Jump to content

Buckingham County, Virginia: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 37°34′N 78°32′W / 37.57°N 78.53°W / 37.57; -78.53
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Jlyeck (talk | contribs)
69 edits
m Added detail and citation.
m →History: markup
Line 27: Line 27:
Buckingham County, lying south of the James River at the geographic center of the state, was established on May 1, 1761 from the southeastern portion of [[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle County]]. The origin of the county name probably comes from the [[Duke of Buckingham]] ([[Buckinghamshire, England]]). Some sources say that the county was named for Archibald Cary's estate "Buckingham" which was located on Willis Creek. This is the only Buckingham County in the United States.
Buckingham County, lying south of the James River at the geographic center of the state, was established on May 1, 1761 from the southeastern portion of [[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle County]]. The origin of the county name probably comes from the [[Duke of Buckingham]] ([[Buckinghamshire, England]]). Some sources say that the county was named for Archibald Cary's estate "Buckingham" which was located on Willis Creek. This is the only Buckingham County in the United States.


In 1778 a small triangular area bordering the James River was given to Cumberland County. In 1845, another part was taken from Buckingham to form the northern portion of Appomattox County. A final adjustment of the Appomattox-Buckingham county line was made in 1860 and Buckingham's borders then became fixed in their current form. A fire destroyed the courthouse (designed by Thomas Jefferson) in 1869 and most of the early records of this county were lost. In the nineteenth century the county was devoted chiefly to large farms, which converted from tobacco cultivation to mixed farming and pulpwood harvesting. Large tracts of land belong to companies such as WestVaco that sell pulpwood and other timber products to the paper mills and wood product producers. It is still largely rural with areas devoted to great recreation such as fishing and hunting. The County is home to families that can trace their ancestry back to the very early beginnings of Virginia History. Many families still live on tracts of land that were given to their families as land grants. These land grants were originally given to French Huguenots who first settled the south western part of the county in the early 1700s.
In 1778 a small triangular area bordering the James River was given to Cumberland County. In 1845, another part was taken from Buckingham to form the northern portion of Appomattox County. A final adjustment of the Appomattox-Buckingham county line was made in 1860 and Buckingham's borders then became fixed in their current form. A fire destroyed the courthouse (designed by Thomas Jefferson) in 1869 and most of the early records of this county were lost. In the nineteenth century the county was devoted chiefly to large farms, which converted from tobacco cultivation to mixed farming and pulpwood harvesting. Large tracts of land belong to companies such as WestVaco that sell pulpwood and other timber products to the paper mills and wood product producers. It is still largely rural with areas devoted to great recreation such as fishing and hunting. The County is home to families that can trace their ancestry back to the very early beginnings of Virginia History. Many families still live on tracts of land that were given to their families as land grants. These land grants were originally given to [[Huguenot#North_America|French Huguenots]] who first settled the south western part of the county in the early 1700s.


Lee’s army marched through the county during Lee’s retreat on their way to Appomattox, Virginia. A marker in the cemetery of [http://www.christparish.org/Trinity.htm Trinity Presbyterian Church] in New Canton reads, ""According to the oral history of Trinity Presbyterian Church and this community, here are 45 Confederate and Union soldiers buried in mass graves directly behind this church. they left Appomattox after the surrender and headed for their homes north of here. Sick with disease, they died in a nearby camp. That they may not be forgotten, this plaque is placed by the Elliott Grays UDC Chapter #1877 2003"
Lee’s army marched through the county during Lee’s retreat on their way to Appomattox, Virginia. A marker in the cemetery of [http://www.christparish.org/Trinity.htm Trinity Presbyterian Church] in New Canton reads, ""According to the oral history of Trinity Presbyterian Church and this community, here are 45 Confederate and Union soldiers buried in mass graves directly behind this church. they left Appomattox after the surrender and headed for their homes north of here. Sick with disease, they died in a nearby camp. That they may not be forgotten, this plaque is placed by the Elliott Grays UDC Chapter #1877 2003"


In 2011, the county celebrated its 250th Anniversary.<ref>Yeck, Joanne L. "At a Place Called Buckingham" . . . Historic Sketches of Buckingham County, Virginia (Kettering, OH: Slate River Press, 2011).</ref>
In 2011, the county celebrated its 250th Anniversary.<ref>Yeck, Joanne L. "At a Place Called Buckingham" . . . Historic Sketches of Buckingham County, Virginia (Kettering, OH: Slate River Press, 2011).</ref>


