Accomack County, Virginia

Accomack County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Accomac
Year Organized: 1663
Square Miles: 455

Court House:

P.O. Box 388
County Courthouse
Accomac, VA 23301-0388

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Accomack is named for a Native American word decscribing the Eastern Shore as accawmacke, or, in English, across the water place

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Accomack County, Virginia formed from Northampton County. Legislative enactment in 1661. Organized in 1662. Virginia Counties: Those Resulting from Virginia Legislation, by Morgan Poitiaux Robinson, originally published as Bulletin of the Virginia State Library, Volume 9, January, April, July 1916, reprinted 1992 by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD.]

Accomack County is on the peninsula that separates the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The westernmost point in the county is Tangier Island, accessible from the county by tour boat during the summer, and the easternmost point is Assateague Island accessible by causeway. One may watch the sunrise over the Atlantic and the sunset over the Chesapeake. Between are acres of woodland and fields interspersed with towns and villages with unique shops and stores.

Accomac Shire was established in 1634 as one of the original eight shires of Virginia. The shire's name comes from the Native American word Accawmack, meaning "on the other side".

The original shire of Accomac, created in 1634, covered the entire Eastern Shore. The name of the shire was changed to Northampton in 1642. This name change was part of an effort by the English to eliminate "heathen" names in the New World. So, an English name, Northampton, was chosen.

Since many settlers were choosing the Eastern Shore as their new home, in 1663 it was decided that the area should be divided into two counties. So, the northern half was renamed Accomac.

Accomac County was abolished for a time in 1670. Governor William Berkeley, wanted to arrest Col. Edmund Scarburgh for the murders of some Native American chiefs. This was one of the incidents that led to Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. Scarburgh claimed to be a Burgess for Accomac, and members of the General Assembly were immune to arrest. So, to circumvent this situation, Governor Berkeley nullified the law that created the county. This eliminated Scarburgh's protection from being arrested. When Scarburgh died in 1671, the General Assembly re-created Accomac County.

Neighboring Counties:

Somerset County, Maryland - northwest
Worcester County, Maryland - northeast
Northampton County, Virginia - south
Middlesex County, Virginia - west (water boundary only, in Chesapeake Bay)
Lancaster County, Virginia - west (water boundary only, in Chesapeake Bay)
Northumberland County, Virginia - west (water boundary only, in Chesapeake Bay)

Cities and Towns:

- Accomac (County Seat)	town	Incorporated Area
- Belle Haven	town	Incorporated Area
- Bloxom	town	Incorporated Area
- Chincoteague	town	Incorporated Area
- Hallwood	town	Incorporated Area
- Keller	town	Incorporated Area
- Melfa	town	Incorporated Area
- Onancock	town	Incorporated Area
- Onley	town	Incorporated Area
- Painter	town	Incorporated Area
- Parksley	town	Incorporated Area
- Saxis	town	Incorporated Area
- Tangier	town	Incorporated Area
- Wachapreague	town	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

Penn Foster High School

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