Kempsville, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kempsville
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 Kempsville
Location in Virginia
Kempsville
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| Independent city | Virginia Beach |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
23464, 23462
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Kempsville is a borough in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a historic section with origins in US colonial times located in the former Princess Anne County. In modern times, it is a community within the urbanized portion of the independent city of Virginia Beach, the largest city in Virginia.
Contents
History
The town was originally named Kemp's Landing and was a colonial port at the head of the Eastern Branch Elizabeth River. Under the Tobacco Inspection Act of 1730, one of the 40 tobacco inspection warehouses was chartered : " At Norfolk Town, upon the fort land, in the County of Norfolk; and Kemp's Landing, in Princess Anne, under one inspection. "
On November 14, 15, or 16th, 1775, it was the location where John Ackiss was killed by Royal Governor Lord Dunmore's militia during an incident later called the "Skirmish of Kempsville". Ackiss became the first Virginian casualty of the American Revolutionary War. The Daughters of the American Revolution later erected a plaque near the site.
The town of Kempsville, established in 1781, was the location of the county seat of Princess Anne County from 1778-1823. After that date, it was moved to the current location at Princess Anne, Virginia.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, was founded in 1843 to serve families living in Kempsville (then known as Kemp's Landing). In time, the town lost its economic importance and Emmanuel became a rural parish until 1963, when it grew along with the community as a part of the "new" city of Virginia Beach (when Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County merged).
Portions of the church's outer walls are original. The cemetery behind the church contains the graves of four veterans of the Confederate States' Army during the American Civil War in the early 1860s, as well as the more recent grave of Allen Jones "Al" "Two Gun" Gettel, a local boy who grew up to be a major league pitcher for the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians, and the Chicago White Sox over a 10-year career (1945–55). [1]
After the county consolidated by mutual agreement with the small resort city of Virginia Beach in 1963, and assumed the latter's name, explosive growth during the 1960s and 1970s transformed Kempsville into a sprawling suburban community of the largest independent city in Virginia.
Formation of the City of Virginia Beach
In 1963, when the "new" city of Virginia Beach was created from the merger of the small oceanfront resort city of Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County, Kempsville became one of seven boroughs of the new city. The other six were Bayside, Blackwater, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, Pungo, and Virginia Beach (oceanfront).
Kempsville grew in population during the explosive economic growth of the 1960s and 1970s. Kempsville transformed into a sprawling suburban community of the largest independent city in Virginia.
Many of the important historical buildings of Kempsville were either moved or torn down during this transformation. Only two buildings remain from the Revolutionary War period, including the Carraway House (built 1734) on South Witchduck Road and Pleasant Hall (1779).
Present day
Kempsville is one of seven residence districts in the City of Virginia Beach, and is thereby associated with one seat on the city council. Although the official land area of the Kempsville district is small relative to the size of the City of Virginia Beach, Kempsville's historical influence stretches the entire span of Princess Anne Road from the Norfolk border to the Courthouse and Pungo areas of the city.
Schools
The community of Kempsville operates under the Virginia Beach City Public School System. There are three public high schools, three public middle schools, and nine public elementary schools, respectively: Kempsville High School, Tallwood High School, Salem High School, Kempsville Middle School, Brandon Middle School, Larkspur Middle School, Arrowhead Elementary, Centerville Elementary, Fairfield Elementary, Indian Lakes Elementary, Kempsville Elementary, Kempsville Meadows Elementary, Point O'View Elementary, Providence Elementary, Tallwood Elementary, and Woodstock Elementary.
Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic high school located on Princess Anne Road.
Regent University, a private Christian facility founded in 1977 by Pat Robertson, is located in Kempsville, as are the Christian Broadcasting Network headquarters and The Founders Inn & Spa.
Virginia Beach Theological Seminary, a small Christian seminary offering a number of graduate degrees, is also located in this area.
Public safety
The 4th Precinct is based in Kempsville giving the community police protection by the Virginia Beach Police Department. Fire protection is provided by the Virginia Beach Fire Department through Fire Station 9 and Fire Station 10 in the VBFD system. The Kempsville Volunteer Rescue Squad provides ambulance transportation and EMS services as part of the Virginia Beach Department of EMS.
Commerce
The two major shopping centers in the Kempsville community are located directly across the street from each other on the Southwest and Northwest Corners of the Kempsville Road and Providence Road intersection. They are Providence Square and Fairfield Shopping Centers, respectively
About 0.1 miles north from the Kempsville Road and Providence Road intersection is the 4th VBPD Police Precinct Station, which is located next to the Kempsville Public Library. Also, across Kempsville Road is the Kempsville Presbyterian Church.
Kemps River Crossing is another major shopping center, taking its name from its location at the intersection of Kempsville and Indian River Roads.
Woods Corner is another major shopping center, located in "West Kempsville", at the intersection of Kempsville Road and Centerville Turnpike.
Neighborhoods
Kempsville residential neighborhoods include Acredale, Arrowhead, Avalon Hills, Bellamy Manor, Bellamy Woods, Brandon, Brigadoon, Brigadoon Pines, Carolanne Farms, Charleston, Charleston Woods, Charleston Lakes South, College Park, Fairfield, Fox Run, Indian Lakes, Lake Christopher, Lake James, Larkspur Farms, Point O' View, Ridglea, Salem, Stratford Chase, and Whitehurst Landing.
Bellamy Woods is in the lowest 0.0% of neighborhoods dealing with child poverty. 86.2% of households speak English, with 7.5% speaking the Philippine language of Tagalog. The neighborhood features a public park that hosts regular annual events.
Point O' View is situated on the banks of Kemps Lake that formed from the construction of Interstate 264/Virginia Beach Expressway. Kemps Lake provides opportunities for water sports with its deepest point of 19 ft (5.8 m).
