1903 Map depicting Warwick County and other "lost counties" of Virginia. Warwick was originally one of the eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634. It was consolidated with the independent city of Newport News in 1958.Skiffe's Creek formed the border of Warwick County and James City County beginning in 1634. It is a tributary of the James River
With the railroad came the coal piers, several local stations in Warwick County for passenger service and shipping produce and seafood to markets, and a branch link to the resorts and military facilities in neighboring Elizabeth City County at Old Point Comfort. The community at the southeastern edge on the harbor of Hampton Roads became Newport News in 1896, hosting the world's largest shipyard.
At the outset of World War I, the U.S. Army facility which became Fort Eustis was established in the county. After the war, Camp Patrick Henry, a former military facility, became the site of Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. After sparring over annexations and exploring various plans to refine and/or combine local governments, by mutual agreement, after existing for over 325 years, the City of Warwick was politically consolidated with the younger city of Newport News on July 1, 1958. The better known name of "Newport News" was assumed for the combined entity, forming one of the contemporary cities of Hampton Roads.
During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. By 1634, the English colony of Virginia consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants.
The first courthouse and jail were located at Warwick Towne, established in 1680. The colonial port was located at Deep Creek and the Warwick River on 50 acres (200,000 m2) of Samuel Mathews' land.[1]
American Revolutionary WarEdit
Warwick County became an important site for shipbuilding during the American Revolutionary War. During the inaugural session of the Virginia General Assembly, the senate began acquiring lands for naval manufacturing. Charles O. Paullin states that "no other state owned as much land, properties, and manufactories devoted to naval purposes as Virginia.[2]Sampson Mathews from nearby Augusta County oversaw the operation stationed at Warwick, the most important of Virginia's ship works.[3]
Statehood, 19th centuryEdit
Warwick County recorded 1,690 persons in the federal census of 1790, making it the third smallest county population-wise in Virginia. In 1809, Warwick Towne was abandoned, and the county seat was moved to the area of Denbigh, near Stoney Run.
The new county seat was at Denbigh, where in 1810 Warwick's first brick courthouse was built.[4] It also served as clerk's office and jail. In 1884, a large courthouse was erected on the same tract, the clerk retaining the old building. Both served until the merger with the city of Newport News in 1958.
C&O brings railroad transportation, development of a new cityEdit
Immediately after the end of the American Civil War in 1865, land agents began acquiring land in Warwick County for Collis P. Huntington, the railroad magnate, for "future enterprise". On the basis of these land purchases, the original city of Newport News was to be built at the southern end of the county. In 1880, Huntington formed the Old Dominion Land Company, to which he turned over his holdings. The following year, in 1881, it was announced that Newport News had been chosen as the Atlantic deep water terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). Construction work on the C&O's Peninsula Extension began at Newport News Point in December 1880. A second crew began building east from Richmond in February 1881. They met 1.25 miles (2.01 km) west of Williamsburg on October 16, 1881.
The C&O provided the promised transportation by rail to the Yorktown Centennial on October 19. During the next few years, Huntington developed the southeastern area of the county extensively, notably building the new Hotel Warwick. In 1886, Huntington established Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company.
The boom community of Newport News became an independent city in 1896 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly, one of the few cities in Virginia to have never been incorporated as a town and it became Virginia's third largest city in population at one time.
20th-century military facilitiesEdit
In 1918, Warwick County became the site of the military installation, Camp Abraham Eustis, later renamed Fort Eustis. The U.S. Army base, hastily constructed during World War I near the mouth of the Warwick River, included Mulberry Island. Lee Hall, Virginia was the closest railroad station and handled a large volume of troop traffic, especially during World War II when Camp Patrick Henry was established nearby. Camp Patrick Henry served primarily as a troop staging ground during World War II under the control of the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation.[5][6] The camp, founded in late 1942, was an approximately 1,700-acre (6.9 km2) complex, built in largely virgin forest.[7] At its peak, Camp Patrick Henry had a capacity of approximately 35,000.[8] After World War II, it closed and the land was redeveloped as a commercial airport, now known as Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.
^"Old Warwick County Courthouse - Newport News, VA - 23602 Attractions, Tourist". www.discoverourtown.com. Retrieved Apr 26, 2020.
