Isle of Wight County, Virginia

Isle of Wight County
Isle of Wight County
County
	Isle of Wight Courthouse and Confederate Monument (removed May 8, 2021).
	Flag Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
	Virginia's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 36°55′N 76°43′W / 36.91°N 76.71°W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1634
Named for	Isle of Wight, England
Seat	Isle of Wight
Largest town	Smithfield
Area
• Total	363 sq mi (940 km2)
• Land	316 sq mi (820 km2)
• Water	47 sq mi (120 km2) 13.0%
Population (2020)
• Total	38,606
• Density	110/sq mi (41/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.co.isle-of-wight.va.us

Isle of Wight County is a county located in the Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It was named after the Isle of Wight, England, south of the Solent, from where many of its early colonists had come.^[2] As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,606.^[3] Its county seat is Isle of Wight, an unincorporated community.^[4]

Isle of Wight County is located in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its northeastern boundary is on the coast of Hampton Roads waterway.

Isle of Wight County features two incorporated towns, Smithfield and Windsor. The first courthouse for the county was built in Smithfield in 1750. The original courthouse and its associated tavern (The Smithfield Inn) are still standing.

As the county population developed, leaders thought they needed a county seat near the center of the area. They built a new courthouse near the center of the county in 1800. The 1800 brick courthouse and its associated tavern (Boykin's Tavern) are still standing, as are the 1822 clerk's offices nearby. Some additions have been made. The 1800 courthouse is used daily, serving as the government chambers for the Board of Supervisors, as well as the meeting hall for the school board. The chambers are sometimes used as a court for civil trials if the new courthouse is fully in use. The new courthouse opened in 2010; it is across the street from the sheriff's office and county offices complex.

History

During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, English settlers explored and began settling the areas adjacent to the large Hampton Roads waterway. Captain John Smith in 1608 crossed the James River and obtained fourteen bushels of corn from the Native American inhabitants, the Warrosquyoack or Warraskoyak. They were a tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy, who had three villages in the area of modern Smithfield. English colonists drove the Warraskoyak from their villages in 1622 and 1627, as part of their reprisals for the Great Massacre of 1622, in which the Native Americans had decimated English settlements, hoping to drive them out of their territory.

The first English plantations along the south shore within present-day Isle of Wight were established by Puritan colonists, beginning with that of Christopher Lawne in May 1618, and Edward Bennett (colonist) in 1621. Several members of the Puritan Bennett family also settled there, including Edward's nephew, Richard Bennett. He led the Puritans to neighboring Nansemond in 1635, and later was appointed as governor of the Virginia Colony.

By 1634, the entire Colony consisted of eight shires or counties with a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants. Warrosquyoake Shire was renamed in 1637 as Isle of Wight County, after the island off the south coast of England. The original name had come derived from the Native Americans of the area; it went through transliteration and Anglicization, eventually becoming known as "Warwicke Squeake".

On October 20, 1673, the "Grand Assembly" at Jamestown authorized both Isle of Wight County and Lower Norfolk County to construct a fort.^[5]

St. Luke's Church, built in the 17th century, is Virginia's oldest church building.^[6] In the late 20th century, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its significance. Many landmark and contributing structures on the National Register are located in Smithfield including the Wentworth-Grinnan House.

In 1732 a considerable portion of the northwestern part of the original shire was added to Brunswick County, and in 1748 the entire county of Southampton was carved out of it.

During the American Civil War, Company F of the 61st Virginia Infantry Regiment of the Confederate Army was called the "Isle of Wight Avengers."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363 square miles (940 km²), of which 316 square miles (820 km²) is land and 47 square miles (120 km²) (13.0%) is water.^[7]

The county is bounded by the James River on the north and the Blackwater River to the south. The land is generally low-lying, with many swamps and pocosins.

