Piedmont, West Virginia

For the unincorporated community in Mercer County, see Piedmont, Mercer County, West Virginia.

Town of Piedmont, West Virginia
Town
Downtown Piedmont in January 2014 Downtown Piedmont in January 2014
Location of Piedmont in West Virginia Location of Piedmont in West Virginia
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Mineral
Area
• Total	0.38 sq mi (0.98 km2)
• Land	0.38 sq mi (0.98 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	928 ft (283 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	876
• Estimate (2012)	862
• Density	2,305.3/sq mi (890.1/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	26750
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-63604
GNIS feature ID	1555341

Piedmont is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, USA. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 876 at the 2010 census. Piedmont was chartered in 1856 and the town is the subject of Colored People: A Memoir by Piedmont native Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Geography

As its name suggests, Piedmont is located at the base of a mountain, in this instance the foot of the Allegheny Front, the eastern edge of the Allegheny Mountains or Appalachian Plateau, on the south (West Virginia) side of the North Branch of the Potomac River.

Piedmont is located at (39.480232, -79.048086). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.38 square miles (0.98 km²), all of it land.

History

The original main line of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad reached the site of Piedmont on July 21, 1851, and in 1853 connected Baltimore, Maryland, and the Ohio River at Wheeling, then (like Piedmont) in Virginia, and now in West Virginia. The line through Piedmont is still a major segment of the B&O system, now part of CSX Transportation.

The Town of Piedmont was chartered in 1856. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the town of Piedmont was frequently raided by the McNeill's Rangers in an effort by the Confederates to disrupt B&O train service. In 1888, William Luke established the West Virginia Paper Company (now NewPage Corporation) on 50 acres (20 ha) of Maryland land known as West Piedmont (now Luke, Maryland, adjacent to the larger town of Westernport, Maryland). The company remains a major economic factor in the area.

Jazz great Don Redman was born in Piedmont on July 29, 1900. Henry Louis Gates, a professor of African-American history at Harvard University, was raised in Piedmont, an experience he described in his 1994 book "Colored People".

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	1,366		—
1900	2,115		—
1910	2,054		−2.9%
1920	2,835		38.0%
1930	2,241		−21.0%
1940	2,677		19.5%
1950	2,565		−4.2%
1960	2,307		−10.1%
1970	1,763		−23.6%
1980	1,491		−15.4%
1990	1,094		−26.6%
2000	1,014		−7.3%
2010	876		−13.6%
Est. 2014	844		−3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 876 people, 385 households, and 225 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,305.3 inhabitants per square mile (890.1/km²). There were 480 housing units at an average density of 1,263.2 per square mile (487.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.3% White, 17.9% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 385 households of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.9% were married couples living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the town was 37.1 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,094 people, 423 households, and 266 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,413.4 inhabitants per square mile (932.2/km²). There were 499 housing units at an average density of 1,187.7 per square mile (458.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.36% White, 21.79% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.78% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.

There were 423 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,190, and the median income for a family was $26,964. Males had a median income of $21,938 versus $18,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,678. About 24.7% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.3% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year round. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Piedmont has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.

External links

• Town of Piedmont website
• Gates Narrative about Piedmont
• West Virginia Cyclopedia article (wikia)