Hanover County, Virginia

Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979.[1] Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse.[2]

Hanover County
U.S. county
Current Hanover County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°46′N 77°29′W
Country United States
State Virginia
Founded1720
Named forElectorate of Hanover
SeatHanover Courthouse
Largest townAshland
Area
 • Total474 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Land469 sq mi (1,210 km2)
 • Water5 sq mi (10 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total109,979
 • Density230/sq mi (90/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.co.hanover.va.us

Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region.

History
Rural Plains, located on the grounds of the Richmond National Battlefield Park, Hanover County

Located in the western Tidewater region of Virginia, Hanover County was created on November 26, 1719, from the area of New Kent County called St. Peter's Parish. It was named for the Electorate of Hanover in Germany, because King George I of Great Britain was Elector of Hanover at the time. The county was developed by planters moving west from the Virginia tidewater, where soils had been exhausted by tobacco monoculture.

Hanover County was the birthplace and home of noted American statesman Patrick Henry. He reportedly married Sarah Shelton in the parlor of her family's house, Rural Plains, also known as Shelton House. At the Hanover Courthouse, Henry argued the case of the Parson's Cause in 1763, attacking the British Crown's attempt to set the salaries of clergy in the colony regardless of conditions in the local economy. The historic Hanover Courthouse is pictured in the county seal. Hanover County was also the birthplace of Henry Clay, who became known as a politician in Kentucky, author of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and Secretary of State.

The Chickahominy River forms the border of the county in the Mechanicsville area. During the American Civil War and the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, the Union Army approached the river and could hear the bells of Richmond's churches. But they learned that the river was a major obstacle. Union General George B. McClellan failed in his attempt to get all his troops across it, intending to overwhelm the outnumbered Confederate forces defending Richmond. His failure to take Richmond has been said to have prolonged the war by almost 3 years. Hanover County was the site of Civil War battles due to its location between Richmond and northern Virginia, including the Seven Days Battles of the Peninsula Campaign and Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864.[3]

The incorporated town of Ashland is located within Hanover County. Ashland is the second and current home of Randolph-Macon College.

In 1953, Barksdale Theatre was founded at the historic Hanover Tavern. It was the nation's first dinner theater and central Virginia's first professional theatre organization.[4] The Barksdale company continues to produce live theatre at the Tavern, as well as at several locations in Richmond. It is recognized today as Central Virginia's leading professional theatre.

Kings Dominion amusement park opened in 1975 in Doswell and added to the county's economy. In January 2007, America's Promise named Hanover County as one of the top 100 communities for youth.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 474 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 469 square miles (1,210 km2) is land and 5 square miles (13 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5]

Hanover County is about 90 miles (145 km) south of Washington, D.C., and about 12 miles (19 km) north of Richmond, Virginia.[6]

Adjacent counties
  • Caroline County (north)
  • Goochland County (southwest)
  • Henrico County (south)
  • King William County (northeast)
  • Louisa County (west)
  • New Kent County (east)
  • Spotsylvania County (northwest)

Major highways
  • I-95
  • I-295
  • US 1
  • US 33
  • US 301
  • US 360
  • SR 2
  • SR 30
  • SR 54
  • SR 156
  • SR 326

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
179014,754—
180014,403−2.4%
181015,0824.7%
182015,2671.2%
183016,2536.5%
184014,968−7.9%
185015,1531.2%
186017,22213.7%
187016,455−4.5%
188018,58813.0%
189017,402−6.4%
190017,6181.2%
191017,200−2.4%
192018,0885.2%
193017,009−6.0%
194018,5008.8%
195021,98518.8%
196027,55025.3%
197037,47936.0%
198050,39834.5%
199063,30625.6%
200086,32036.4%
201099,86315.7%
2020109,97910.1%
2021 (est.)111,603[7]1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[13]

2020 census
Hanover County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[13] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 85,391 88,869 85.51% 80.81%
Black or African American alone (NH) 9,202 9,678 9.21% 8.80%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 319 311 0.32% 0.28%
Asian alone (NH) 1,333 2,021 1.33% 1.84%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 31 32 0.03% 0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 136 510 0.22% 0.46%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 1,335 4,620 1.34% 4.20%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,116 3,938 2.12% 3.58%
Total 99,863 109,979 100.00% 100.00%