Adjacent counties and independent cities

Newport News, Virginia — northeast
Suffolk, Virginia — southeast
Southampton County — west
Franklin, Virginia — southwest
Surry County — northwest

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	9,028	—
1800	9,342	3.5%
1810	9,186	−1.7%
1820	10,139	10.4%
1830	10,517	3.7%
1840	9,972	−5.2%
1850	9,353	−6.2%
1860	9,977	6.7%
1870	8,320	−16.6%
1880	10,572	27.1%
1890	11,313	7.0%
1900	13,102	15.8%
1910	14,929	13.9%
1920	14,433	−3.3%
1930	13,409	−7.1%
1940	13,381	−0.2%
1950	14,906	11.4%
1960	17,164	15.1%
1970	18,285	6.5%
1980	21,603	18.1%
1990	25,503	18.1%
2000	29,728	16.6%
2010	35,270	18.6%
2020	38,606	9.5%
U.S. Decennial Census^[8] 1790-1960^[9] 1900-1990^[10] 1990-2000^[11] 2010-2020^[12]

2020 census

**Isle of Wight 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^[13]	Pop 2020^[12]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	24,969	26,410	70.79%	68.41%
Black or African American alone (NH)	8,656	8,579	24.54%	22.22%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	104	139	0.29%	0.36%
Asian alone (NH)	275	391	0.78%	1.01%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	13	31	0.04%	0.08%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	54	202	0.15%	0.52%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	541	1,655	1.53%	4.29%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	658	1,199	1.87%	3.11%
Total	35,270	38,606	100.00%	100.00%

2010 Census

As of the census^[14] of 2010, there were 35,270 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 inhabitants per square mile (36/km²). There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 units per square mile (15 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.8% White, 24.7% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 1.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,319 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,387, and the median income for a family was $52,597. Males had a median income of $37,853 versus $22,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,235. About 6.60% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Board of Supervisors

D5: Don Rosie (I)
D3: Rudolph Jefferson (I)
D2: William McCarty (I)
D1: Renee K. Rountree (I)
D4: Joel Acree (I)

Constitutional officers

Clerk of the Circuit Court: Laura E. Smith^[15] (I)
Commissioner of the Revenue: Gerald H. Gwaltney (I)
Commonwealth's Attorney: Georgette Phillips (I)
Sheriff: James R. Clarke, Jr. (I)
Treasurer: Julie Slye^[16] (I)

State and federal elected officials

House of Delegates:

Nadarius Clark (D-84)
Otto Wachsmann (R-83)

Senate:

Emily Jordan (R-17)

U.S. House of Representatives:

Jen Kiggans (R-VA 02)

United States presidential election results for Isle of Wight County, Virginia^[17]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	13,707	58.44%	9,399	40.07%	350	1.49%
2016	12,204	57.91%	7,881	37.40%	990	4.70%
2012	11,802	56.67%	8,761	42.07%	264	1.27%
2008	11,258	56.30%	8,573	42.87%	166	0.83%
2004	9,929	62.56%	5,871	36.99%	71	0.45%
2000	7,587	58.59%	5,162	39.86%	201	1.55%
1996	5,416	47.64%	4,952	43.56%	1,001	8.80%
1992	5,370	47.16%	4,380	38.46%	1,637	14.38%
1988	5,779	60.07%	3,747	38.95%	95	0.99%
1984	5,664	60.18%	3,650	38.78%	98	1.04%
1980	3,526	45.30%	3,951	50.76%	307	3.94%
1976	2,718	38.78%	4,145	59.14%	146	2.08%
1972	3,555	59.27%	2,305	38.43%	138	2.30%
1968	1,312	23.28%	1,977	35.08%	2,346	41.63%
1964	1,737	39.49%	2,656	60.38%	6	0.14%
1960	1,141	35.91%	2,020	63.58%	16	0.50%
1956	1,298	47.08%	1,324	48.02%	135	4.90%
1952	996	44.52%	1,227	54.85%	14	0.63%
1948	442	27.78%	1,064	66.88%	85	5.34%
1944	430	26.74%	1,178	73.26%	0	0.00%
1940	208	15.45%	1,138	84.55%	0	0.00%
1936	207	16.76%	1,025	83.00%	3	0.24%
1932	284	22.27%	982	77.02%	9	0.71%
1928	555	51.10%	531	48.90%	0	0.00%
1924	190	22.97%	631	76.30%	6	0.73%
1920	245	24.38%	759	75.52%	1	0.10%
1916	140	17.07%	679	82.80%	1	0.12%
1912	75	8.48%	708	80.09%	101	11.43%