^Wardlow, Chester (1956). The Technical Services—The Transportation Corps: Movements, Training, And Supply. United States Army In World War II. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 121. LCCN 55-60003.
^Bykofsky, Joseph; Larson, Harold (1990). The Technical Services—The Transportation Corps: Operations Overseas. United States Army In World War II. Washington, DC: Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 194. LCCN 56-60000.
^William Reginald Wheeler (ed.). The Road to Victory: A History of the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkment during World War II. Newport News, Va.: Yale University Press, 1946.
^"Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved Apr 26, 2020.
External linksEdit
Chronological History of Warwick County Virginia
Library of Virginia - Warwick River County
October 15, 2023
warwick, county, virginia, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, full, citations, ensure, article, remains, verifiable, maintains, consistent, citation, style, several, templates, tools, av. This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message 37 7 46 7 N 76 32 31 8 W 37 129639 N 76 542167 W 37 129639 76 542167 1903 Map depicting Warwick County and other lost counties of Virginia Warwick was originally one of the eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634 It was consolidated with the independent city of Newport News in 1958 Skiffe s Creek formed the border of Warwick County and James City County beginning in 1634 It is a tributary of the James RiverWarwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634 It became the City of Newport News on July 16 1952 Located on the Virginia Peninsula on the northern bank of the James River between Hampton Roads and Jamestown the area consisted primarily of farms and small unincorporated villages until the arrival of the Peninsula Extension of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1881 and development led by industrialist Collis P Huntington With the railroad came the coal piers several local stations in Warwick County for passenger service and shipping produce and seafood to markets and a branch link to the resorts and military facilities in neighboring Elizabeth City County at Old Point Comfort The community at the southeastern edge on the harbor of Hampton Roads became Newport News in 1896 hosting the world s largest shipyard At the outset of World War I the U S Army facility which became Fort Eustis was established in the county After the war Camp Patrick Henry a former military facility became the site of Newport News Williamsburg International Airport After sparring over annexations and exploring various plans to refine and or combine local governments by mutual agreement after existing for over 325 years the City of Warwick was politically consolidated with the younger city of Newport News on July 1 1958 The better known name of Newport News was assumed for the combined entity forming one of the contemporary cities of Hampton Roads Contents 1 Colonial period 2 American Revolutionary War 3 Statehood 19th century 4 C amp O brings railroad transportation development of a new city 5 20th century military facilities 6 Historical Population 7 Politics 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksColonial period EditDuring the 17th century shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads By 1634 the English colony of Virginia consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5 000 inhabitants Warwick River Shire took its name from Robert Rich second Earl of Warwick and a prominent member of the Virginia Company who was proprietor of Richneck Plantation Warwick River Shire became Warwick County in 1643 The first courthouse and jail were located at Warwick Towne established in 1680 The colonial port was located at Deep Creek and the Warwick River on 50 acres 200 000 m2 of Samuel Mathews land 1 American Revolutionary War EditWarwick County became an important site for shipbuilding during the American Revolutionary War During the inaugural session of the Virginia General Assembly the senate began acquiring lands for naval manufacturing Charles O Paullin states that no other state owned as much land properties and manufactories devoted to naval purposes as Virginia 2 Sampson Mathews from nearby Augusta County oversaw the operation stationed at Warwick the most important of Virginia s ship works 3 Statehood 19th century EditWarwick County recorded 1 690 persons in the federal census of 1790 making it the third smallest county population wise in Virginia In 1809 Warwick Towne was abandoned and the county seat was moved to the area of Denbigh near Stoney Run The new county seat was at Denbigh where in 1810 Warwick s first brick courthouse was built 4 It also served as clerk s office and jail In 1884 a large courthouse was erected on the same tract the clerk retaining the old building Both served until the merger with the city of Newport News in 1958 C amp O brings railroad transportation