Do You Know Where You Live?

According  to New Kent County's New Kent County Comprehensive Plan (adopted October 2012), besides the more typically rural features as "Woodlands" and "Farm Clusters" there also exists in the county . . .

"Villages,""Hamlets," and "Rural Crossroads"

Villages 

Villages are characterized by a mix of structures and uses, including residential, commercial and institutional. They are typically compact in size and pedestrian oriented.

They have historically functioned as social centers.  

Hamlets 

Hamlets are characterized by a tight cluster of houses, often with small commercial establishments such as general stores, restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, etc.They typically occur at rural crossroads and serve a local population.

Rural Crossroads 

Rural Crossroads are characterized by a tight cluster of small commercial establishments such as general stores, banks, restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, etc. They typically occur at intersections and serve a local population.

. . .

Villages- Bottom's Bridge, Providence Forge, New Kent Courthouse, and  Eltham.

Hamlets- Lanexa, Barhamsville.

Rural Crossroads- Davis Crossroads, Quinton (or Crump's Corner[Crossroads]), Carp's Corner(Cary's Corner), Angelview, Jackass Flats(corresponding to the intersection of Rt. 60 and Rockahock Rd.)

You will notice the principle difference between the list of Hamlets and Rural Crossroads is the  (unmentioned in the plan) presence or lack of a post office.

The previous plan Comprehensive Plan 2020 (adopted April 2003)  had only two features in the  "built up" category, "Villages",and "Hamlets," defined as . . .

 ". . . villages at Providence Forge, Lanexa, Barhamsville, Eltham and New Kent Courthouse and scattered hamlets and crossroads."

From Wikipedia some further thoughts on "settlement hierarchy."

UPDATE: I have included a link to the map from the most recent comprehensive plan which color codes the labels of the existing "settlements." The map however does not list the names of the locations. I also added New Kent Courthouse to the village list, from where it had dropped during editing.

The Geographical Transformation of New Kent County, 1691

 - from Statues at Large, Vol. 3 1823

The Geographical Transformation of New Kent County, 1654

Charles River was one of the eight original shires of Virginia. Named after the Charles River (for Charles I) the county was later renamed York after the name of the river was also changed.

New Kent was formed in 1654 from the upper section of York county, encompassing the watersheds of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi. Probably named after after the county of Kent in England it was possibly named  after Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay. William Claiborne, the most prominent man in the county in the mid-seventeenth century, had been born in Crayford parish in Kent. Claiborne was responsible for an abortive settlement on Kent Island in the early 1600s that was eliminated by the Maryland authorities.

Images created through the Virginia Historical Counties website.
More on Virginia "shires" here.

This series is called the "Geographic Transformation" because I think "Cartographic Transformation" doesn't really trip off the tongue.