Place Information
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Charles City County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 6,926. Its county seat is Charles City.6 It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
History
Charles Cittie (sic) was one of four "boroughs" or "incorporations" created by the Virginia Company in 1619. It was named for Prince Charles, second son of King James I of England, who became the Duke of Wales and heir apparent after the death of his older brother Henry in 1612. He later became King Charles I of England after his father's death. The Virginia Company lost its charter in 1624 under King James I, and Virginia became a royal colony. Charles City Shire was formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony by order of the King. Its name was changed to Charles City County in 1643, and it is considered one the five original shires in Virginia which are still extant in essentially the same political entity (county) as they were originally formed in 1634. The original central city of the county was Charles City Point, which was in an area south of the James River at the confluence of the Appomattox River. The first Charles City County courthouses were located along the James River at Westover and at City Point. The latter's name was shortened from Charles City Point. All of the original area of Charles City County south of the James River was severed beginning in 1703 to form Prince George and several other counties. The incorporated town of City Point in Prince George County was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. North of the river, the area remained Charles City County. During the ninteenth century, numerous crossroad communities developed to serve the religious, educational and mercantile needs of the citizenry of rural Charles City County. Crossroad communities, such as Adkin's Store, Binns Hall, Parrish Hill, Ruthville and Wayside, typically included a store, church and school. In modern times, there is actually no "Charles City", or any centralized city or town, in the county. Charles City Court House, which uses the postal address Charles City, Virginia, is the focal point of government. The building which serves as the courthouse was constructed in the 1750s and is one of only five courthouses in America that have been in continuous use for judicial purposes since before the Revolutionary War. [1] Timeline
Population History
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