development of a new city EditImmediately after the end of the American Civil War in 1865 land agents began acquiring land in Warwick County for Collis P Huntington the railroad magnate for future enterprise On the basis of these land purchases the original city of Newport News was to be built at the southern end of the county In 1880 Huntington formed the Old Dominion Land Company to which he turned over his holdings The following year in 1881 it was announced that Newport News had been chosen as the Atlantic deep water terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway C amp O Construction work on the C amp O s Peninsula Extension began at Newport News Point in December 1880 A second crew began building east from Richmond in February 1881 They met 1 25 miles 2 01 km west of Williamsburg on October 16 1881 The C amp O provided the promised transportation by rail to the Yorktown Centennial on October 19 During the next few years Huntington developed the southeastern area of the county extensively notably building the new Hotel Warwick In 1886 Huntington established Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company The boom community of Newport News became an independent city in 1896 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly one of the few cities in Virginia to have never been incorporated as a town and it became Virginia s third largest city in population at one time 20th century military facilities EditIn 1918 Warwick County became the site of the military installation Camp Abraham Eustis later renamed Fort Eustis The U S Army base hastily constructed during World War I near the mouth of the Warwick River included Mulberry Island Lee Hall Virginia was the closest railroad station and handled a large volume of troop traffic especially during World War II when Camp Patrick Henry was established nearby Camp Patrick Henry served primarily as a troop staging ground during World War II under the control of the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation 5 6 The camp founded in late 1942 was an approximately 1 700 acre 6 9 km2 complex built in largely virgin forest 7 At its peak Camp Patrick Henry had a capacity of approximately 35 000 8 After World War II it closed and the land was redeveloped as a commercial airport now known as Newport News Williamsburg International Airport Historical Population EditHistorical population CensusPop Note 17901 690 18001 659 1 8 18101 83510 6 18201 508 17 8 18301 5704 1 18401 456 7 3 18501 5164 1 18601 74014 8 18701 672 3 9 18802 25835 0 18906 650194 5 19004 888 26 5 19106 04123 6 192011 41789 0 19308 829 22 7 19409 2484 7 195039 875331 2 1790 1950 Population as Warwick CountyPolitics EditPresidential Elections Results 9 Year Republican Democratic Third Parties1956 56 4 4 872 39 4 3 406 4 2 3621952 54 0 3 307 45 8 2 806 0 2 111948 32 0 1 014 57 6 1 822 10 4 3291944 30 3 807 69 5 1 849 0 2 51940 22 2 305 77 6 1 065 0 2 31936 18 6 200 80 9 870 0 5 51932 26 9 242 71 7 645 1 4 131928 60 9 465 39 1 2981924 18 0 58 76 8 248 5 3 171920 40 8 109 56 9 152 2 3 61916 35 3 53 64 7 971912 9 9 17 71 5 123 18 6 32See also EditWarwick Virginia Newport News Virginia Warwick County Courthouses List of former United States counties Former counties cities and towns of VirginiaReferences Edit http www2 ci newport news va us newport news plan framework2008 section d393749e876 html Paullin Charles O 1906 The Navy of the American Revolution dissertation The University of Chicago Retrieved online April 21 2014 from https archive org details navyamericanrev01paulgoog Stewart Robert A 1934 The History of Virginia s Navy of the Revolution The University of Virginia Mitchell amp Hotchkiss p 136 Retrieved April 21 2014 from http babel hathitrust org cgi pt q1 mathews id uc1 24b727189 view 1up seq 140 start 1 size 10 page search num 136 view 1up seq 140 Old Warwick County Courthouse Newport News VA 23602 Attractions Tourist www discoverourtown com Retrieved Apr 26 2020 Wardlow Chester 1956 The Technical Services The Transportation Corps Movements Training And Supply United States Army In World War II Washington DC Center of Military History United States Army p 121 LCCN 55 60003 Bykofsky Joseph Larson Harold 1990 The Technical Services The Transportation Corps Operations Overseas United States Army In World War II Washington DC Center of Military History United States Army p 194 LCCN 56 60000 William Reginald Wheeler ed The Road to Victory A History of the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkment during World War II Newport News Va Yale University Press 1946 Historichamptonroads com historichamptonroads com Retrieved Apr 26 2020 Dave Leip s Atlas of U S Presidential Elections uselectionatlas org Retrieved Apr 26 2020 External links EditChronological History of Warwick County Virginia Library of Virginia Warwick River County Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Warwick County Virginia amp oldid 1176502486, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
