Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
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The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan as members of the Eastern Panhandle. Others view the region as comprising a total of eight counties.
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[edit] History
Berkeley, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties joined the new Unionist state of West Virginia in 1863. Shortly after West Virginia gained statehood, Mineral and Grant counties were created from Hampshire and Hardy in 1866.
The Eastern Panhandle includes West Virginia's oldest chartered towns (1762) of Romney and Shepherdstown. The Panhandle also includes West Virginia's two oldest counties: Hampshire (1753) and Berkeley (1772).
[edit] Geography
The Eastern Panhandle also includes both West Virginia's highest and lowest elevations above sea level: Spruce Knob, 4,863 feet (1,482 m), in Pendleton and Harpers Ferry, 240 feet (73 m), in Jefferson on the Potomac River.
The eight counties in the eastern panhandle are:
[edit] Population
According to the 2000 Census, the eight counties of the Eastern Panhandle had a combined population of 212,483 giving the region 11.75% of West Virginia's population. Berkeley County is the Panhandle's most populous county with an estimated 99,734 residents (2007). Berkeley also includes the Panhandle's largest city, Martinsburg, with a 2007 estimated population of 16,450.[1]
[edit] Population growth
| County | 2007 (estimate) | 2000 | 1990 | 1980 | 1970 | 1960 | 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 99,734 | 75,905 | 59,253 | 46,846 | 36,356 | 33,791 | 30,359 |
| Grant | 11,925 | 11,299 | 10,428 | 10,218 | 8,607 | 8,304 | 8,756 |
| Hampshire | 22,577 | 20,203 | 16,498 | 14,867 | 11,710 | 11,705 | 12,577 |
| Hardy | 13,661 | 12,669 | 10,977 | 10,051 | 8,855 | 9,308 | 10,032 |
| Jefferson | 50,832 | 42,190 | 35,926 | 30,311 | 21,280 | 18,665 | 17,184 |
| Mineral | 26,722 | 27,078 | 26,697 | 27,159 | 23,109 | 22,354 | 22,333 |
| Morgan | 16,351 | 14,943 | 12,128 | 10,696 | 8,547 | 8,376 | 8,276 |
| Pendleton | 7,650 | 8,196 | 8,054 | 7,935 | 7,031 | 8,093 | 9,313 |
| TOTAL | 249,452 | 212,483 | 179,961 | 158,083 | 125,495 | 120,596 | 118,830 |
[edit] Housing growth
The Eastern Panhandle is West Virginia's fastest growing region in terms of population and housing growth. In July 2005, the United States Census Bureau released a list of the top 100 counties according to housing growth. Berkeley County grew 3.95 percent, from 36,365 housing units in 2003 to 37,802 units in 2004. That growth rate was 86th in the nation among the 3,141 United States counties. Jefferson County was not far behind at 88th in the nation. It grew 3.94 percent from 19,381 housing units in 2003 to 20,144 units in 2004.
[edit] Largest municipalities
The majority of the Eastern Panhandle's growing residential developments are located outside of city and town boundaries and therefore are not included in the city or town's official population.
| City | 2006 (estimate) | 2000 | 1990 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martinsburg | 16,392 | 14,972 | 14,073 | Berkeley |
| Keyser | 5,334 | 5,303 | 5,870 | Mineral |
| Ranson | 3,957 | 2,951 | 2,890 | Jefferson |
| Charles Town | 3,869 | 2,907 | 3,122 | Jefferson |
| Petersburg | 2,695 | 2,423 | 2,360 | Grant |
| Moorefield | 2,426 | 2,375 | 2,148 | Hardy |
| Romney | 1,971 | 1,940 | 1,966 | Hampshire |
| Shepherdstown | 1,172 | 803 | 1,287 | Jefferson |
| Bolivar | 1,087 | 1,045 | 1,013 | Jefferson |
| Piedmont | 935 | 1,014 | 1,094 | Mineral |
NOTE: This list does not include the unincorporated census-designated places of Inwood (pop. 2,084) and Fort Ashby (pop. 1,354). The U.S. Census Bureau does not release estimates for CDPs. The population figures listed are from the 2000 census.
[edit] Statistical areas
Several counties in the Eastern Panhandle are part of metropolitan, micropolitan, and consolidated metropolitan statistical areas defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget.
| MSA/CMSA | Population (2000) | WV Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland, MD-WV MSA | 102,008 | Mineral |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA | 222,771 | Berkeley, Morgan |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA | 4,796,183 | Jefferson |
| Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV CMSA | 7,538,385 | Berkeley, Jefferson |
| Winchester, VA-WV MSA | 102,997 | Hampshire |
[edit] County information
| County | Named For | Founded | Seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt | February 1772 | Martinsburg |
| Grant | Ulysses Simpson Grant | February 14, 1866 | Petersburg |
| Hampshire | County of Hampshire, England | December 13, 1753 | Romney |
| Hardy | Samuel Hardy | December 10, 1785 | Moorefield |
| Jefferson | Thomas Jefferson | January 8, 1801 | Charles Town |
| Mineral | minerals located in the county | February 1, 1866 | Keyser |
| Morgan | General Daniel Morgan | February 9, 1820 | Berkeley Springs |
| Pendleton | Edmund Pendleton | December 4, 1787 | Franklin |
[edit] Places of worship
- Hedgesville is home to one of only a few Karaite Jewish religious centers outside Israel.[2]
- Hampshire County is home to two religious learning centers: The Buddhist Bhavana Society Forest Monastery and Retreat Center in High View and the Global Country of World Peace's Transcendental Meditation Learning Center and Retreat in Three Churches.
[edit] Potomac Highlands
Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton Counties also belong to another geographical region of West Virginia known as the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia.
[edit] Notes
[edit] See also
- List of historic sites in Berkeley County, West Virginia
- List of historic sites in Hampshire County, West Virginia
- List of historic sites in Hardy County, West Virginia
- List of historic sites in Morgan County, West Virginia
[edit] External links
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