Accomack County, Virginia

History

The county was named for its original residents, the Accomac people, an Eastern Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe.

Members of an English voyage of exploration landed in the area in 1603, four years before the founding of the Jamestown Colony. Captain John Smith visited the region in 1608. The Accomac people at the time numbered around 6,000 and was led by Debedeavon, a paramount chief, whom the English colonists called the "Laughing King." He became a staunch ally of the colonists, granting them several large areas for their own use.

Accomac Shire was established in 1634 as one of the eight original shires of Virginia. The name comes from the native word Accawmacke, which meant "on the other side". In 1642 the name was changed to Northampton by the colonists. Northampton was divided into two counties in 1663. The northern adopted the original name, while the south remained Northampton.

In 1670, the Virginia Colony's Royal Governor William Berkeley abolished Accomac County, but the Virginia General Assembly re-created it in 1671.

In 1940, the General Assembly officially added a "k" to the end of the county's name to arrive at its current spelling. The name of "Accomack County" first appeared in the Decisions of the United States Board on Geographical Names in 1943.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1310 sqmi, of which 450 sqmi is land and 861 sqmi (65.7%) is water. It is the largest county in Virginia by total area, as well as its easternmost county.

The state of Delaware is roughly 36 mi away from the Virginia and Maryland state-line in Greenbackville.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 33,413. The median age was 47.8 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 60.6% White, 25.9% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.5% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.3% of the population.

9.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 90.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 14,302 households in the county, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,703 housing units, of which 34.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.5% were owner-occupied and 29.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 33,164 people, 15,299 households, and 10,388 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 /mi2. There were 19,550 housing units at an average density of 43 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 65.3% White, 28.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 8.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Black or African American (28%), English American (15%), German (9%), Irish (9%) and Mexican (4%).

There were 15,299 households, out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.

Accomack and adjacent Northampton County are the two poorest counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Government and politics

Board of Supervisors

Constitutional officers

• Clerk of the Circuit Court: Talia C. Taylor (I)
• Commissioner of the Revenue: Kim A. Satterwhite (I)
• Commonwealth's Attorney: J. Spencer Morgan, III (I)
• Sheriff: W. Todd Wessells (I)
• Treasurer: James Lilliston, Sr. (I)

Accomack County is represented by Republican William “Bill” DeSteph, Jr in the Virginia Senate, Republican Robert Bloxom in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican Jen Kiggans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Presidential politics

Accomack County has been consistently Republican-leaning in the 21st century; prior to this, it was a Democratic stronghold turned swing county. The last Democrat to obtain an absolute majority was Jimmy Carter in 1976, though Bill Clinton narrowly carried the county by a plurality in 1996.

Adjacent counties

• Somerset County, Maryland - northwest
• Worcester County, Maryland - northeast
• Northampton County - south

National protected areas

• Assateague Island National Seashore (part)
• Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Martin National Wildlife Refuge (part, Watts Island portion)
• Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge

Economy

Accomack County is home to large chicken processing facilities owned by Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods.

Transportation

Airport

• Accomack County Airport is in an unincorporated area near Melfa.

Major highways

Public transportation

STAR Transit provides public transit services for both Accomack and Northampton counties and is headquartered in Tasley.

Education

The county is served by Accomack County Public Schools. It is the only school district in the county.

High schools and K-12 schools in this district are:

• Arcadia High School
• Chincoteague High School
• Nandua High School
• Tangier Combined School

Eastern Shore Community College is located near Melfa.

Media

The county maintains and is the licensee of six television translator stations on two towers, with four located on a tower off US 13 in unincorporated Mappsville licensed to Onancock, and the other two licensed to unincorporated Craddockville on a tower near Route 178. Each translator tower has four signals to relay the signals of Hampton Roads's major network affiliates to the county, including WAVY, WHRO, WTKR, and WVEC. Meanwhile, Fox programming via WVBT is provided by WPMC-CA (Channel 36) from the Mappsville tower, a station owned by Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of WAVY/WVBT.

Additionally, Salisbury, Maryland CBS / Fox affiliate WBOC-TV has long claimed Accomack County as part of its coverage area.

Communities

Towns

Accomack County has 14 towns, which is the most of any county in Virginia. This is double the number of towns of the locality with the next-most towns, a position which is held by both Loudoun and Rockingham counties both.

• Accomac
• Belle Haven, Partially within Northampton County as well
• Bloxom
• Chincoteague
• Hallwood
• Keller
• Melfa
• Onancock
• Onley
• Painter
• Parksley
• Saxis
• Tangier
• Wachapreague

Census Designated Places

• Atlantic
• Bayside
• Bobtown
• Boston
• Captains Cove
• Cats Bridge
• Chase Crossing
• Deep Creek
• Gargatha
• Greenbackville
• Greenbush
• Harborton
• Horntown
• Lee Mont
• Locust Mount
• Makemie Park
• Mappsburg
• Mappsville
• Metompkin
• Modest Town
• Nelsonia
• New Church
• Oak Hall
• Pastoria
• Pungoteague
• Quinby
• Sanford
• Savage Town
• Savageville
• Schooner Bay
• Southside Chesconessex
• Tasley
• Temperanceville
• Wattsville
• Whitesville

Notable people

• William Anderson (1762–1829) born in Accomack County, United States Congressman from Pennsylvania
• Thomas Evans (c.1755–1815), born in Accomack County, United States Congressman from Virginia
• Lucy Virginia French (1825–1881), writer
• George T. Garrison (1835–1889), born in Accomack County, member of Virginia state legislature and United States Congressman from Virginia
• James Hamilton (c.1710–1783), born in Accomack County, lawyer and mayor of Philadelphia
• James Henry (1731–1804), born in Accomack County, lawyer and delegate to the Continental Congress
• Ralph Northam (born 1957), born and raised in Accomack County, 73rd Governor of Virginia
• W. Sherman Savage (1890–1981), born and raised in Accomack County, historian of African Americans in the Old West
• David P. Weber (? -), resident of Accomack County, lawyer, professor and forensic accountant, who was a prominent whistleblower in the Bernard L. Madoff misconduct and Chinese Espionage matters
• Henry A. Wise (1806–1876), Minister to Brazil, Governor of Virginia and Confederate General

In popular culture

Music

In Sydney Brown's lyrics for the Maple Leaf Rag, the first line states, "I come from ol' Virginny, from de County Accomack"

References

References

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