New Kent County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the eastern part the Commonwealth of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, its population was 22,945. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is New Kent. New Kent County is included in the

Greater Richmond Region The Greater Richmond Region, the Richmond metropolitan area or Central Virginia, is a region and metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Virginia, centered on Richmond. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines the area as the Richm ...

History

New Kent County was established in 1654, as the Virginia General Assembly with the governor's consent split York County. The county's name originated because several prominent inhabitants, including

William Claiborne William Claiborne also, spelled Cleyburne (c. 1600 – c. 1677) was an English pioneer, surveyor, and an early settler in the colonies/provinces of Virginia and Maryland and around the Chesapeake Bay. Claiborne became a wealthy merchant ...

, recently had been forced from their settlement at Kent Island, Maryland, by Lord Baltimore upon the formation of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. Claiborne had named the island for his birthplace in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England. Chickahominy and Pamunkey Native Americans frequented this area, as well as nearby Charles City County and King William County, and both tribes remain well-established in this area. The county had two parishes in the colonial era, initially called Blisland (which also included the older James City County as well as York County) and St. Peter's. Among the earliest settlers was Nicholas Gentry, who settled in New Kent in 1684. Parish registers of St. Peter's Parish show that Nicholas Gentry's daughter was baptized in the church in 1687. In 1719 the Virginia General Assembly split New Kent County, and what had been established St. Paul's Parish became

Hanover County Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

. New Kent county's first brick courthouse was built by 1695, but it and two successors were destroyed in 1753 and 1775. Another fire in 1783 destroyed the clerk's office and jail, so few colonial era non-religious records remain. However, a manual entitled "The Office and Authority of a Justice of Peace" published in 1736 by county court justice George Webb, the son of London merchant Conrad Webb and whose son Lewis Webb would briefly represent New Kent county in the House of Burgesses and later in the House of Delegates during the American Revolutionary War. Perhaps the county's most noteworthy patriot during the conflict was James, an enslaved man who became a double agent, and whose reports to the Marquis de Lafayette helped secure victory during the

Siege of Yorktown The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...

months after British troops led by Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis passed through the county seat (and raided local plantations) in June 1781. In addition to men who enlisted in the army, New Kent county also established an American military hospital during the conflict. As the result of arson confessed to by John Price Posey and Thomas Green, and allegedly involving "a negro boy belonging to W. Chamberlayne", many later county records were burned, making identifying relationships between family members difficult. Two wives of US presidents -

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 — May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington served as the inaugural ...

and Letitia Christian Tyler—were born in New Kent County. The church where George and Martha Washington are believed to have been wed, St. Peter's, still holds services today. Confederate and Union troops fought in as well as passed through New Kent County during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862. The Battle of New Market Heights in September 1864 proved a crucial victory as Federal forces pushed toward the capitol in the

Richmond-Petersburg Campaign The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. A later courthouse, damaged during the Civil War, was replaced in 1909. During the state's Massive Resistance crisis in the 1960s, the United States Supreme Court decision in Green v. County School Board of New Kent County (1968) limited the use of

freedom of choice Freedom of choice describes an individual's wikt:opportunity, opportunity and autonomy to perform an action selected from at least two available options, unconstrained by external parties. In politics In the abortion debate, for example, the te ...

plans at publicly funded schools. where the actual operation of such plans delayed racial desegregation. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau, which considers both New Kent County and Hanover County part of the Richmond metropolitan area, rated New Kent County among the top 100 fastest-growing counties in the U.S.

Geography

The northeast border of the county is defined by the meanderings of the Pamunkey River, and the southwest county border is similarly defined by the Chickahominy River. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, either wooded or devoted to agriculture, and carved by drainages.''New Kent County VA'' Google Maps (accessed 4 April 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the east and south, with its highest point on the west border at 174' (53m) ASL. The county has a total area of 223 sq mi (579 km²), of which 210 sq mi (543 km²) are land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (6.23%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

* King William County - north * King and Queen County - northeast * James City County - southeast * Charles City County -south *

Henrico County Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is incl ...

- southwest *

- west

Protected areas

* Crawfords State Forest * Cumberland Marsh Natural Area Preserve

Lakes

* Cooks Millpond * Davis Pond * Davis Pond North * Diascund Creek Reservoir * Goddins Pond * Kent Lake * Old Forge Pond * Richardson Millpond (part) * Taylor Pond

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2010 Census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, 18,429 people were living in the county; 81.7% were

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 13.5%

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 ens ...

