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West Point (formerly Delaware) is an incorporated town in King William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,306 at the 2010 census.


Geography

West Point is located at (37.543733, −76.805366). The York River is formed at West Point by the confluence of the Mattaponi and
Pamunkey The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is one of 11 Virginia Indian tribal governments recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the state's first federally recognized tribe, receiving its status in January 2016. Six other Virginia tribal governments, ...
rivers; from there, it separates the Virginia Peninsula and Middle Peninsula regions of eastern Virginia as it flows approximately to the
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / E ...
. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (23.12%) is water. Much of the downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the West Point Historic District.


History

The current site of West Point was once the site of ''Cinquoteck'', a Native American village of the local Mattaponi, an Algonquian-speaking tribe affiliated with the 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, including the area of ''Cinquoteck'', by the ever-expanding
Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertGilbert (Saunders Family), Sir Humphrey" (histor ...
. By treaty, the colonial government established reservations for the Mattaponi and
Pamunkey The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is one of 11 Virginia Indian tribal governments recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the state's first federally recognized tribe, receiving its status in January 2016. Six other Virginia tribal governments, ...
in this area. More than 350 years later, Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribal members continue to occupy the reservations, located a few miles north of modern-day West Point. Both are state-recognized tribes, which now number 11. In 1655,
Port Richmond West Plantation A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
, the home of John West, was developed to incorporate the former site of Cinquetock. West was a Governor of Virginia from 1635 to 1637. After the West family sold off parts of the plantation, 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 Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr ( ; 9 July 1577 – 7 June 1618), was an English merchant and politician, for whom the bay, the river, and, consequently, a Native American people and U.S. state, all later called "Delaware", were named. He wa ...
. He was John West's elder brother, an early settler of Jamestown, and an earlier colonial governor. When the
Richmond and York River Railroad The Richmond and York River Railroad Company was incorporated under an act of the Virginia General Assembly on January 31, 1853.Interstate Commerce Commission. ''Southern Ry. Co.'', Volume 37, Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Reports, Nove ...
was built and completed in 1861 to the port community, just before the onset of the American Civil War, the city took back its former name of "West Point". The railroad was a key strategic goal of
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''U ...
General George B. McClellan's failed Peninsula Campaign in 1862 to capture
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
. Massively damaged during the War, the railroad was later rebuilt. It became part of the Richmond and Danville Railroad system. 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 Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
and points north via the York River and the
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / E ...
. 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 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. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond ...
at
Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Unit ...
and the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...
at Portsmouth. Likewise, tourists began to frequent newer destinations closer to the ocean. After the decline of both shipping and tourism, a
shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
built in 1917 and a 1914 pulp paper mill are credited with bringing new jobs to the town. In the 1980s, the railroad was acquired by the
Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...
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 division (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 The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The Po ...
region.) The West Point school systems are consistently recognized among the top rated public schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. West Point also sends students to Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies.


Climate


Demographics

As of the census 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 African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...
, 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. The Town is home of several long-standing businesses that are staples of the community, such as, Thrift Insurance Corporation (Est. 1921), The Tidewater Review (Est. 1928), Vincent Funeral Home (Est. 1946), and Wyatt-Ogg Furniture (Est. 1957). Also, home of several locally owned dining establishments, such as Anna's Italian Restaurant, Tony & George's Seafood and Italian, The Blue Crab, Lovell's Place, El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant, and Nick's Spaghetti & Steak House located just outside of town.


Events

Since 1983 the town holds the Crab Carnival annually during the first weekend of October. According to the Crab Carnival official website, it is a time for the community to celebrate the Town's history and keep a tradition continuing.


Notable people

* Lewis "Chesty" Puller (1898–1971) – One of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the
U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...
.


References


External links


Town website
{{Authority control Towns in King William County, Virginia 1691 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1691