Augusta County, Virginia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010)

Coordinates: 38°12′N 79°7′W / 38.2°N 79.117°W / 38.2; -79.117

Augusta County, Virginia
Seal
Location in the state of Virginia
Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1738
Named for	Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Seat	Staunton
Largest Unincorporated area	Stuarts Draft
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	971 sq mi (2,515 km²) 970 sq mi (2,514 km²) 1 sq mi (1 km²), 0.06%
Population  -  Density	73,750 67/sq mi (26/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.co.augusta.va.us

Augusta County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of 2010 the population was 73,750.^[1] Its county seat is Staunton, although most of the administrative services have offices in neighboring Verona.

Augusta County is part of the Staunton–Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Augusta Stone Church built in 1749

Augusta County was formed in 1738 from Orange County, although county government was not organized until 1745. It was named for Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales and mother of the future King George III of the United Kingdom.

Originally, Augusta County was a vast territory with an indefinite western boundary. Most of what is now West Virginia as well as all of Kentucky were formed from it, and it also claimed the territory north and west of those areas, theoretically all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

A series of maps show the formation and division of Augusta County from 1738 through 1791. An animated map shows the formation of Virginia and West Virginia counties from 1617 to 1995.

Reductions in its extent began in 1770, when its southern part became Botetourt County. In 1776 part of western Augusta County, an area also known as the District of West Augusta, became Monongalia County, Ohio County, and Yohogania County (abolished in 1786). In 1778 the part of Augusta County west of the Ohio River became Illinois County (abolished in 1784); the northeastern part of what was left became Rockingham County, and the southwestern part was combined with part of Botetourt County to form Rockbridge County. In 1788 the northern part of the still shrinking county was combined with part of Hardy County to become Pendleton County. Augusta County assumed its present dimensions in 1790, when its western part was combined with parts of Botetourt County and Greenbrier County to form Bath County.

During the Civil War, Augusta served as an important agricultural center as part of the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy." The Virginia Central Railroad ran through the County linking the Shenandoah Valley to the Confederate capital at Richmond. One of the bloodiest engagements ever fought in the Shenandoah Valley, was fought on June 5, 1864 at the Battle of Piedmont, a Union victory that allowed the Union Army to occupy Staunton and destroy many of the facilities that supported the Confederate war effort. Augusta County suffered again during General Philip H. Sheridan's "Burning" that destroyed many farms.

Geography

View of Augusta County countryside across the Shenandoah Valley toward the Blue Ridge Mountains.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 971 square miles (2,514.9 km²), making it the second largest in Virginia. 970 square miles (2,512.3 km²) is land and 1 square mile (2.6 km²) (0.06%) is water.

Districts

The county is divided into seven magisterial districts: Beverley Manor, Middle River, North River, Pastures, Riverheads, South River, and Wayne.

School systems

The county is serviced by Augusta County Public Schools.

Adjacent counties

• Pendleton County, West Virginia - north
• Rockingham County, Virginia - northeast
• Albemarle County, Virginia - east
• Nelson County, Virginia - southeast
• Rockbridge County, Virginia - southwest
• Bath County, Virginia - west
• Highland County, Virginia - northwest

In addition, two cities are enclaved within the county:

• Staunton
• Waynesboro

Under Virginia law in effect since 1871, all municipalities in the state incorporated as cities are legally and politically independent of counties.

National protected areas

• Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
• George Washington National Forest (part)
• Shenandoah National Park (part)

Regional park

• Natural Chimneys

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 65,615 people, 24,818 households, and 18,911 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile (26/km²). There were 26,738 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.02% White, 3.60% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 24,818 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.70% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.80% were non-families. 20.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.70% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,045, and the median income for a family was $48,579. Males had a median income of $31,577 versus $24,233 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,744. About 4.20% of families and 5.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.40% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

Incorporated towns

• Craigsville
• Grottoes (partial)

Unincorporated communities

The independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro (incorporated as such in 1902 and 1948 respectively) are located within the boundaries of Augusta County, but are not a part of the county, despite Staunton's status as the county seat. Most county administrative offices, however, are located in Verona, rather than in Staunton.

