Washington, Virginia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Washington is a town in Rappahannock County, Virginia, United States. It is famous for being the oldest of the 28 cities by the name of Washington in the United States. The town was surveyed by George Washington himself in July of 1749. The population was 183 at the 2000 census. It is also the county seat of Rappahannock CountyGR6.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Town of Washington was formerly the location of a trading post utilized by frontier families and members of the resident Manahoac tribe. All of the territory in and around the current town was under the ownership of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. In 1748, Lord Fairfax met a 16 year-old George Washington, a distant relative of his. Being impressed by his character, Fairfax employed Washington to survey his lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. On the 24th of July, 1749, the town layout as it appears today was surveyed and platted by Washington with the assistance of his chainmen John Lonem and Edward Corder as part of his service to Fairfax. The village was officially established as a Town by the Virginia General Assembly on December 14, 1795 when it gained the requisite population of 200. Records from a 1835 gazetteer state that the town contained one academy, fifty-five dwellings, four mercantile stores, two taverns, one house of worship, twenty-seven trade shops, and two large flour mills.
During the Civil War, a home on the town's Main Street served as a Confederate Hospital. In the late 19th century when rail became the main method of trade, the main east-west railway route of the time was constructed north of town through the accessible Thoroughfare Gap. Washington was relatively unaffected by the Industrial Age and thus the current town is quite similar to the one of 150 years ago. By the start of the 20th century the population had reached nearly 500, supporting businesses such as three garages and a barber shop.
Currently, the town is probably most well known for The Inn at Little Washington, a five star restaurant, inn, and member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group. As such it attracts a high-paying clientele from Washington, D.C. and its suburbs. Largely due to its influence, the town is home to several rather expensive shops and restaurants. Dining aside, the town also attracts many hikers that come into the county from the east en route for day hikes or weekend camping trips.
[edit] Geography
Washington is located at (38.712914, -78.159474)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²), all land.
The town is located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, giving it quite beautiful scenery.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 183 people, 88 households, and 49 families residing in the town. The population density was 271.8/km² (692.5/mi²). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 173.7/km² (442.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.06% White, 10.93% African American, 2.19% Asian, 2.19% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population.
There were 88 households out of which 15.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the town the population was spread out with 14.2% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 37.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 72.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,125, and the median income for a family was $61,250. Males had a median income of $40,417 versus $19,063 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,265. About 5.8% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
