Berkeley Springs, West Virginia | |
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| Town of Bath | |
 Town square in Berkeley Springs | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: "America's First Spa" | |
_Highlighted.svg) Location of Bath (Berkeley Springs) in Morgan County, West Virginia | |
  Berkeley Springs  Berkeley Springs | |
| Coordinates:39°37′32″N78°13′37″W / 39.62556°N 78.22694°W /39.62556; -78.22694 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Morgan |
| Incorporation | December 1776 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Greg Schene[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2) |
| • Land | 0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 656 ft (200 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 758 |
• Estimate (2021)[4] | 755 |
| • Density | 1,775.8/sq mi (685.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 25411 |
| Area code | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-04876 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1877535[3] |
| Website | townofbathwv.gov |
Berkeley Springs, formally namedBath, is a town inMorgan County, West Virginia, United States, and itscounty seat.[5] The population was 758 at the2020 census. In 1776, theVirginia Legislature incorporated a town around the springs and named it Bath. Since 1802, it has been referred to by the name of its original post office, Berkeley Springs. It is located in theeastern panhandle of West Virginia and is part of theHagerstown–Martinsburg metropolitan area.
The area contains mineral water springs frequented byNative Americans indigenous to the area, possibly for thousands of years. After settlement by Europeans, themineral springs drew many visitors from urban areas. Notable colonial visitors to the area includedGeorge Washington andJames Rumsey. Berkeley Springs remained a popular resort area during the United States' early years. It is the home of the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting,[6] the longest-running and largest such event in the world. Another local tradition is theApple Butter Festival, started by a group of local business owners and led by then Mayor Frank Heiner, in 1974.[citation needed] It continues to be a popular resort area, with tourism the primary industry in the county and there being six full-service spas using mineral water.
During colonial times in 1748,George Washington, then just 16 years old, was part of the team that surveyed theeastern panhandle region forThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. Washington returned several times over the next several years with his half-brother, Lawrence, who was ill, hoping that the warm springs might improve his health. The springs, and their rumored medicinal benefits, attracted numerousNative Americans and Europeans to the area.[citation needed]
While vacationing in the area in 1767, Washington noted how busy the colonial town had become. Lord Fairfax had built a summer home there and a "private bath," making the area a popular destination forVirginia's social elite. With the advent of independence,An act for establishing a town at the Warm Springs in the county of Berkeley[7] was adopted by the Virginia General Assembly in December 1776. Officially, the town was namedBath, in honor of England's spa cityBath.
George Washington, his family members, and several colonial elites were among the town's first landowners. The town's main north-south street was named Washington, and the main east-west street was named Fairfax. Also, four acres were set aside for "suffering humanity." The area around the springs always was public land known asThe Grove and overseen by a state-appointed group of Bath Trustees. This would becomeBerkeley Springs State Park with its springs and bathhouses, which was made part of the West Virginia state park system in 1925. Nearby,Cacapon State Park was opened in 1933. The mountain that gives its name to the park has an elevation of 2,320 feet (710 m) above sea level.[citation needed]
Bath's population increased during and immediately after the Revolutionary War, as wounded soldiers and others came to the area believing that the warm springs had medicinal qualities.[citation needed]
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In 1772, the springs were part of the newly formed Berkeley County, named after its colonial governor, Norborne Berkeley. The waters became known as Berkeley Springs because the existing protocol was to name springs after the colonial Virginia county in which they were located. Previously, the area had been calledWarm Springs andMedicinal Springs among other names.
Bath became known permanently to the world asBerkeley Springs in 1802 when the Virginia postal system was established in the new nation, and there already was a Bath, Virginia, inBath County.
