Inwood, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Inwood is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Berkeley County
, West Virginia
, United States
, located south of Martinsburg
. The population was 2,954 at the 2010 census. It is located on U.S. Route 11
.
In the late 1880s, coinciding with the arrival of the Cumberland Valley Railroad (CVRR) extension, a resort that became known as Inwood Park was established on the property of the Strong family of south Berkeley County, West Virginia. On May 5, 1890, the Inwood Post Office opened and the village grew around the Park. From 1892 - 1913, an annual event called the Inwood Fair was held at the Park. This event drew in the range of 7,000 - 12,000 people.
The Cumberland Valley Railroad station in Inwood also included a grain elevator
, which ensured that much of the local agricultural products would be brought to Inwood to be shipped elsewhere. Other products shipped from Inwood via the CVRR were wood products, such as bark (for tanning) and railroad ties from the area west of the town. The station at Inwood was one of the most profitable stations on the CVRR line.
The town of Inwood was originally called Gerrard. There are two stories as to how the town got its name. One story is that it was named for the Park located there - Inwood Park, the park "in the woods" - therefore INWOOD park.
The other story is that Inwood's name was changed when Jonathan Newton Thatcher, of Gerrard, wanted to open a post office in the town. Washington D.C.
post authorities told Thatcher that he would have to rename the town of Gerrard, since it would conflict with mail going to Gerrardstown
, a town 4 miles west. When Thatcher’s cousin from Inwood, California, showed him a letter with his home address on it, he decided to use the name “Inwood” for the town. He wrote to Washington D.C. to get the town’s name changed from Gerrard to Inwood and to get a post office established there. Jonathan Thatcher was the first postmaster
for the new Inwood, West Virginia.
In the early years of the 20th century, a local prominent citizen and politician, Gray Silver, was instrumental in establishing a co-op among the area's many orchardists. The principal crop among those orchardists was apples, because they were less likely to be damaged during shipment and the fact that they could last for long periods of time when stored properly. Through federal funds and the influence of Gray Silver, a school where various aspects of growing apples was established at Inwood.
Gray Silver was also instrumental in putting together a group of investors to bring a commercial apple plant to Inwood.
In 1920, the C.H. Musselman Company of Biglerville, PA, opened an apple processing plant at Inwood. This was convenient to the many apple orchards of the Shenandoah Valley and the former Cumberland Valley Railroad, by this time part of the Pennsylvania Railroad line. By the late 1920s, the Musselman plant in Inwood exclusively produced apple sauce, the first apple processing plant of its kind.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,084 people, 810 households, and 596 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 733.8 people per square mile (283.3/km²). There are 849 housing units at an average density of 299.0/sq mi (115.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.19% White, 2.64% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 810 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,033, and the median income for a family was $46,484. Males had a median income of $33,155 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $21,359. About 2.5% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under the age of 18 and 6.7% of those 65 and older.
The C.H. Musselman Plant, in 1929, became the first apple processing plant to exclusively produce canned apple sauce. It can be said the apple sauce literally put the C.H. Musselman plant and the town of Inwood on the map.
The Musselman company eventually became a part of PET, Inc., in the 1960s, and after a series of changes in ownership was bought in 1984 by Knouse Foods, who continue to operate the facility today. Knouse Foods ceased production operations at the Inwood facility on Nov. 14, 2008.
Musselman High School
, located in Inwood, was built in 1949 when the C.H. Musselman Company donated the land, materials and labor as a gift to the community. The high school first opened for the 1949-50 school year. Until the early 1980s, the Musselman Foundation, a philanthropic branch of the company, provided expansions and facilities the school needed whenever possible. The last contribution to the south Berkeley County community being the auditorium. When a new Musselman High School was built in the late 1990s, the original Musselman High School was torn down and Musselman Middle School was built on the same site.
Inwood School, now Inwood Primary School, opened in 1926 and in 1970 became a primary school with the expansion of schools in southern Berkeley County. An earlier school was located west of present-day I-81 near Inwood, and can be seen on the Berkeley County map of 1894.
In the early days of Inwood, there was a cooperage (barrel factory) in the village. East of Inwood, to this day, is a quarrying operation, taking advantage of the limestone below the ground for commercial purposes. Today, Inwood is a high growth area and serves as a bedroom community for the nearby Washington Metropolitan area.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Berkeley County
Berkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located south of Martinsburg
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
. The population was 2,954 at the 2010 census. It is located on U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 in West Virginia
In the U.S. state of West Virginia, U.S. Route 11 spans across the Eastern Panhandle region. US 11 enters the state near Ridgeway, and crosses into Maryland just south of Williamsport...
.
