Preston County, West Virginia
Founding: 1818 Parent county: Monongalia Namesake: James Preston, Virginia governor Seat: Kingwood (1818–) Land area: 649 square miles Population ( 2020 ): 34,216 Population (historic): 3,422 (1820); 11,708 (1850); 14,555 (1870); 22,727 (1900); 29,043 (1930) Periods of population growth: pre-1820–1950; 1970s; 1990–2020 Subdivisions: One city; nine towns; one CDP Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 3,295 (21.8%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 40.6% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940): 10.7% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 21.2% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 16% Average farmhouse value (1930): $909 Average outbuilding value (1930): $641 Average farmhouse size (1940): 5.7 rooms Number of farms (1920): 2,406 Average farm size (1920): 63.1 acres _________________________________________________________________________________ Kingwood Namesake: ...