineal descendant of Sir
Maurice de Berkeley, who died in
1347. Having incurred heavy gambling debts, he solicited a government appointment, and in July
1768, was made
governor of Virginia. In
1769, he reluctantly dissolved the
Virginia General Assembly after it adopted resolutions opposing parliament's replacement of requisitions with parliamentary taxes as a means of generating revenue and a requirement that the colonists send accused criminals to England for trial. Despite his differences with the General Assembly, Norborne Berkeley was well-respected by the colonists, especially after he sent parliament letters encouraging it to repeal the taxes. When parliament refused to rescind the taxes, Governor Berkeley requested to be recalled. In appreciation of his efforts on their behalf, the colonists erected a monument to his memory which currently stands in
Williamsburg, and two counties were later named in his honor, Berkeley in present-day West Virginia and
Botetourt in Virginia.
Other historians claim that Berkeley County may have been named in honor of Sir
William Berkeley (
1610 to
1677). He was born near
London, graduated from
Oxford University in
1629, and was appointed Governor of Virginia in
1642. He served as Governor until
1652 and was later reappointed Governor in
1660. He continued to serve as Virginia's Governor until
1677 when he was called back to England. He died later that year, on
July 9,
1677.
The first settlers
According to missionary reports, several thousand
Hurons occupied present-day West Virginia, including the
Eastern Panhandle region, during the late
1500s and early
1600s. During the 1600s the
Iroquois Confederacy (then consisting of the
Mohawk,
Onondaga,
Cayuga,
Oneida, and
Seneca tribes) drove the Hurons from the state. The Iroquois Confederacy was headquartered in
New York and was not interested in occupying present-day West Virginia. Instead, they used it as a hunting ground during the spring and summer months.
During the early
1700s, West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region was inhabited by the
Tuscarora. They eventually migrated northward into New York and, in
1712, became the sixth nation to be formally admitted into the Iroquois Confederacy. The Eastern Panhandle region was also used as a hunting ground by several other Indian tribes, including the
Shawnee (then known as the Shawanese) who resided near present-day
Winchester, Virginia and
Moorefield, West Virginia until 1754 when they migrated into
Ohio. The
Mingo, who resided in the
Tygart Valley and along the
Ohio River in present-day West Virginia's
Northern Panhandle region, and the
Delaware, who lived in present-day eastern
Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and
Delaware, but had several autonomous settlements as far south as present-day
Braxton County, also used the area as a hunting ground.
Following the
French and Indian War, the Mingo retreated to their homes along the banks of the Ohio River and were rarely seen in the Eastern Panhandle region. Although the French and Indian War was officially over, many Indians continued to view the British as a threat to their sovereignty and continued to fight them. In the summer of
1763,
Pontiac, an
Ottawa chief, led raids on key British forts in the Great Lakes region. Shawnee chief Keigh-tugh-qua, also known as
Cornstalk, led similar attacks on western Virginia settlements, starting with attacks in present-day
Greenbrier County and extending northward to
Berkeley Springs, and into the northern
Shenandoah Valley. By the end of July, Indians had destroyed or captured all British forts west of the Alleghenies except
Fort Detroit,
Fort Pitt, and
Fort Niagara. The uprisings were ended on August 6, 1763 when British forces, under the command of Colonel
Henry Bouquet, defeated Delaware and Shawnee forces at
Bushy Run in western Pennsylvania.
During the
American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), the Mingo and Shawnee, headquartered at
Chillicothe, Ohio, allied themselves with the British. In 1777, a party of 350 Wyandots, Shawnees and Mingos, armed by the British, attacked
Fort Henry, near present-day Wheeling. Nearly half of the soldiers manning the fort were killed in the three-day assault. The Indians then left the area celebrating their victory. For the remainder of the war, smaller raiding parties of Mingo, Shawnee, and other Indian tribes terrorized settlers throughout northern and eastern West Virginia. As a result, European settlement throughout present-day West Virginia, including the Eastern Panhandle, came to a virtual standstill until the war's conclusion.
Following the war, the Mingo and Shawnee, once again allied with the losing side, returned to their homes. As the number of settlers in present-day West Virginia began to grow, both the Mingo and Shawnee moved further inland, leaving their traditional hunting ground to the white settlers.
Early European settlers
In
1670,
John Lederer, a
German physician and explorer employed by Sir
William Berkeley, colonial governor of Virginia, became the first European to set foot in present-day Berkeley County; their safety was not guaranteed.
John Howard and his son also passed through present-day Berkeley County a few years later, and discovered the valley of the
South Branch Potomac River at
Green Spring. The next known explorer to traverse the county was
John Van Meter in
1725. He came across the
Potomac River, at what is now known as
Shepherdstown, then he made his way to the South Branch Potomac River. When he returned to his home in New York, Van Meter advised his sons to purchase land in the area.
In
1726,
Morgan Morgan, moved from Delaware and founded the first permanent English settlement of record in West Virginia on Mill Creek near the present-day
Bunker Hill in Berkeley County. The state of West Virginia erected a monument in Bunker Hill commemorating the event, and placed a marker at Morgan's grave, which is located in a cemetery near the park. Morgan Morgan and his wife,
Catherine Garretson, had eight children. His son,
Zackquill Morgan, later founded present-day
Morgantown.