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, there were 99,863 people living in the county. 86.7% were White, 9.3% Black or African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races; 2.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 86,320 people, 31,121 households, and 24,461 families living in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile (71/km2). There were 32,196 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile (26/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.32% White, 9.34% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 31,121 households, out of which 39.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.40% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.40% were non-families; 17.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71, and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.10% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $77,550, and the median income for a family was $90,812. The median income was $46,864 for males and $32,662 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,241. About 3.54% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.90% of those under age 18 and 5.80% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Board of supervisors
  • Ashland District: Faye O. Prichard (D)
  • Beaverdam District: Aubrey M. "Bucky" Stanley (R)
  • Chickahominy District: Angela C. Kelly-Wiecek (R)
  • Cold Harbor District: F. Michael Herzberg (R)
  • Henry District: Sean M. Davis (R)
  • Mechanicsville District: W. Canova Peterson (R)
  • South Anna District: Susan P. Dibble (R)[15]

Constitutional officers
  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Frank D. Hargrove, Jr. (R)
  • Commissioner of the Revenue: T. Scott Harris (R)
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: R. E. "Trip" Chalkley, III (R)
  • Sheriff: David R. Hines (R)
  • Treasurer: M. Scott Miller (R)

Hanover County is represented by Republicans Ryan McDougle and Siobhan Dunnavant and Democrat Jennifer McClellan in the Virginia Senate, Republican Buddy Fowler and Scott Wyatt in the Virginia House of Delegates and Republican Rob Wittman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Hanover County is a strongly Republican county; no Democratic presidential candidate has won it since Harry Truman in 1948, and it was one of 4 counties that did not vote for Mark Warner in his 2008 landslide.

United States presidential election results for Hanover County, Virginia[16][17]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 44,318 62.45% 25,307 35.66% 1,342 1.89%
2016 39,630 63.18% 19,382 30.90% 3,711 5.92%
2012 39,940 67.63% 18,294 30.98% 824 1.40%
2008 37,344 66.39% 18,447 32.80% 457 0.81%
2004 35,404 71.36% 13,941 28.10% 266 0.54%
2000 28,614 68.81% 12,044 28.96% 927 2.23%
1996 22,086 63.60% 9,880 28.45% 2,758 7.94%
1992 20,336 59.36% 8,021 23.41% 5,904 17.23%
1988 20,570 76.99% 5,985 22.40% 163 0.61%
1984 18,800 79.26% 4,831 20.37% 87 0.37%
1980 14,262 70.02% 5,383 26.43% 723 3.55%
1976 11,559 64.72% 6,069 33.98% 231 1.29%
1972 11,095 81.20% 2,200 16.10% 368 2.69%
1968 5,425 50.01% 2,079 19.17% 3,343 30.82%
1964 4,879 62.95% 2,864 36.95% 8 0.10%
1960 3,020 59.39% 2,023 39.78% 42 0.83%
1956 2,272 54.07% 1,109 26.39% 821 19.54%
1952 2,257 59.76% 1,518 40.19% 2 0.05%
1948 838 38.06% 1,048 47.59% 316 14.35%
1944 575 28.04% 1,471 71.72% 5 0.24%
1940 364 21.18% 1,347 78.36% 8 0.47%
1936 327 18.84% 1,397 80.47% 12 0.69%
1932 238 17.87% 1,073 80.56% 21 1.58%
1928 592 41.60% 831 58.40% 0 0.00%
1924 135 14.92% 732 80.88% 38 4.20%
1920 224 19.77% 903 79.70% 6 0.53%
1916 102 11.67% 760 86.96% 12 1.37%
1912 87 12.39% 609 86.75% 6 0.85%
1908 204 27.72% 522 70.92% 10 1.36%
1904 261 32.71% 527 66.04% 10 1.25%
1900 1,201 49.67% 1,203 49.75% 14 0.58%
1896 1,337 46.12% 1,499 51.71% 63 2.17%
1892 1,064 37.05% 1,536 53.48% 272 9.47%
1888 1,511 46.72% 1,721 53.22% 2 0.06%
1884 1,488 45.04% 1,816 54.96% 0 0.00%
1880 884 37.91% 1,447 62.05% 1 0.04%


Education

Hanover County has fifteen elementary schools, four middle schools, four high schools, one alternative school, and one technology school. The four high schools are Atlee High School, Hanover High School, Mechanicsville High School, and Patrick Henry High School. Forbes magazine named Hanover County as one of the top fifty counties in the United States for student achievement vs. cost per student.

