Carroll County, Virginia

Carroll County
County
Carroll County Courthouse and Confederate Monument
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°44′N80°44′W / 36.73°N 80.73°W / 36.73; -80.73
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1842
Named for	Charles Carroll
Seat	Hillsville
Largest town	Hillsville
Area
• Total	478 sq mi (1,240 km2)
• Land	475 sq mi (1,230 km2)
• Water	3 sq mi (8 km2)  0.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	29,155
• Density	61/sq mi (24/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	9th
Website	www.carrollcountyva.org

Carroll County is a United States county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roughly one fifth of the county lies in the Virginia Piedmont region, while the rest is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The county seat and only town is Hillsville. ^[1]

The county was established in 1842 from part of Grayson County, and was officially named in honor of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The borders of Carroll County were later expanded by including land from Patrick County.

The total size of the county is 478 square miles (1,240 km²), and, as of the 2020 census, the population was 29,155. ^[2]

History

Charles Carroll of Carrollton, for whom the county was named

The first European settlers arrived in the region in the mid 18th century. These were primarily Scotch-Irish pioneers, who were used to high mountain altitudes. However, early settlement was slow, mostly due to the poor agricultural soil of the area. As a result, lead mining was one of the first economic activities in the region. ^[3]

As the area's population density increased, Carroll County was created in 1842 from part of Grayson County. The new county was officially named for Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, from Maryland. ^[4] However, other accounts assert that John Carroll, a Virginia state legislator, had named the county in his own honor, but was blocked by a political rival who had it officially named for Charles Carroll instead. ^{[3] [5]}

Parts of Patrick County were added later to increase the size of Carroll County. The first piece was taken in 1845, and another part, which would later become the Fancy Gap District, was added in 1854. ^[3]

Geography

It is the only county in Virginia with Piedmont topography of roughly one fifth in the southeast part of the county and mountain topography of roughly four fifths elsewhere of the county. The Blue Ridge escarpment usually defines the county lines in both North Carolina and Virginia. The CDP community of Cana is in the Virginia Piedmont while the rest of the county is in the Appalachian Mountains.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 478 square miles (1,240 km²), of which 475 square miles (1,230 km²) is land and 3 square miles (7.8 km²) (0.6%) is water. ^[6]

Adjacent counties / Independent city

• Galax, Virginia - west
• Grayson County, Virginia - west
• Wythe County, Virginia - northwest
• Pulaski County, Virginia - north
• Floyd County, Virginia - northeast
• Patrick County, Virginia - southeast
• Surry County, North Carolina - south

Protected areas

National

• Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
• Jefferson National Forest (part)
• Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (part)

Other

• Devil's Den Nature Preserve

Major highways

• I-74 (future)
• I-77
• US 52
• US 58
• US 221
• SR 94
• SR 100
• SR 148

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	5,909		—
1860	8,012		35.6%
1870	9,147		14.2%
1880	13,323		45.7%
1890	15,497		16.3%
1900	19,303		24.6%
1910	21,116		9.4%
1920	21,283		0.8%
1930	22,141		4.0%
1940	25,904		17.0%
1950	26,695		3.1%
1960	23,178		−13.2%
1970	23,092		−0.4%
1980	27,270		18.1%
1990	26,594		−2.5%
2000	29,245		10.0%
2010	30,042		2.7%
2020	29,155		−3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790-1960 [8] 1900-1990 [9] 1990-2000 [10] 2010 [11] 2020 [12]

2020 census

Carroll 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 [11]	Pop 2020 [12]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	28,820	27,040	95.93%	92.75%
Black or African American alone (NH)	177	163	0.59%	0.56%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	49	35	0.16%	0.12%
Asian alone (NH)	51	80	0.17%	0.27%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	5	3	0.02%	0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	11	42	0.04%	0.14%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	153	750	0.51%	2.57%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	776	1,042	2.58%	3.57%
Total	30,042	29,155	100.00%	100.00%

2000 Census

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 29,245 people, 12,186 households, and 8,786 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile (24 people/km²). There were 14,680 housing units at an average density of 31 units per square mile (12 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.97% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.82% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. 1.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,186 households, out of which 27.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.10% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 94.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,597, and the median income for a family was $36,755. Males had a median income of $25,907 versus $19,697 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,475. About 8.70% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Carroll County, like neighboring Floyd, is a historical anomaly in being a solidly Republican county in “Solid South” Virginia, due to desertions from the Confederate army during the Civil War. It was the only county in Virginia to vote for William Howard Taft during the 1912 election, and the only Democrat to carry the county in a presidential election since 1896 has been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. ^[14] Since 1980 no Democrat has gained forty percent of the county's vote, and even with Virginian Tim Kaine on the ticket, Hillary Clinton gained less than twenty percent in the 2016 election. Democratic Senatorial candidate Mark Warner did however carry Carroll County in his landslide 2008 victory.

