Hampshire County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,093. Its county seat is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town (1762). The county was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1754, from parts of Frederick and Augusta Counties (Virginia) and is the state's oldest county. The county lies in both West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands regions.
Capon Bridge is a town in eastern Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States, along the Northwestern Turnpike, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Winchester, Virginia. The population was 418 at the 2020 census. Originally known as "Glencoe", Capon Bridge was incorporated in 1902 by the Hampshire County Circuit Court. It is named because of the construction of the bridge over the Cacapon River at that place, the name of the river being derived from the Shawnee Cape-cape-de-hon, meaning "river of medicine water".
The Cacapon River, located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an 81.0-mile-long (130.4 km) shallow river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, hunting, and wilderness scenery. As part of the Potomac River watershed, it is an American Heritage River.
The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia, important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1830s. In modern times, west of Winchester, Virginia, U.S. Route 50 follows the path of the Northwestern Turnpike into West Virginia, whose major Corridor D project follows the western section of the original Northwestern Turnpike.
Pleasant Dale is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Pleasant Dale is located between Capon Bridge and Augusta on the Northwestern Turnpike. Tearcoat Creek flows through Pleasant Dale and offers whitewater rafting in the Spring from the U.S. Route 50 bridge to its confluence with the North River.
Hanging Rock is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Hanging Rock is named for the "Hanging Rock" outcrop that hangs over the Northwestern Turnpike. It should not be confused with the plural "Hanging Rocks" over the South Branch Potomac River north of Romney at Wapocomo. Originally, the community of Hanging Rock sprang up in the Henderson Hollow gap of North River Mountain. While only a few buildings of the old hamlet remain, today's Hanging Rock is situated at the intersection of North River Road and Delray Road where the North River flows under U.S. Route 50 towards the Cacapon.
Burlington is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States, located along U.S. Route 50 where it crosses Pattersons Creek. As of the 2020 census, its population was 131. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ZIP code for Burlington is 26710.
Loom is an unincorporated community in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. Loom is located between Capon Bridge and Hanging Rock along the Northwestern Turnpike on the western flanks of Cooper Mountain. Timber Mountain Road and Beck's Gap Road converge at Loom on U.S. Route 50.
Capon Chapel, also historically known as Capon Baptist Chapel and Capon Chapel Church, is a mid-19th century United Methodist church located near to the town of Capon Bridge, West Virginia, in the United States. Capon Chapel is one of the oldest existing log churches in Hampshire County, along with Mount Bethel Church and Old Pine Church.
Dillons Run is a 12.9-mile-long (20.8 km) tributary stream of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
The Fort Mill Ridge Civil War Trenches are battle trenches in West Virginia that were originally dug between 1861 and 1862 to be later used in 1863 for the civil war. These trenches lined with chestnut logs by the Confederate artillery during the American Civil War to defend the approaches to Romney on the Northwestern Turnpike and the South Branch Potomac River. The trenches were then refurbished between March and June 1863 by the 54th Pennsylvania Infantry and the 1st West Virginia Infantry. When Colonel Jacob M. Campbell garrisoned Union forces at Romney, camps were set up at nearby at Mechanicsburg Gap. The Confederates might have created these trenches but all throughout the war the Union had control of these trenches.
Cooper Mountain runs southwest northeast through Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, rising to its greatest elevation of 2,028 feet (618 m) above sea-level at Bens Knob. The mountain's other knob, Butchers Knob, has an elevation of 1,783 feet (543 m). Cooper Mountain is flanked to its west by North River Mountain and to its east by Parks Valley and Dillons Run. The Northwestern Turnpike crosses Cooper Mountain at Loom between Hanging Rock and Capon Bridge. Tourists and travelers on U.S. Route 50 pull off at the Cooper Mountain overlook for the views over Parks Valley, Capon Bridge, and the ridges of Virginia.
Hampshire High School is a public school in Romney, West Virginia that serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of Hampshire County Schools under the auspices of the Hampshire County Board of Education. It is the only high school in Hampshire County. Hampshire High School is located on Trojan Way off of the Northwestern Turnpike near Romney. The school currently has approximately 800 students enrolled, with that number slightly declining. It also employs approximately 70 faculty members. Hampshire High School's current principal is Adam Feazell.
Mill Branch is a 9.1-mile-long (14.6 km) tributary stream of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in eastern Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
U.S. Route 50 in West Virginia runs from the border with Ohio to Virginia, passing briefly through Garrett County, Maryland, and following the Northwestern Turnpike. Prior to the U.S. Highway System it was West Virginia Route 1 and in the 1930s, the road was not finished in Maryland. Today the section of US 50 from Clarksburg to Parkersburg on the Ohio River is part of Corridor D of the Appalachian Development Highway System.
Bear Garden Mountain is a forested mountain ridge of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians in Hampshire County, West Virginia and Frederick County, Virginia.
The Capon and North Branch Turnpike was a 19th-century turnpike in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The turnpike facilitated increased communication and transportation between Cumberland, Maryland and Winchester, Virginia via the Northwestern Turnpike in Capon Bridge, West Virginia. As of July 2010, the Capon and North Branch Turnpike's original route is made up of segments of West Virginia Route 28, Springfield Pike, Slanesville Pike, and Cold Stream Road.
The Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge, formerly known as South Branch Bridge or Romney Bridge, is a historic Whipple truss bridge in Capon Lake, West Virginia. It is located off Carpers Pike and crosses the Cacapon River. The bridge formerly carried Capon Springs Road over the river, connecting Capon Springs and Capon Lake.