Economy

Hanover County has the lowest real estate property tax rate in the Richmond Region, which makes for a competitive business location.[18] Some of the major businesses that have taken advantage of the tax rate include: Bass Pro Shops, FedEx Ground, and The Vitamin Shoppe. These businesses located in the county with help from the Hanover County Economic Development and the Greater Richmond Partnership, regional economic development organizations.[19]

Top employers[20]

EmployerSectorNumber of Employees
Hanover CountyGovernment/Education1000+
Bon SecoursHealth Care1000+
Kings DominionAmusement Park1000+
Tyson FarmsFood Processing500-999
SuperValuFood Distributor500-999
Randolph-Macon CollegePrivate Education500-999
WalmartRetail250-499
Owens & MinorCorp HQ/Distribution250-499
Media GeneralNewspaper Publishers250-499
QubicaAMFCorp HQ/Athletics Manufacturing250-499
KrogerRetail250-499
Food LionRetail250-499
Sheltering ArmsRehabilitation Hospital250-499
PublixRetail250-499

Communities

Town
  • Ashland

Census-designated places
  • Hanover (Hanover Courthouse)
  • Mechanicsville

Other unincorporated communities
  • Atlee
  • Beaverdam
  • Brown Grove [21] [22] [23]
  • Doswell
  • Elmont
  • Montpelier
  • Old Church
  • Rockville
  • Studley

Notable natives and residents
  • Henry Clay (1777-1852), U.S. Secretary of State, Speaker of the House of Representatives, U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
  • Samuel Davies (1723-1761), came from Pennsylvania to lead and minister to the religious dissenters in Hanover County, during the First Great Awakening. He set up licensed congregations starting in 1743, eventually helped found the first presbytery in Virginia (the Presbytery of Hanover), evangelized slaves (remarkable in its time), and influenced the young Patrick Henry, who traveled with his mother to listen to sermons.[24]
  • London Ferrill (1789–1854), African-American antebellum Baptist minister. Born here, he gained freedom from slavery as a carpenter and migrated with his wife to Lexington, Kentucky. Ordained by the First Baptist Church, in 1824 he was called as the second preacher of the First African Baptist Church, the oldest black Baptist church west of the Allegheny Mountains. He served for 31 years, building the congregation to 1,820 members by 1850, when it was the largest church in Kentucky, white or black.
  • Patrick Henry (1736-1799), American statesman and lawyer, noted for his "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech in 1775.
  • Thomas Hinde (1737-1828), personal physician to Patrick Henry and physician during the American Revolutionary War.
  • Richard Clough Anderson Sr. (1750-1826), Lt. Col. in American Revolutionary War. Land surveyor of Virginia Military District. Born in Goldmine, Hanover County, Virginia.
  • Thomas S. Hinde (1785-1846), real estate speculator, Methodist minister, and founder of Mount Carmel, Illinois.
  • Susan Archer Weiss (1822–1917), poet, author, artist
  • Sheri Holman (1966-), award-winning novelist and screenwriter
  • Jock Jones (1968-), former NFL player, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals
  • Dolley Madison (1768–1849), First Lady, spent much of her childhood in Hanover County
  • Jason Mraz (1977-), Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter
  • Damien Woody (1977-), ESPN analyst and former NFL player and 2x Super Bowl Champion, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets

See also
  • Hanover County Municipal Airport
  • Hanover County Sheriff’s Office
  • Hanover tomato
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Hanover County, Virginia

References
  1. "Hanover County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "History of Hanover County". Co.hanover.va.us. Archived from the original on March 3, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  4. Auburn, David. "Barksdale Theatre: History." Barksdale Theatre in Richmond and Hanover Virginia at Willow Lawn, the Tavern and the Empire Theater -- Central VA's Leading Professional Theater -- Souvenir, Boleros for the Disenchanted. Web. 23 July 2010. <http://www.barksdalerichmond.org/history.html>.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. "About The County". Co.hanover.va.us. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  8. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  12. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hanover County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
  13. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hanover County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
  14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  15. "Board of Supervisors - Hanover County, VA". www.hanovercounty.gov. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  17. "Our Campaigns - U.S. President". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  18. "Strategic Location". Hanover Virginia. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  19. Caldwell, Jeff. "Governor McDonnell Announces 174 New Jobs in Hanover County". Governor Bob McDonnell. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  20. "Hanover County's Major Employers". Hanover Virginia. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  21. "Hanover church anchors historic Black community of Brown Grove". VPM Media Corporation. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  22. "The Community of Brown Grove vs. Wegmans". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  23. "Complicated History". Virginia Business. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  24. Great Awakening in Virginia, The, Encyclopedia Virginia, Retrieved on 2013-08-17

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