Fayette County, West Virginia

Fayette County
County
Fayette County courthouse in Fayetteville
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°02′N 81°05′W / 38.03°N 81.09°W / 38.03; -81.09
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Founded	February 28, 1831
Named for	Marquis de la Fayette
Seat	Fayetteville
Largest city	Oak Hill
Area
• Total	668 sq mi (1,730 km2)
• Land	662 sq mi (1,710 km2)
• Water	6.8 sq mi (18 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	40,488
• Estimate  (2021)	39,927
• Density	61/sq mi (23/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.fayettecounty.wv.gov

Fayette County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,488.^[1] Its county seat is Fayetteville.^[2] It is part of the Beckley, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area in Southern West Virginia.^[3]

Fayette County—originally Fayette County, Virginia—was created by the Virginia General Assembly in February 1831,^[4] from parts of Greenbrier, Kanawha, Nicholas, and Logan counties. It was named in honor of the Marquis de la Fayette, who had played a key role assisting the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.^[5]

The second Virginia county so named, it was among the 50 counties which Virginia lost when West Virginia was admitted to the Union as the 35th state in 1863, during the American Civil War. The earlier Fayette County, Virginia existed from 1780 to 1792, and was lost when Kentucky was admitted to the Union. Accordingly, in the government records of Virginia, there will be listings for Fayette County from 1780 to 1792 and Fayette County from 1831 to 1863.

A substantial portion was subdivided from Fayette County to form Raleigh County in 1850. In 1871, an Act of the West Virginia Legislature severed a small portion to form part of Summers County.^[6]

In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. Fayette County was originally divided into four townships: Falls, Fayetteville, Mountain Cove, and Sewell Mountain. A fifth township, Kanawha, was formed from part of Falls Township in 1870. These townships proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.^[7] The portion of Fayette County that was taken to form Summers County was from Sewell Mountain Township. A sixth district, Quinnimont, was organized in the 1880s, and a seventh, Nuttall, was formed from part of Mountain Cove District in the 1890s. In the 1970s, the historic magisterial districts were consolidated into three new districts: New Haven, Plateau, and Valley.^[8]

Fayette County was the location of a disastrous mine explosion at Red Ash in March 1900, in which 46 miners were killed.^[9]

Fayette County elected several African Americans to the West Virginia House of Delegates during the early decades of the 20th century including the first, second and third who served in the state legislature.^[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 668 square miles (1,730 km²), of which 662 square miles (1,710 km²) is land and 6.8 square miles (18 km²) (1.0%) is water.^[11] Plum Orchard Lake, a reservoir southwest of Oak Hill, is the second largest lake in West Virginia.

• Nicholas County (north)
• Greenbrier County (east)
• Summers County (southeast)
• Raleigh County (south)
• Kanawha County (west)

• Gauley River National Recreation Area (part)
• New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (part)

As of the census of 2000, there were 47,579 people, 18,945 households, and 13,128 families living in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile (28 people/km²). There were 21,616 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.74% White, 5.57% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 0.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 18,945 households, out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.10% were married couples living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,788, and the median income for a family was $30,243. Males had a median income of $28,554 versus $18,317 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,809. About 18.20% of families and 21.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.90% of those under age 18 and 13.70% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 46,039 people, 18,813 households, and 12,459 families living in the county.^[17] The population density was 69.6 inhabitants per square mile (26.9/km²). There were 21,618 housing units at an average density of 32.7 per square mile (12.6/km²).^[18] The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% white, 4.6% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population.^[17] In terms of ancestry, 16.9% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 10.8% were English, and 9.5% were American.^[19]

Of the 18,813 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 43.0 years.^[17]

The median income for a household in the county was $31,912 and the median income for a family was $42,077. Males had a median income of $39,301 versus $24,874 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,082. About 16.4% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.^[20]

Fayette County's political history is typical of West Virginia as a whole. The county leaned Democratic during the Third Party System before the power of industrial and mining political systems turned it strongly towards the Republican Party between 1880 and 1932.^[21] Unionization of its predominant coal mining workforce during the New Deal made the county powerfully Democratic between 1932 and 2008: no Republican in this period except Richard Nixon against George McGovern won forty percent of the county's vote, and Lyndon Johnson in 1964 exceeded eighty percent against the conservative Barry Goldwater. However, the decline of mining unions and the out-migration of historical black mining families^[22] has produced a rapid swing to the Republican Party in the 21st century, with the Democratic vote share plummeting to barely 30% by 2020.

The county has a tradition of coal mining, which still serves as a primary source of employment in the area. A Georgia Pacific lumber mill has its home to the west of Mt. Hope, adjacent to U.S. Route 19. There exists a large metal alloy plant in Alloy. The Mount Olive Correctional Complex, West Virginia's only maximum security state prison, is also located in Fayette County.^{[citation needed]} The economy has shifted significantly in recent years, with a large amount of money being spent in outdoor recreation and tourism.

• George Cafego, All-American football player at University of Tennessee, first player selected in the 1940 NFL draft
• DJ Cheese, first DMC World DJ Champion (1986)
• Walt Craddock, former professional baseball player
• Bob Elkins, character actor
• Randy Gilkey, singer, songwriter, and music producer
• Tunney Hunsaker, professional boxer and former police chief
• Julia Neale Jackson, mother of Stonewall Jackson
• Harley M. Kilgore, former member of the United States Senate
• Jason Kincaid, professional wrestler, former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion
• John McClung, musician and performer of old-time music
• Charlie McCoy, musician and singer
• MacGillivray Milne, former governor of American Samoa
• Tom Pridemore, former safety from Ansted, West Virginia who played eight seasons in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and served one term as a legislator
• Timothy Truman, writer, artist, musician
• Lonnie Warwick, professional football player

• Montgomery (part)
• Mount Hope
• Oak Hill
• Smithers (part)

• Ansted
• Fayetteville (county seat)
• Gauley Bridge
• Meadow Bridge
• Pax
• Thurmond

• New Haven
• Plateau
• Valley

• Babcock State Park
• Battle of Fayetteville (1862 Western Virginia)
• Beury Mountain Wildlife Management Area
• Bridge Day
• Coal camps in Fayette County, West Virginia
• Hawks Nest State Park
• Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Fayette County, West Virginia
• Fayette County Schools (West Virginia)

• Fayette County Chamber of Commerce

38°02′N 81°05′W / 38.03°N 81.09°W / 38.03; -81.09