==Geography==
==Geography==

Revision as of 03:23, 4 August 2013

For the former county in Tasmania, Australia, see Buckingham Land District.
Buckingham County
County
Buckingham County Courthouse
Buckingham County Courthouse
Official seal of Buckingham County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Buckingham County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°34′N 78°32′W / 37.57°N 78.53°W / 37.57; -78.53
Country United States
State Virginia
Founded1761
Named forDuke of Buckingham
SeatBuckingham
Area
 • Total584 sq mi (1,510 km2)
 • Land581 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Water3 sq mi (8 km2)  0.46%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total17,146
 • Density30/sq mi (10/km2)
Websitewww.buckinghamcountyva.org

Buckingham County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. As of 2010, the population was 17,146.[1] Its county seat is Buckingham.Template:GR Peter Francisco, an American Revolutionary War soldier, grew up in the county.

History

Buckingham County, lying south of the James River at the geographic center of the state, was established on May 1, 1761 from the southeastern portion of Albemarle County. The origin of the county name probably comes from the Duke of Buckingham (Buckinghamshire, England). Some sources say that the county was named for Archibald Cary's estate "Buckingham" which was located on Willis Creek. This is the only Buckingham County in the United States.

In 1778 a small triangular area bordering the James River was given to Cumberland County. In 1845, another part was taken from Buckingham to form the northern portion of Appomattox County. A final adjustment of the Appomattox-Buckingham county line was made in 1860 and Buckingham's borders then became fixed in their current form. A fire destroyed the courthouse (designed by Thomas Jefferson) in 1869 and most of the early records of this county were lost. In the nineteenth century the county was devoted chiefly to large farms, which converted from tobacco cultivation to mixed farming and pulpwood harvesting. Large tracts of land belong to companies such as WestVaco that sell pulpwood and other timber products to the paper mills and wood product producers. It is still largely rural with areas devoted to great recreation such as fishing and hunting. The County is home to families that can trace their ancestry back to the very early beginnings of Virginia History. Many families still live on tracts of land that were given to their families as land grants. These land grants were originally given to French Huguenots who first settled the south western part of the county in the early 1700s.

Lee’s army marched through the county during Lee’s retreat on their way to Appomattox, Virginia. A marker in the cemetery of Trinity Presbyterian Church in New Canton reads, ""According to the oral history of Trinity Presbyterian Church and this community, here are 45 Confederate and Union soldiers buried in mass graves directly behind this church. they left Appomattox after the surrender and headed for their homes north of here. Sick with disease, they died in a nearby camp. That they may not be forgotten, this plaque is placed by the Elliott Grays UDC Chapter #1877 2003"

In 2011, the county celebrated its 250th Anniversary.[2]

Geography

The geographic center of Virginia is in Buckingham County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 584 square miles (1,512.6 km2), of which 581 square miles (1,504.8 km2) is land and 3 square miles (7.8 km2) (0.46%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

Major highways

Demographics

Buckingham County is rural and heavily forested.

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 15,623 people, 5,324 households, and 3,758 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 6,290 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 59.11% White, 39.06% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The two largest ancestry groups in Buckingham County are African American (39%) and English American (11%).[3]

There were 5,324 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 14.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out with 22.40% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 121.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,882, and the median income for a family was $37,465. Males had a median income of $26,302 versus $20,491 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,669. About 16.00% of families and 20.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.00% of those under age 18 and 19.30% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

Education

  • Buckingham County High School
  • Buckingham County Middle School
  • Dillwyn Elementary School
  • Dillwyn Primary School
  • Buckingham Primary School
  • Gold Hill Elementary School

Communities

Town

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]. Weldon Cooper Center 2010 Census Count Retrieved September 9, 2011
  2. ^ Yeck, Joanne L. "At a Place Called Buckingham" . . . Historic Sketches of Buckingham County, Virginia (Kettering, OH: Slate River Press, 2011).
  3. ^ http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genealogyInfo.php?locIndex=22887

37°34′N 78°32′W / 37.57°N 78.53°W / 37.57; -78.53

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buckingham_County,_Virginia&oldid=567065981"