United States presidential election results for Carroll County, Virginia ^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	12,659	80.88%	2,842	18.16%	150	0.96%
2016	10,663	78.09%	2,559	18.74%	433	3.17%
2012	8,736	67.63%	3,685	28.53%	497	3.85%
2008	8,187	65.08%	4,109	32.67%	283	2.25%
2004	8,173	67.39%	3,888	32.06%	67	0.55%
2000	7,142	64.92%	3,638	33.07%	221	2.01%
1996	5,088	51.04%	3,611	36.22%	1,270	12.74%
1992	5,664	51.89%	3,790	34.72%	1,461	13.39%
1988	6,377	66.17%	3,190	33.10%	70	0.73%
1984	7,056	70.26%	2,914	29.02%	72	0.72%
1980	5,905	61.29%	3,437	35.68%	292	3.03%
1976	4,820	53.75%	4,010	44.71%	138	1.54%
1972	5,247	75.08%	1,583	22.65%	159	2.28%
1968	4,909	64.16%	1,773	23.17%	969	12.67%
1964	3,617	58.85%	2,517	40.95%	12	0.20%
1960	3,705	66.29%	1,873	33.51%	11	0.20%
1956	4,060	69.66%	1,739	29.84%	29	0.50%
1952	3,774	68.68%	1,711	31.14%	10	0.18%
1948	2,456	65.72%	1,196	32.00%	85	2.27%
1944	2,352	63.07%	1,375	36.87%	2	0.05%
1940	1,835	54.19%	1,546	45.66%	5	0.15%
1936	3,245	60.45%	2,122	39.53%	1	0.02%
1932	1,461	48.28%	1,537	50.79%	28	0.93%
1928	2,459	68.76%	1,117	31.24%	0	0.00%
1924	1,743	57.79%	1,257	41.68%	16	0.53%
1920	2,520	66.47%	1,265	33.37%	6	0.16%
1916	1,424	62.40%	858	37.60%	0	0.00%
1912	874	43.96%	765	38.48%	349	17.56%

Education

Public high schools

Carroll County High School, in Hillsville, serves the county. Home of the Cavaliers, CCHS is a 9-12 comprehensive high school. The school was created by the consolidation of Woodlawn High School (Woodlawn, Virginia) and Hillsville High School (Hillsville, Virginia).

• CCHS Official Site

Communities

Town

• Hillsville

Census-designated places

• Cana
• Fancy Gap
• Hilltown (also in Grayson County)
• Woodlawn

Other unincorporated communities

• Austinville
• Dugspur
• Lambsburg
• Laurel Fork
• Sylvatus

Notable people

• Floyd Allen (1856-1913) – former landowner and chief patriarch of the powerful Allen clan; convicted and executed for murder after sensational 1912 Hillsville courthouse shootout that killed five people including Circuit Judge Thornton Massie, Commonwealth's Attorney William Foster, and sheriff Lewis Webb.
• Doc Ayers – former Major League Baseball pitcher, Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers
• Kylene Barker – Miss America 1979
• Frank Beamer – former head football coach at Virginia Tech - List of college football coaches with 200 wins
• George Lafayette Carter – former land and railroad entrepreneur instrumental in the establishment of East Tennessee State University
• Charles B. Morris (1931-1996) – former U.S. Army, awarded the Medal of Honor, 1967
• Ernest Stoneman (1893–1968) – former country musician

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Carroll County, Virginia

References

1. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
2. "Carroll County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
3. Willis, Ninevah. "A Brief History Of Carroll County, Virginia". The Journal of Mountain Life (October 1984). Retrieved March 20, 2015.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 70.
5. Tennis, Joe (2004). Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See. Johnson City, Tenn.: Overmountain Press. p. 91. ISBN   978-1570722561.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
7. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
11. "P2 HHispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Carroll County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau .
12. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Carroll County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau .
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 323, 326, 329 ISBN   0786422173
15. David Leip. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.

External links

• Geographic data related to Carroll County, Virginia at OpenStreetMap
• Grayson Carroll Galax VA Directory
• County government website Archived April 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

36°44′N80°44′W / 36.73°N 80.73°W / 36.73; -80.73