In 1861, many residents of Virginia were opposed to Virginia's secession from the United States, some calling the act of secession treasonous. Following theWheeling Conventions of 1861, a referendum was held in 41 mostly northwestern Virginia counties on whether to secede from Virginia and seek admission to the United States as a new state. An overwhelming majority of voters in these counties voted in favor of the proposal. Confederates commanded byStonewall Jackson captured Bath during theRomney Expedition in January 1862, and ransacked the homes of local unionists.[8] The United States admitted the State of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. Berkeley Springs remained the conventional name used for the town. Itssister city is Bath, England.
Berkeley Springs is located in theAppalachian Mountains. The town lies in theeastern panhandle of West Virginia 26 miles (42 km) northwest ofMartinsburg, West Virginia and 36 miles (58 km) west ofHagerstown, Maryland. Berkeley Springs is the county seat of Morgan County. Morgan County makes up one of the central counties in the eastern panhandle.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the incorporated town of Bath has a total area of 0.34 square miles (0.88 km2), all land.[9]
There are two rivers in Morgan County. ThePotomac makes up the northern border, and theCacapon River cuts through the center of the county connecting with the Potomac atGreat Cacapon.Cacapon andSleepy Creek Mountain are the two most notable mountains in the county. Berkeley Springs is nestled northwest of theShenandoah Valley at an elevation of approximately 656 feet (200 m).Warm Spring Run cuts through the center of the town and eventually connects with the Potomac River near Hancock Station.Sleepy Creek connects with the Potomac along River Road north and east of the town.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 77 | — | |
| 1860 | 2,982 | 3,772.7% | |
| 1870 | 407 | −86.4% | |
| 1880 | 534 | 31.2% | |
| 1900 | 781 | — | |
| 1910 | 864 | 10.6% | |
| 1920 | 980 | 13.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,039 | 6.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,145 | 10.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,213 | 5.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,138 | −6.2% | |
| 1970 | 944 | −17.0% | |
| 1980 | 789 | −16.4% | |
| 1990 | 735 | −6.8% | |
| 2000 | 663 | −9.8% | |
| 2010 | 624 | −5.9% | |
| 2020 | 758 | 21.5% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 755 | [4] | −0.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
As of thecensus[11] of 2010, there were 624 people, 314 households, and 158 families residing in the incorporated town of Bath. Thepopulation density was 1,835.3 inhabitants per square mile (708.6/km2). There were 416 housing units at an average density of 1,223.5 per square mile (472.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.5%White, 0.5%Native American, 0.3%Asian, 1.0% fromother races, and 1.8% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.7% of the population.
There were 314 households, of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.8% weremarried couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.7% were non-families. 43.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99, and the average family size was 2.74.
The median age in the town was 42.9 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 663 people, 331 households, and 160 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,706.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,044.8/km2). There were 379 housing units at an average density of 1,546.9 per square mile (597.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.1%White, 1.7%African American, 0.2%Native American, 0.3% fromother races, and 0.8% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.6% of the population.
There were 331 households, out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% weremarried couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.4% were non-families. 46.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98, and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.5% under 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,934, and the median income for a family was $33,333. Males had a median income of $25,156 versus $23,611 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $14,917. About 13.4% of families and 18.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
_between_Market_Street_and_Warren_Street_in_Berkeley_Springs_(Bath)%2c_Morgan_County%2c_West_Virginia.jpg)
Two main highways serve Berkeley Springs. The most prominent of these isU.S. Route 522. US 522 traverses the region in a general north-northeast to south-southwest direction. To the north, US 522 connects Berkeley Springs toInterstate 70 andInterstate 68 nearHancock, Maryland, while heading south provides a connection toInterstate 81 nearWinchester, Virginia. The other primary highway serving Berkeley Springs isWest Virginia Route 9, oriented in a general northwest-to-southeast alignment. WV 9 heads westward toPaw Paw and continues east toMartinsburg. The two highways run concurrently for a short stretch along Main Street in Berkeley Springs.
A location in theonline multiplayer gameFallout 76 was named and inspired by Berkeley Springs.[13][better source needed]
Berkeley Springs travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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| National | |
