West Point, Virginia
Encyclopedia
West Point is an incorporated town
in King William County
, Virginia
, United States
. The population was 2,867 at the 2000 census.
is formed at West Point by the confluence of the Mattaponi
and Pamunkey
Rivers, and from there, separates the Virginia Peninsula
and Middle Peninsula
regions of eastern Virginia as it flows approximately 40 miles to the Chesapeake Bay
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.2 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.3 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (4.0 km²) of it (23.12%) is water.
, a tribe affiliated with the Algonquian
-speaking Powhatan Confederacy. During the first half of the 17th century, the Confederacy and the English colonists who established their first permanent settlement at Jamestown
in 1607 were frequently in conflict. By mid-century, the Natives had been largely overcome by the ever-expanding Colony of Virginia, including the area of Cinquoteck. By treaty, the colonial government established reservations for the Mattaponi and Pamunkey
in this area. More than 350 years later, Pamunkey and Mattaponi members continue to occupy the reservations, located a few miles north of modern-day West Point. Both are state-recognized tribes.
In 1655, the former site of Cinquetock had been absorbed within the boundaries of Port Richmond West Plantation. It was the home of John West
, who had been a Governor of Virginia from 1635 to 1637.
The West family sold off parts of the plantation, and a settlement started at what became called West Point, which had access to the York River
. In 1691, the Virginia General Assembly
directed that West Point be chartered as a port of entry
on the York. In 1705 the House of Burgesses
authorized the town to qualify as a "free borough", and renamed it "Delaware" in honor of former Royal Governor Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr
, John West's father.
When the Richmond and York River Railroad
was built and completed in 1861 to the port community, just before the onset of the American Civil War
, the old name of "West Point" was restored. The railroad was a key strategic goal of Union
General George B. McClellan
's failed Peninsula Campaign
in 1862 to capture Richmond
. Massively damaged during the War, the railroad was later rebuilt. It became part of the Richmond and Danville Railroad
system headed by Colonel John Fulks.
In 1870, West Point became an incorporated town
. Linked to Richmond by rail, it became a major shipping point for passenger and freight traffic. It was especially convenient for travel to Baltimore and points north via the York River
and the Chesapeake Bay
. Much of the Richmond and Danville Railroad (including the section between Richmond and West Point) became part of the Southern Railway
in the 1890s during a financial reorganization.
Until the early 20th century, West Point was a thriving commercial port and resort
destination. However, the port status declined with the completion of more railroads to the ocean
harbor area of Hampton Roads, notably including the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
at Newport News
and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
at Portsmouth
. Likewise, tourists began to frequent newer destinations closer to the ocean.
After the decline of both shipping and tourism
, a shipyard
built in 1917 and a pulp paper mill built in 1918 are credited with bringing new jobs to the town. In the 1980s, the railroad was acquired by the Norfolk Southern Railway
system in continued restructuring of the industry. It has continued to serve the town's paper mill into the early 21st century.
(terminology for a school district in Virginia) which is independent from the school division of the county in which it is located. (The other town with an independent school division is Colonial Beach, located in Westmoreland County
in the Northern Neck
region.)
of 2000, there were 2,866 people, 1,068 households, and 809 families residing in the town. The population density
was 559.2 people per square mile (215.7/km²). There were 1,151 housing units at an average density of 224.6 per square mile (86.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 80.32% White, 16.92% African American, 0.45% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.35% from other races
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 1,068 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples
living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,655, and the median income for a family was $56,932. Males had a median income of $40,071 versus $24,702 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $23,232. About 1.7% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
in King William County
King William County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,846 households, and 3,784 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile . There were 5,189 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,867 at the 2000 census.
Geography
West Point is located at 37°32′37"N 76°48′19"W (37.543733, -76.805366). The York RiverYork River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
is formed at West Point by the confluence of the Mattaponi
Mattaponi River
The Mattaponi River is a tributary of the York River estuary in eastern Virginia in the United States.It rises as four streams in Spotsylvania County, each of which is given a shorter piece of the Mattaponi's name:...
and Pamunkey
Pamunkey River
The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
Rivers, and from there, separates the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
and Middle Peninsula
Middle Peninsula
The Middle Peninsula is the second of three large peninsulas on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, in the United States. It lies between the Northern Neck and the Virginia Peninsula. This peninsula is bounded by the Rappahannock River on the north and the York River on the south...
regions of eastern Virginia as it flows approximately 40 miles to the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.2 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.3 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (4.0 km²) of it (23.12%) is water.
