Clarke County, Virginia
Clarke County is a United States county located along the northern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Bordering West Virginia, Clarke County forms part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 14,783. Its county seat is the historic town of Berryville.
The county was established in 1836 from part of Frederick County, and was named for Virginia Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark. Historically agrarian, Clarke County is one of the most sparsely populated areas of Northern Virginia.
History
The first settlement of the Virginia Colony in the future Clarke County was in 1736 by Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron who built a home, Greenway Court, on part of his property, near what is now the village of White Post. White Post was named for the large signpost pointing the way to Lord Fairfax's home.As it lay just west of the Blue Ridge border demarcated under Governor Spotswood at Albany in 1722, the area was claimed along with the rest of the Shenandoah Valley by the Six Nations Iroquois, until the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744, when it was purchased from them by Governor Gooch.
Many of the early settlers of what became Clarke County were children of Tidewater planters, who settled on large land grants from Lord Fairfax. Two thirds of the county was settled by the plantation group, and the plantation lifestyle thrived until the Civil War. The new county was formed from Frederick County in 1836, and was named for George Rogers Clark. Clarke County was known for its large crops of wheat.
During the American Civil War, John S. Mosby, "the Gray Ghost" of the Confederacy, raided General Philip Sheridan's supply train in the summer of 1864, in Berryville. The Battle of Cool Spring was fought in Clarke County on July 17 and 18, 1864, followed by the Battle of Berryville on September 3, 1864.
In 1881 was founded the Bank of Clarke County, a still-functional regional bank with headquarters in Berryville.
Early in the 20th century, the future Virginia politician Harry F. Byrd Sr. and his wife established their first home near Berryville, where he undertook extensive agricultural activity growing peaches and apples. Byrd became a state senator in the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly, served a term as a Governor of Virginia, and was a United States senator for over 30 years. He headed the powerful Byrd Organization, which dominated state politics between the mid-1920s and the 1960s.
In 1996, Forrest Pritchard revitalized Smithfield Farm by starting a grass-fed, sustainable livestock operation. Renamed 'Smith Meadows', it is currently one of the oldest fully grass-finished farms in the United States, and its story was chronicled in the New York Times bestseller Gaining Ground.
Historic buildings and structures
- Clermont Estate
- Dearmont Hall
- Fairfield
- Soldier's Rest
- Buck Marsh Church
- Norwood
- Burwell-Morgan Mill
- Holy Cross Abbey
- Audley Estate
- Bel Voi
- Long Branch Plantation
- Rosemont Estate
- Clay Hill
- Smithfield Farm
- Clifton
- Clarke County Courthouse
- Stone's Chapel
- Glendale Farm
- Site of Mosby's Raid
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It is the third-smallest county in Virginia by total area.Adjacent counties
- Loudoun County – east
- Warren County – southwest
- Fauquier County – southeast
- Frederick County – west
- Jefferson County, West Virginia – north
Government
Board of Supervisors
- Berryville District: Douglas A. Shaffer
- Buckmarsh District: David S. Weiss
- Millwood District: Terri Catlett
- Russell District: Douglas M. Lawrence
- White Post District: Bev B. McKay
Constitutional officers
- Clerk of the Circuit Court: April F. Wilkerson
- Commissioner of the Revenue: Donna Mathews Peake
- Commonwealth's Attorney: Matthew E. Bass
- Sheriff: Travis Sumption
- Treasurer: Sharon E. Keeler
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 14,783. The median age was 48.3 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.0 males age 18 and over.The racial makeup of the county was 84.4% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.0% from some other race, and 6.8% from two or more races. [Hispanic and Race (United States Census)|Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 6.0% of the population.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,847 households in the county, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 6,371 housing units, of which 8.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.3% were owner-occupied and 22.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%.
2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,652 people, 4,942 households, and 3,513 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 5,388 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 91.15% White, 6.73% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.By 2005 90.1% of Clarke County's population was non-Hispanic whites. 6.3% were African-American. 0.2% Native American. 0.6% Asian. 2.6% were Latino.
There were 4,942 households, out of which 29.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 27.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $51,601, and the median income for a family was $59,750. Males had a median income of $40,254 versus $30,165 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,844. About 4.20% of families and 6.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.10% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over.