Cumberland County, Virginia

Cumberland County
Cumberland County
County
	Cumberland County Courthouse
	Flag Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
	Virginia's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 37°31′N 78°14′W / 37.51°N 78.24°W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1749
Named for	William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Seat	Cumberland
Largest town	Farmville
Area
• Total	300 sq mi (800 km2)
• Land	297 sq mi (770 km2)
• Water	2.3 sq mi (6 km2) 0.8%
Population (2020)
• Total	9,675
• Density	32/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	cumberlandcounty; .virginia.gov

Cumberland County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,675.^[1] Its county seat is Cumberland.^[2]

History

Cumberland County was established in 1749 from Goochland County. The county is named for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, third son of King George II of Great Britain. Cumberland County was also home to the Fleming family, which included Judge John Fleming and his son Judge William Fleming.

From 1749 until 1777, when the eastern portion was detached to form Powhatan County, Mosby Tavern served as the county courthouse. The tavern subsequently became known as "Old Cumberland Courthouse." In 1778 the narrow triangular area bordering the southern bank of the James River was annexed from Buckingham County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 300 square miles (780 km²), of which 297 sq mi (770 km²) is land and 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km²) (0.8%) is water.^[3]

Adjacent counties

Goochland County – northeast
Powhatan County – east
Amelia County – southeast
Prince Edward County – south
Buckingham County – west
Fluvanna County – northwest

Major highways

Demographics

This rural county suffered a long decline in population from 1880 to 1970, as the number of workers needed for agriculture was reduced through mechanization. Since then its population has grown, reaching a peak in 2010 nearly equal to its 19th-century high.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	8,153	—
1800	9,839	20.7%
1810	9,992	1.6%
1820	11,023	10.3%
1830	11,690	6.1%
1840	10,399	−11.0%
1850	9,751	−6.2%
1860	9,961	2.2%
1870	8,142	−18.3%
1880	10,540	29.5%
1890	9,482	−10.0%
1900	8,996	−5.1%
1910	9,195	2.2%
1920	9,111	−0.9%
1930	7,535	−17.3%
1940	7,505	−0.4%
1950	7,252	−3.4%
1960	6,360	−12.3%
1970	6,179	−2.8%
1980	7,881	27.5%
1990	7,825	−0.7%
2000	9,017	15.2%
2010	10,052	11.5%
2020	9,675	−3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census^[4] 1790-1960^[5] 1900-1990^[6] 1990-2000^[7] 2010^[8] 2020^[9]

2020 census

**Cumberland County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition**
*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 may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010^[8]	Pop 2020^[9]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	6,353	6,104	63.20%	63.09%
Black or African American alone (NH)	3,253	2,817	32.36%	29.12%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	36	39	0.36%	0.40%
Asian alone (NH)	35	36	0.35%	0.37%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	8	0.00%	0.08%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	17	40	0.17%	0.41%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	177	390	1.76%	4.03%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	181	241	1.80%	2.49%
Total	10,052	9,675	100.00%	100.00%

2000 census

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 9,017 people, 3,528 households, and 2,487 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (12 people/km²). There were 4,085 housing units at an average density of 14 units per square mile (5.4 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 60.37% White, 37.44% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.59% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 1.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,528 households, out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.60% were married couples living together, 14.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.70% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.00 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 88.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,816, and the median income for a family was $37,965. Males had a median income of $28,846 versus $22,521 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,103. 15.10% of the population and 11.90% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.60% are under the age of 18 and 16.10% are 65 or older.

Government

Board of Supervisors

District 1: Bryan Hamlet
District 2: John L Newman (R) (Chairman)
District 3: Eurika Tyree (Vice Chair)
District 4: Paul Stimpson (R)
District 5: Robert Saunders Jr.

Constitutional officers

Clerk of the Circuit Court: Deidra Martin (I)
Commissioner of the Revenue: Julie A. Phillips (I)
Commonwealth's Attorney: Wendy Deaner Hannah (I)
Sheriff: Darrell Hodges (I)
Treasurer: L.O. Pfeiffer, Jr. (I)

Cumberland County is represented by Republican Mark Peake in the Virginia Senate, Republican Thomas C. Wright, Jr. in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican Bob Good in the U.S. House of Representatives.

United States presidential election results for Cumberland County, Virginia^[11]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,019	56.85%	2,227	41.94%	64	1.21%
2016	2,697	54.97%	2,036	41.50%	173	3.53%
2012	2,538	50.28%	2,422	47.98%	88	1.74%
2008	2,418	51.19%	2,255	47.73%	51	1.08%
2004	2,377	57.61%	1,721	41.71%	28	0.68%
2000	1,974	56.29%	1,405	40.06%	128	3.65%
1996	1,544	48.40%	1,303	40.85%	343	10.75%
1992	1,643	48.55%	1,284	37.94%	457	13.50%
1988	1,978	62.61%	1,132	35.83%	49	1.55%
1984	2,027	60.89%	1,237	37.16%	65	1.95%
1980	1,515	50.10%	1,355	44.81%	154	5.09%
1976	1,284	46.57%	1,302	47.23%	171	6.20%
1972	1,371	57.75%	969	40.82%	34	1.43%
1968	844	34.70%	978	40.21%	610	25.08%
1964	1,099	55.59%	871	44.06%	7	0.35%
1960	691	54.75%	559	44.29%	12	0.95%
1956	566	42.91%	331	25.09%	422	31.99%
1952	695	54.42%	574	44.95%	8	0.63%
1948	219	26.94%	424	52.15%	170	20.91%
1944	218	31.82%	463	67.59%	4	0.58%
1940	157	28.09%	396	70.84%	6	1.07%
1936	136	22.08%	476	77.27%	4	0.65%
1932	84	13.82%	511	84.05%	13	2.14%
1928	213	32.52%	442	67.48%	0	0.00%
1924	61	12.53%	398	81.72%	28	5.75%
1920	114	21.47%	413	77.78%	4	0.75%
1916	73	14.07%	446	85.93%	0	0.00%
1912	10	2.48%	362	89.60%	32	7.92%

Education

Cumberland County Public Schools serves over 1400 students in the county.^[12] The district operates Cumberland Elementary School (PreK-4), Cumberland Middle School (5-8), and Cumberland High School (9-12). The superintendent is Dr. Chip Jones (2022).^[12]

Communities

Town

Farmville (primarily in Prince Edward County)

Unincorporated communities

Attractions and events

Bear Creek Lake State Park is located 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northwest of the town of Cumberland. Bear Creek Lake features overnight cabins, a lodge, permanent camp sites, and picnic shelters. Swimming and boating are allowed at the lake, and boat rentals are available. The park also has trails for hiking and running.

The 16,233-acre (65.69 km²) Cumberland State Forest is north of U.S. Route 60, west of State Route 45 and bordered on the west by the Willis River. The Forest has multiple purposes, including watershed protection, recreation, timber production, hunting, fishing, and applied forest research. There are two self-guided trails at Cumberland State Forest that are open for walking, hiking, horses, and mountain bikes. These are the Cumberland Multi-Use Trail (14 miles) and the Willis River Hiking Trail (16 miles). White-tailed deer, wild turkey, and bobcats are common residents of this natural area. The State forest also features five lakes which may be fished from with a Virginia State fishing license, including: Oak Hill Lake, Bear Creek Lake, Winston Lake, Arrowhead Lake, and Bonbrook Lake.

Notable people

Justice Paul Carrington (1733–1818), second member appointed of the Virginia Supreme Court. Born at "Boston Hill".
Lena Trent Gordon (1885-1935), Philadelphia-based political organizer, poet, born in Cumberland.