Notable residents

• Thomas Adams, born in Augusta County, member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and signer of the Articles of Confederation^[3]
• Robert Allen, born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Tennessee^[3]
• George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879), born in Augusta County, noted painter and State Treasurer of Missouri ^[3]
• Gideon Blackburn (1772–1838), born in Augusta County, noted clergyman and founder of Blackburn College^[3]
• Samuel Brown, born in Augusta County, noted surgeon and editor^[3]
• John Wilson Campbell, born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Ohio ^[3]
• William Campbell, born in Augusta County, militia leader in the American Revolutionary War^[3]
• John Colter (c.1774–May 7, 1812(?)), born near Stuarts Draft, was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804−1806); best remembered for his 1807-1808 explorations as the first person of European descent to enter the region now known as Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons
• Samuel Doak, (1749–1830), born in Augusta County, noted Presbyterian clergyman, founder of Washington College, the first college west of the Alleghenies, noted abolitionist^[3]
• John H. Fulton, (died 1836), born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Virginia^[3]
• John P. Gaines, (1795–1857), born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Kentucky and governor of the Oregon Territory.^[3]
• John D. Imboden, (1823–1895), born in Augusta County, member of the Virginia General Assembly, Confederate Army cavalry general and partisan fighter in the American Civil War.^[3]
• "Irish" John Lewis (1678–1762), opened up what is now Augusta County to settlement.^[4]
• Thomas Lewis, Jr., born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Virginia.^[3]
• William J. Lewis, (1766–1828), born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Virginia.^[3]
• Robert D. Lilley, (1836–1886), born in Greenville, Augusta County, Confederate Army general in the American Civil War.^[3]
• Benjamin Logan, (c.1742-1803), born in Augusta County, United States Congressman from Kentucky.^[3]
• George Mathews, (1739–1812), born in Augusta County, later United States Congressman and Governor of Georgia.^[3]
• Robert McKnight (c.1789-1846), born in Augusta County, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1809, member of a trading expedition under Zebulon Pike to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1812, captured by Spanish and imprisoned until 1821, eventually renounced his United States citizenship, moved to Mexico, and became owner of the Santa Rita del Cobre copper mine in Chihuahua (now New Mexico).^[3]
• Joel F. Salatin (b. 1957), founder, owner and manager of Polyface Farm, a holistic, beyond-organic meat and poultry farm in Swoope, Virginia. His farm employs biodynamic and permaculture methods of animal husbandry and distributes its produce through direct marketing and local distribution. He was prominently featured in Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma.

See also

• Augusta County Sheriff's Office
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Augusta County, Virginia

References

External links

• Augusta County at the Open Directory Project
• Augusta County official website
• Local News
• Valley Conservation Council
• Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
• Peyton's History of Augusta County, Virginia (1882), searchable online edition of the 1882 edition by J. Lewis Peyton.
• Waddell's Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871, searchable online edition of the 1902 second edition by Jos. A. Waddell. Waddell wrote about people from all walks of life.
• Augusta County Resources, a Rootsweb page of historical and genealogical links and references, including maps.
• The Battle of Piedmont

	Highland County	Pendleton County, West Virginia	Rockingham County
	Bath County		Albemarle County
		Augusta County, Virginia
	Rockbridge County		Nelson County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Augusta County, Virginia, United States County seat: Staunton Towns Craigsville Grottoes‡ CDPs Augusta Springs Churchville Crimora Deerfield Dooms Fishersville Greenville Harriston Jolivue Lyndhurst Middlebrook Mount Sidney New Hope Sherando Stuarts Draft Verona Weyers Cave Unincorporated communities Buffalo Gap Centerville Ferrol Fort Defiance Ladd Lone Fountain Mount Solon Newport Spring Hill Steeles Tavern Swoope Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e  Commonwealth of Virginia Richmond (capital) Topics Climate Colleges and universities Colony Congressional Districts Culture Delegations Demographics Economy Education Environment Furniture Geography Government Governors History Historic Landmarks Magisterial Districts Homes Music People Police Politics Rights Rivers School divisions Scouting Slogan Sports teams State Fair State parks Symbols Towns Transportation Tribes Visitor Attractions Regions Allegheny Mountains Atlantic Coastal Plain Blue Ridge Chesapeake Bay Cumberland Mountains Delmarva Peninsula Eastern Shore Hampton Roads Middle Peninsula Northern Neck Northern Virginia Piedmont Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians Shenandoah Valley South Hampton Roads Southside Southwest Virginia Tennessee Valley Tidewater Tri-Cities Virginia Peninsula Metro areas Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Bluefield Bristol Charlottesville Culpeper Danville Fredericksburg Harrisonburg Lynchburg Martinsville Richmond Roanoke Staunton Hampton Roads Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Waynesboro Winchester Counties Accomack Albemarle Alleghany Amelia Amherst Appomattox Arlington Augusta Bath Bedford Bland Botetourt Brunswick Buchanan Buckingham Campbell Caroline Carroll Charles City Charlotte Chesterfield Clarke Craig Culpeper Cumberland Dickenson Dinwiddie Essex Fairfax Fauquier Floyd Fluvanna Franklin Frederick Giles Gloucester Goochland Grayson Greene Greensville Halifax Hanover Henrico Henry Highland Isle of Wight James City King and Queen King George King William Lancaster Lee Loudoun Louisa Lunenburg Madison Mathews Mecklenburg Middlesex Montgomery Nelson New Kent Northampton Northumberland Nottoway Orange Page Patrick Pittsylvania Powhatan Prince Edward Prince George Prince William Pulaski Rappahannock Richmond Roanoke Rockbridge Rockingham Russell Scott Shenandoah Smyth Southampton Spotsylvania Stafford Surry Sussex Tazewell Warren Washington Westmoreland Wise Wythe York Independent cities Alexandria Bedford Bristol Buena Vista Charlottesville Chesapeake Colonial Heights Covington Danville Emporia Fairfax Falls Church Franklin Fredericksburg Galax Hampton Harrisonburg Hopewell Lexington Lynchburg Manassas Manassas Park Martinsville Newport News Norfolk Norton Petersburg Poquoson Portsmouth Radford Richmond Roanoke Salem Staunton Suffolk Virginia Beach Waynesboro Williamsburg Winchester