Not to be confused with the state capital, Charleston, West Virginia. For other cities of this name, see Charlestown.

City of Charlestown, West Virginia
Location of CharlesTown in West Virginia
Coordinates: 39°17′3″N 77°51′22″W / 39.28417, -77.85611
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Jefferson
Government
- Mayor	Peggy Smith
Area
- Total	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km²)
- Land	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	512 ft (164 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,907
- Density	2,076.4/sq mi (801.7/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	25414
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-14610[1]
GNIS feature ID	1554110[2]
Website: http://www.charlestownwv.us/

Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia USA. The population was 2,907 at the 2000 census. Due to its similar name, travelers have sometimes confused this city with the state's capital, Charleston. It is the county seat of Jefferson County^[3].
Charles Town's 2006 Census population estimate is 3,869.

Charles Washington, the founder of Charles Town, was born in Hunting Creek, now Fairfax County, Virginia on May 2, 1738. He was the youngest full brother of George Washington. He came to present Jefferson County between April and October 1780.

Happy Retreat

The home of Charles Washington, Happy Retreat, was erected in 1780. In 1786, on 80 acres (320,000 m²) of his adjoining land, Charles laid out the streets of Charles Town, naming many of them after his brothers and one after his wife, Mildred. He donated the four corner lots at the intersection of George and Washington Streets for public buildings of the town and county, provided the town become the seat of the county separated from Berkeley County. Jefferson County was formed in 1801 as he anticipated. The county court house stands on one of these lots, as did the jail until 1919 when it was demolished to be replaced by the post office.

Charles Washington died sometime between July and September, 1799, only a short while before the death of his brother, George. Charles' and his wife Mildred's grave sites near Evitts Run have recently been located and surrounded by a stone wall.

In 2006, a non-profit corporation, called the Friends of Happy Retreat, Inc. (FOHR), purchased an option to buy the property outright. The goal of this group is to see Happy Retreat preserved as a national historic treasure while at the same time contributing to the public’s appreciation of the arts, local culture, and the rich history of the Washington family and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Geography

Charles Town is located at 39°17′3″N, 77°51′22″W (39.284237, -77.856211)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), all of it land.

Charles Town is located 73 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. and 75 miles southwest of Baltimore.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,907 people, 1,285 households, and 732 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,082.3 people per square mile (801.7/km²). There were 1,396 housing units at an average density of 999.9/sq mi (385.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.91% White, 17.54% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.55% of the population.

There were 1,285 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,538, and the median income for a family was $43,547. Males had a median income of $30,917 versus $22,241 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,104. About 13.2% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• John Peale Bishop, author
• Warren B. English, politician
• Frank Buckles, last surviving American veteran of World War I who served overseas
• William Lyne Wilson, Postmaster General of the United States
• Edward Tiffin, first Governor of Ohio
• Frank R. Stockton, author, most famous for the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?"
• Thomas Worthington, one of the first senators from Ohio, 6th Governor of Ohio

Trivia

• Location where abolitionist John Brown was tried and hanged in 1859.

Schools

• Ranson Elementary School [1]
• Charles Town Middle School [2]
• Jefferson High School in Shenandoah Junction [3]
• Washington High School in Charles Town is under construction, scheduled for opening in 2008.
• Wright Denny Intermediate School [4]

For more information see Jefferson County Schools.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
4. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

External links

• City of Charles Town Website
• Citizens Fire Company
• Friends of Happy Retreat
• city data on charlestown

• Charles Town, West Virginia is at coordinates 39°17′03″N 77°51′22″W / 39.284237, -77.856211 (Charles Town, West Virginia)Coordinates: 39°17′03″N 77°51′22″W / 39.284237, -77.856211 (Charles Town, West Virginia)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Jefferson County, West Virginia County seat: Charles Town City Charles Town Towns Bolivar | Harpers Ferry | Ranson | Shepherdstown Unincorporated communities Bakerton | Bardane | Blair | Bloomery | Blue Ridge Acres | Browns Corner | Clips Mill | Duffields | Egypt | Engle | Franklintown | Halltown | Jamestown | Johnsontown | Kabletown | Kearneysville | Keyes Ferry Acres | Leetown | Mannings | Mechanicstown | Mechlenberg Heights | Meyerstown | Middleway | Millville | Moler Crossroads | Mountain Mission | Reedson | Rippon | Riverside | Shannondale | Shenandoah Junction | Silver Grove | Skeetersville | Summit Point | Uvilla | Wheatland

	v â€¢ d â€¢ e The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Counties	Berkeley | Grant | Hampshire | Hardy | Jefferson | Mineral | Morgan | Pendleton
Communities	Bayard | Berkeley Springs | Bolivar | Capon Bridge | Carpendale | Charles Town | Elk Garden | Franklin | Harpers Ferry | Hedgesville | Keyser | Martinsburg | Moorefield | Paw Paw | Petersburg | Piedmont | Ridgeley | Romney | Shepherdstown | Wardensville
Attractions	Appalachian National Scenic Trail | Berkeley Springs State Park | Cacapon Resort State Park | Cacapon River | Capon Springs Historic District | Charles Town Races & Slots | Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park | Fort Ashby | Fort Mill Ridge Civil War Trenches | George Washington National Forest | Germany Valley | Harpers Ferry National Historical Park | Indian Mound Cemetery | Jennings Randolph Lake | Lost River | Lost River State Park | Monongahela National Forest | Mount Storm Lake | Northwestern Turnpike | Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad | Potomac River | Potomac State College | Seneca Rocks | Shenandoah River | Shepherdstown Historic District | Shepherd University | Sleepy Creek Lake | Smoke Hole Caverns | South Branch Potomac River | Spruce Knob | Summit Point Motorsports Park | The Trough | Trout Pond | Tuscarora Trail | Washington Heritage Trail