In
1730, John and Isaac Van Meter, two of John Van Meter's sons, secured a patent for 40,000 acres (162 km²) at the South Branch Potomac River, much of it located in present-day Berkeley County, from Virginia's Colonial Lieutenant Governor
William Gooch. The brothers sold the land the following year to
Hans Yost Heydt, also known as
Joist Hite. In
1732, Joist Hite and fifteen families set out from
York, Pennsylvania, passed through present-day Berkeley County, and settled near present-day
Winchester, Virginia. In
1774, John Van Meter moved to a site near
Moorefield, then part of
Hampshire County, but now in present-day
Hardy County. His brother, Isaac Van Meter, settled further to the west.
18th Century Berkeley County
In
1748,
George Washington, then just sixteen years old, surveyed present-day Berkeley County for
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. He later returned to Bath (Berkeley Springs) several times over the next several years with his half-brother, Lawrence, who was ill and hoped that the warm springs might improve his health. The springs, and their rumored medicinal benefits, attracted numerous Native Americans as well as Europeans to the area.
19th Century Berkeley County
Berkeley County was reduced in size twice during the
1800s. On
January 8,
1801,
Jefferson County was formed out of the county's eastern section. Then, on
February 9,
1820,
Morgan County was formed out of the county's western section and parts of Hampshire County.
Berkeley County was of strategic importance to both the North and the South during the
American Civil War (
1861 to
1865). The county, and
Martinsburg, the county seat, lay at the northern edge of the Shenandoah Valley, and Martinsburg was very important because the main line of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ran through the town. The rail line was of great importance to both armies. Also, Martinsburg was close to the Union arsenal at
Harpers Ferry. Control over Martinsburg changed hands many times during the war, especially prior to the
Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. After Gettysburg, the city remained mostly under Union control.
Most of Berkeley County's residents were loyal to the South during the American Civil War. There were seven companies of soldiers recruited from the county: five for the
Confederate Army and two for the
Union Army. At least six hundred men from Berkeley County served in either the Confederate or Union Armies.
Berkeley County was also the home of
Maria Isabella "Belle" Boyd, a famous spy for the Confederacy. She was born in Martinsburg on
May 9,
1844, and lived there until the outbreak of the war. Her espionage career began on
July 4,
1861 when a band of drunken Union soldiers broke into her Martinsburg home intent on raising the
United States flag over the house. As the soldiers forced their way into the house (one account has a soldier pushing Belle's mother), Belle drew a pistol and killed him. A board of inquiry exonerated her actions as justifiable homicide, but sentries were posted around the house and officers kept close track of her activities. She befriended the officers, and at least one of them, Captain
Daniel Keily, shared with her military secrets. She conveyed those secrets to Confederate officers via her slave,
Eliza Hopewell, who carried the messages in a hollowed-out watch case. She later moved to
Front Royal, Virginia to live with an aunt. One evening in mid-May, 1862 General
James Shields and his staff conferred in the parlor of the local hotel. Belle hid upstairs and overheard Shields mentioning that he had been ordered east, a move that would reduce the Union Army's strength at Front Royal. Belle reported the news to Colonel
Turner Ashby, a Confederate scout. He relayed the information to General
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, commander of the Confederate Army. After Jackson took Front Royal on May 23, he penned a note of gratitude to Belle, and named her an honorary Captain. Belle was later arrested by the Union Army for espionage, spent a month in the
Old Capitol Prison in
Washington, D.C. and was freed in a prisoner exchange. In June 1863, she was arrested again for espionage by the Union Army during a visit to Martinsburg. She remained in custody until
December 1, 1863 when, suffering from
typhoid, she was allowed to travel to
England to regain her strength. While there, she began a stage career and penned her memoirs. After the war, she returned to the
United States, toured the western states recounting her exploits as a spy during the war, and died in
1900 in
Evansville, Wisconsin.
Berkeley County remained in the Confederacy throughout the Civil War, and was not part of the formation of the
State of Kanawha, renamed
West Virginia, when it was admitted to the Union with 48 former Virginia counties on
January 1,
1863. Rather, after the War, during Reconstruction, in
1866, two more counties decided in local referendums that they also wanted to be part of the new state of West Virginia, bringing the total to 50. These last 2 counties were Berkeley County and Jefferson County.
Incorporated cities and towns
*
Town of Hedgesville*
City of MartinsburgUnincorporated communities
*Aler, F. Vernon. 1888.
Aler's History of Martinsburg and Berkeley County, West Virginia: From the Origin of the Indians... Hagerstown, MD: Printed for the author by the Mail Publishing Company.
*Doherty, William T. 1972.
Berkeley County, U.S.A.: A Bicentennial History of a Virginia and West Virginia County, 1772-1972. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing Company, 1972.
*Evans, Willis F. 1928.
History of Berkeley County, West Virginia. Wheeling, WV: No publisher.
*Dr. Robert Jay Dilger, Director, Institute for Public Affairs and Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University.
*
Berkeley County Schools*
List of historic sites in Berkeley County, West Virginia*
Chamber of Commerce of Martinsburg and Berkeley County*
Berkeley County Commission*
Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention & Visitors Bureau*
Berkeley County Development Authority*
Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board*
Berkeley County Health Department*
Berkeley County Historical Society*
Berkeley County Schools*
Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library*
WVU Extension Service - Berkeley County*
Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival
