Berkeley springs

Berkeley Springs is located in the northeast of West Virginia ^[2] . The city has five mineral springs (the most famous Ferfax and Gentleman), with a constant water temperature of 21 ° C ^[3] . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city ​​has a total area of ​​0.88 km².

Prior to the development of the territory by European settlers, the sources of mineral water, near which the city was then built, were used by the Tuscarora , Shawnee , Delaware , Iroquois Indians, they believed that the sources are a gift of the Great Spirit . Around the 1740s, several European families settled near sources, but during the determination of the boundaries of the lands of the 6th Lord Fairfax , water was included in his possession. Berkeley Springs became a famous holiday destination after exploring Lord Fairfax's land, George Washington . He often visited the waters. He convinced the lord to leave the land around the sources of the colony of Virginia in 1756. In October 1775, the Virginia Assembly passed a bill that created a city near sources in Berkeley County. The city was named Bath, after the resort in England ^[2] .

During the American Revolution, the city ​​was home to wounded soldiers, families, and refugees. After the war, Bath became a popular holiday destination; buildings, baths and hotels were built. At the beginning of the XIX century, the post office of the city changed its name to Berkeley Springs (the official name has not changed) ^[3] . By the 1830s, other resorts were built in the state, and the popularity of the city began to fall. In 1843, the Baltimore and Ohio Railways were run through Berkeley Springs, which accelerated the development of the city. During the civil war, the city ​​passed from one side to the other several times, many buildings were destroyed. After the war, the city became a center for meetings of writers and artists ^[2] .

Modern Berkeley Springs is known for its state park , in which there are 3 mineral water sources ^[2] .

According to the 2010 census, the population of Berkeley Springs was 624 people (of which 47.8% of men and 52.2% of women), there were 314 households and 158 families. The racial composition : white - 96.5%, Native Americans - 0.5%, Asians - 0.3% and representatives of two or more races - 1.8% ^[4] .

Out of 314 households, 31.8% were married couples living together (9.9% with children under 18), 14.6% of households were women without husbands, 3.8% of households were men without wives, 49, 7% had no family. On average, the household was 1.99 people, and the average family size was 2.74 people.

The population of the city according to the age range was distributed as follows: 21.2% - residents under 18 years old, 2.4% - between 18 and 21 years old, 52.0% - from 21 to 65 years old and 19.9% ​​- aged 65 years and older. The average age of the population is 42.9 years. For every 100 women, there were 91.4 men, while for 100 adult women, there were already 85.7 men of comparable age ^[4] .

In 2014, out of 537 able-bodied residents over the age of 16, 307 people were employed. At the same time, the men had a median income of $ 38,384 per year compared to $ 26,741 of the average annual income of women. In 2014, the median income per family was estimated at $ 44,408, for a household - at $ 34,688. The per capita income is $ 21,273. 21.4% of the total number of families and 24.8% of the total population were at the time of the census below the poverty line ^[4] .

Population dynamics:

According to the Köppen climate classification , Berkeley Springs is classified as subtropical monsoon (Cfa). The city climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and an even distribution of precipitation throughout the year. In the summer, it is influenced by the humid, sea air from the ocean. Summer is usually more humid than winter. The average temperature in a year is 11.6 ° C, the warmest month is July (average temperature is 23.2 ° C), the coldest is January (average temperature is 0.1 ° C). The average rainfall per year is 914.4 mm ^[5] .

In the city there are 10 objects included in the National Register of Historic Places of the USA :

• Cottage Judge Wright ( Eng. Wright, Judge John W., Cottage , # 86000896 ).
• Railway depot ( eng. Berkeley Springs Train Depot , # 00001313 ).
• Samuel Taylor Suite Cottage, also known as "Berkeley Castle" ( eng. Suit, Samuel Taylor, Cottage , # 80004035 ).
• House T. Dawson ( Eng. Dawson, THB, House , # 83003247 ).
• House of John Herbert ( English Quick, John Herbert, House , # 84003639 ).
• Slota-Horn-Russell House ( English Sloat-Horn-Rossell House , # 84003643 ).
• The historic district of the city of Bath ( English Town of Bath Historic District , # 09000245 ).
• Stucky House ( English Stuckey House , # 91000555 ).
• The House of Clarence Hohermeyl ( Eng. Hovermale, Clarence, House , # 03000350 ).
• Berkeley Springs State Park ( English Berkeley Springs State Park , # 76001943 ).

• United States Geographic Names Information System: Berkeley Springs (English)
• Tourist site of the city