History
The current site of West Point was once the site of Cinquoteck, a Native American village of the local MattaponiMattaponi
The Mattaponi tribe is one of only two Virginia Indian tribes in the Commonwealth of Virginia that owns reservation land. The larger Mattaponi Indian Tribe lives in King William County on reservation lands that stretch along the borders of the Mattaponi River, near West Point, Virginia.The...
, a tribe affiliated with the Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking Powhatan Confederacy. During the first half of the 17th century, the Confederacy and the English colonists who established their first permanent settlement at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
in 1607 were frequently in conflict. By mid-century, the Natives had been largely overcome by the ever-expanding Colony of Virginia, including the area of Cinquoteck. By treaty, the colonial government established reservations for the Mattaponi and Pamunkey
Pamunkey
The Pamunkey nation are one of eleven Virginia Indian tribes recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The historical tribe was part of the Powhatan paramountcy, made up of Algonquian-speaking tribes. The Powhatan paramount chiefdom was made up over 30 tribes, estimated to total about...
in this area. More than 350 years later, Pamunkey and Mattaponi members continue to occupy the reservations, located a few miles north of modern-day West Point. Both are state-recognized tribes.
In 1655, the former site of Cinquetock had been absorbed within the boundaries of Port Richmond West Plantation. It was the home of John West
John West (governor)
John West was the colonial Governor of Virginia from 1635 to 1637, the third West brother to serve in that position.-Biography:...
, who had been a Governor of Virginia from 1635 to 1637.
The West family sold off parts of the plantation, and a settlement started at what became called West Point, which had access to the York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
. In 1691, the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
directed that West Point be chartered as a port of entry
Port of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
on the York. In 1705 the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
authorized the town to qualify as a "free borough", and renamed it "Delaware" in honor of former Royal Governor Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr
Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr
Thomas West, 3rd and 12th Baron De La Warr was the Englishman after whom the bay, the river, and, consequently, an American Indian people and U.S. state, all later called "Delaware", were named....
, John West's father.
When the Richmond and York River Railroad
Richmond and York River Railroad
Richmond and York River Railroad was completed between Richmond, Virginia and West Point, Virginia in 1861. The western terminus was adjacent to Richmond's Tobacco Row...
was built and completed in 1861 to the port community, just before the onset of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the old name of "West Point" was restored. The railroad was a key strategic goal of Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
General George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
's failed Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
in 1862 to capture Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Massively damaged during the War, the railroad was later rebuilt. It became part of the Richmond and Danville Railroad
Richmond and Danville Railroad
The Richmond and Danville Railroad was chartered in Virginia in the United States in 1847. The portion between Richmond and Danville, Virginia was completed in 1856...
system headed by Colonel John Fulks.
In 1870, West Point became an incorporated town
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
. Linked to Richmond by rail, it became a major shipping point for passenger and freight traffic. It was especially convenient for travel to Baltimore and points north via the York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
and the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. Much of the Richmond and Danville Railroad (including the section between Richmond and West Point) became part of the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
in the 1890s during a financial reorganization.
Until the early 20th century, West Point was a thriving commercial port and resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
destination. However, the port status declined with the completion of more railroads to the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
harbor area of Hampton Roads, notably including the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
at Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
at Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
. Likewise, tourists began to frequent newer destinations closer to the ocean.
After the decline of both shipping and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, a shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
built in 1917 and a pulp paper mill built in 1918 are credited with bringing new jobs to the town. In the 1980s, the railroad was acquired by the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
system in continued restructuring of the industry. It has continued to serve the town's paper mill into the early 21st century.
Public schools
West Point is one of two towns in Virginia to have a School divisionSchool division
-Canada:In Canada the term is used to the area controlled by a school board and is used interchangeably with school district, including in the formal name of the board. For example, see List of Alberta school boards.-United States:...
(terminology for a school district in Virginia) which is independent from the school division of the county in which it is located. (The other town with an independent school division is Colonial Beach, located in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of...
in the Northern Neck
Northern Neck
The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It encompasses the following Virginia counties: Lancaster,...
region.)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,866 people, 1,068 households, and 809 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 559.2 people per square mile (215.7/km²). There were 1,151 housing units at an average density of 224.6 per square mile (86.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 80.32% White, 16.92% African American, 0.45% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.35% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 1,068 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,655, and the median income for a family was $56,932. Males had a median income of $40,071 versus $24,702 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $23,232. About 1.7% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.