In the late 1880s, coinciding with the arrival of the Cumberland Valley Railroad (CVRR) extension, a resort that became known as Inwood Park was established on the property of the Strong family of south Berkeley County, West Virginia. On May 5, 1890, the Inwood Post Office opened and the village grew around the Park. From 1892 - 1913, an annual event called the Inwood Fair was held at the Park. This event drew in the range of 7,000 - 12,000 people.
The Cumberland Valley Railroad station in Inwood also included a grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
, which ensured that much of the local agricultural products would be brought to Inwood to be shipped elsewhere. Other products shipped from Inwood via the CVRR were wood products, such as bark (for tanning) and railroad ties from the area west of the town. The station at Inwood was one of the most profitable stations on the CVRR line.
The town of Inwood was originally called Gerrard. There are two stories as to how the town got its name. One story is that it was named for the Park located there - Inwood Park, the park "in the woods" - therefore INWOOD park.
The other story is that Inwood's name was changed when Jonathan Newton Thatcher, of Gerrard, wanted to open a post office in the town. Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
post authorities told Thatcher that he would have to rename the town of Gerrard, since it would conflict with mail going to Gerrardstown
Gerrardstown, West Virginia
Gerrardstown is an unincorporated village located along West Virginia Route 51 in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. It was laid out in 1784 by David Gerrard and served as the site of the first Baptist church west of the Blue Ridge Mountains...
, a town 4 miles west. When Thatcher’s cousin from Inwood, California, showed him a letter with his home address on it, he decided to use the name “Inwood” for the town. He wrote to Washington D.C. to get the town’s name changed from Gerrard to Inwood and to get a post office established there. Jonathan Thatcher was the first postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
for the new Inwood, West Virginia.
In the early years of the 20th century, a local prominent citizen and politician, Gray Silver, was instrumental in establishing a co-op among the area's many orchardists. The principal crop among those orchardists was apples, because they were less likely to be damaged during shipment and the fact that they could last for long periods of time when stored properly. Through federal funds and the influence of Gray Silver, a school where various aspects of growing apples was established at Inwood.
Gray Silver was also instrumental in putting together a group of investors to bring a commercial apple plant to Inwood.
In 1920, the C.H. Musselman Company of Biglerville, PA, opened an apple processing plant at Inwood. This was convenient to the many apple orchards of the Shenandoah Valley and the former Cumberland Valley Railroad, by this time part of the Pennsylvania Railroad line. By the late 1920s, the Musselman plant in Inwood exclusively produced apple sauce, the first apple processing plant of its kind.
Geography
Inwood is located at 39°21′12"N 78°2′56"W (39.353438, -78.048811).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,084 people, 810 households, and 596 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 733.8 people per square mile (283.3/km²). There are 849 housing units at an average density of 299.0/sq mi (115.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.19% White, 2.64% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 810 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,033, and the median income for a family was $46,484. Males had a median income of $33,155 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $21,359. About 2.5% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under the age of 18 and 6.7% of those 65 and older.
Companies and Schools
Inwood is home to Knouse Foods Musselman plant. The plant opened in 1920 after it was located there due to the active pursuance of local investors who contributed money to buy the property where the plant is located. It was part of the old Inwood Park.The C.H. Musselman Plant, in 1929, became the first apple processing plant to exclusively produce canned apple sauce. It can be said the apple sauce literally put the C.H. Musselman plant and the town of Inwood on the map.
The Musselman company eventually became a part of PET, Inc., in the 1960s, and after a series of changes in ownership was bought in 1984 by Knouse Foods, who continue to operate the facility today. Knouse Foods ceased production operations at the Inwood facility on Nov. 14, 2008.
Musselman High School
Musselman High School
Musselman High School is a class AAA high school in Inwood, West Virginia, USA, located at 126 Excellence Way. Inwood is in Berkeley County, West Virginia and just outside the city of Martinsburg, the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest municipality in West Virginia. Inwood...
, located in Inwood, was built in 1949 when the C.H. Musselman Company donated the land, materials and labor as a gift to the community. The high school first opened for the 1949-50 school year. Until the early 1980s, the Musselman Foundation, a philanthropic branch of the company, provided expansions and facilities the school needed whenever possible. The last contribution to the south Berkeley County community being the auditorium. When a new Musselman High School was built in the late 1990s, the original Musselman High School was torn down and Musselman Middle School was built on the same site.
Inwood School, now Inwood Primary School, opened in 1926 and in 1970 became a primary school with the expansion of schools in southern Berkeley County. An earlier school was located west of present-day I-81 near Inwood, and can be seen on the Berkeley County map of 1894.
In the early days of Inwood, there was a cooperage (barrel factory) in the village. East of Inwood, to this day, is a quarrying operation, taking advantage of the limestone below the ground for commercial purposes. Today, Inwood is a high growth area and serves as a bedroom community for the nearby Washington Metropolitan area.