, 1.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.5% of some other race, and 2.3% of two or more races. About 2.1% were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

(of any race). By ancestry, 15.2% were of English, 11.7% American, 10.6% German, and 9.4%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

descent. At the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

, 13,462 people, 4,925 households and 3,895 families were residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 64.1/sqmi (24.8/km²). The 5,203 housing units averaged 24.8 per sq mi (9.57/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 80.26% White, 16.20% African American, 1.29% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. About 1.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 4,925 households, 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.60% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.90% were not families. About 16.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65, and the average family size was 2.97. The county's age distribution was 25.00% under 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 32.00% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 9.40% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.90 males. The median income for a household was $53,595, and for a family was $60,678. Males had a median income of $40,005 versus $28,894 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $22,893. About 4.90% of the population and 3.40% of families were below the poverty line. Of the people living in poverty, 7.40% were under the age of 18 and 7.00% were 65 or older.

Notable People

* Jamion Christian, former Head Coach, Men’s Basketball, George Washington University (DC). * Jarrell Christian, Head Coach, Maine Celtics. * Letitia Christian Tyler was the first wife of President

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig tick ...

and first lady of the United States from 1841 to 1842. *

wife of 1st U.S. President,

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

and 1st First Lady of the United States of America.

Education

New Kent County has four schools within its school system. The two elementary schools are New Kent Elementary and George W. Watkins Elementary. The school system also includes New Kent Middle School and New Kent High School. All four schools are fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education. At the high-school level, various honors and advanced-placement courses are available, along with dual enrollment through Rappahannock Community College. Gifted and enrichment programs are offered in all grades kindergarten through 12th grade. The roughly 430 employees include 220 licensed teachers, seven guidance counselors, four media specialists, four principals, five assistant principals, and a central office staff composed of one superintendent and five directors. As of 2018, the superintendent is Brian Nichols, and the assistant superintendent is Ed Smith. New Kent County received a new site for Rappahannock Community College in 2015, located at the renovated "historic" New Kent High School site. The site offers engineering, nursing, and basic college-level courses in New Kent.

Transportation

Highways

* Interstate 64 traverses the county, with four exits (205, 211, 214, and 220), roughly paralleling U.S. 60. * Major state highways include State Routes 30, 33, 106, 155,

249 __NOTOC__ Year 249 ( CCXLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gavius and Aquilinus (or, less frequently, year 1002 ''Ab ...

, and 273.

Railroads

* CSX Transportation *

Norfolk Southern 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, ...

No passenger rail stations are in New Kent County. The nearest

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

service is at stations in Williamsburg and Richmond.

Air

* New Kent Airport (W96)) - near Quinton (

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

facility) * Commercial passenger services and cargo services are offered at

Richmond International Airport Richmond International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Sandston, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community (in Henrico County). The airport is about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of downtown Richmond, the capital of ...

- in

, about 10 miles west of Bottoms Bridge.

Attractions

Two golf courses are available in New Kent County: * The Golf Club at Brickshire * The Club at Viniterra

Communities

No towns in New Kent County are incorporated. Unincorporated towns and communities include:

Census-designated place

* New Kent (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

* Baltimore Crossroads * Barhamsville * Bottoms Bridge * Carps Corner * Chickahominy Shores * Crumps Mill *

Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of E ...

* Hampstead * Lanexa * Mountcastle * Patriot's Landing (subdivision) * Plum Point * Poplar Grove * Providence Forge * Quinton * Slaterville * Talleysville * Tunstall * Walkers *

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

* White Oak Landing * Woodhaven Shores

Media

New Kent Charles City Chronicle, online edition
*
New Kent - Charles City Chronicle
': Community newspaper, published weekly * New Kent Cablevision
Tidewater Review, online edition

Politics

New Kent County is traditionally

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. In only one national election since

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

References

External links

The Official Site of New Kent County

New Kent's Web Site

New Kent County Public Schools ("New" website)

New Kent County, Virginia - Economic Development Authority

New Kent Travel and Tourism
{{Coord, 37.51, -77.00, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-VA_source:UScensus1990 Virginia counties 1654 establishments in Virginia Greater Richmond Region Populated places established in 1654