Strasburg
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Strasburg, VA
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Strasburg, Virginia
| Strasburg, Virginia | |||
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| — Town — | |||
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| Nickname(s): Pot Town[1] | |||
 Strasburg, Virginia
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| Coordinates: 38°59′26″N 78°21′31″W / 38.99056°N 78.35861°WCoordinates: 38°59′26″N 78°21′31″W / 38.99056°N 78.35861°W | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Virginia | ||
| County | Shenandoah | ||
| Founded | 1761 | ||
| Incorporated | 1871 | ||
| Founder | Peter Stover | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Mayor-Council | ||
| • Mayor | Timothy Taylor | ||
| • Manager | Judson J. Rex | ||
| • Council |
Members' List
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| Area | |||
| • Total | 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2) | ||
| • Land | 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2) 0.63% | ||
| Elevation | 578 ft (176 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| • Total | 4,017 | ||
| • Density | 1,275.5/sq mi (492.4/km2) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP Code | 22657 | ||
| Area code(s) | 540 | ||
| FIPS code | 51-76000[2] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1487663[3] | ||
| Website | www.strasburgva.com | ||
Strasburg (
/ˈstrɑːzbərɡ/) is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States, which was founded in 1761 by Peter Stover. It is the largest town, population-wise, in the county and is known for its pottery, antiques, and Civil War history.[4] The population was 6,398 at the 2010 census.
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Contents
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History
Early settlers
German-speaking Pennsylvanians were among the first non-native settlers to arrive in the northern Shenandoah Valley and Strasburg area. The luscious greenery and fertile land were prime targets for immigrant farmers. On August 21, 1734 speculator Henry Willis was granted 2,030 acres (8.2 km2) total of this land by William Gooch, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief.[5] Gooch wished to settle the valley to create a buffer between Native American tribes and the rest of the Virginia colony. During the summer of 1735, Willis sold his entire property to Jacob Funk. Jacob in return, partitioned his new purchase, reselling a part of it to his brother John.[6][7]
Founder
Peter Stover (Petrus Stauffer) is considered the founder of the town of Strasburg. Stover was born in 1715 to a German-Swiss father, Christian Stauffer I., in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.[8] Stauffer took his family to America in 1718, to gain religious freedom, and settled in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania where he would live out his entire life.
His son Peter migrated south to Virginia by 1730 and to the Shenandoah Valley as early as 1739. On May 2, 1749 Stover purchased 483 acres (1.95 km2) of land from Jacob Funk, his future father-in-law.[9] The purchase was divided into smaller plots for sale to other settlers[10] and a village was informally established.
Stover applied for a town charter in November 1761 giving the town the official name of Strasburg.[11] The name was taken from Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, a German-speaking French province. Some called the area Staufferstadt, the German name for Stoverstown. Ten trustees were named; William Miller, Matthew Harrison, Jacob Bowman, Valentine Smith, Charles Buck, Peter Stover, Isaac Hite, Leonard Batice, John Funk, and Philip Huffman (Hoffman).[12]
Peter eventually married Frainey Funk, before he died August 13, 1799 at the age of 84.[13] He was survived by eight children.[9] Being a philanthropist for most of his life, Stover's will left land and $10,000 to the community to establish schools.[14] A monument resides in Strasburg's Riverview Cemetery honoring Peter Stover, but the whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
Geography
Strasburg is located at 38°59′26″N 78°21′31″W / 38.990550°N 78.358615°W (38.990550, −78.358615)[15] in the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley. The area is surrounded by the natural boundaries of the Massanutten and Allegheny mountains, as well as the Shenandoah River. Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is located in and around Strasburg.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.2 km2), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.2 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.63%) is water. The elevation of the area is 578 ft (176 m)
Culture
Museums
The most heralded museum in Strasburg is the Strasburg Museum. The building was once home to the Strasburg Stone and Earthenware Manufacturing Company and later was converted to a Southern Railway depot. It operated in this manner until the early 1960s. In 1970 it opened as a museum.[16]
Former attractions include the Jeane Dixon Museum and Library, the Museum of American Presidents, and the Stonewall Jackson Museum at Hupp's Hill. The former Stonewall Jackson Museum is currently under redevelopment by the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and is scheduled to open on April 1, 2011 as the Hupp's Hill Civil War Park.
Tourism
Strasburg holds two festivals each year; a Mayfest celebration and an Oktoberfest. The town's Mayfest traditionally begins on a Friday evening in May and includes carnival rides, a fireman's parade, and craft vendors. To celebrate the area's German roots, an Oktoberfest takes place each autumn. This event includes concessions with traditional beverages and food, activities for children and adults, music, and street dancing. The 2012 Strasburg Mayfest will Begin Friday May 18th, 2012.
Strasburg will have additional events throughout the entire year of 2011 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of its founding.
The town currently has three places listed in the National Register of Historic Places, including the Hupp House, the Strasburg Historic District, and the Strasburg Stone and Earthenware Manufacturing Company building.[17]
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 4,017 people, 1,773 households, and 1,086 families residing in the town, making it the largest population center in Shenandoah County. The population density was 1,275.5 people per square mile (492.4/km2). There were 1,877 housing units at an average density of 596.0 per square mile (230.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.63% White, 4.48% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.42% of the population.
There were 1,773 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,724, and the median income for a family was $40,978. Males had a median income of $29,750 versus $21,755 for females. The per capital income for the town was $17,697. About 5.3% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
In 2011, Strasburg welcomed their first Valley League baseball team called "The Strasburg Express."
Education
Students living in the northern third of Shenandoah County attend one of three public schools located near Strasburg. Kindergarten through fifth grade students attend Sandy Hook Elementary School, while sixth through eighth graders attend Signal Knob Middle School. Located within the town limits, Strasburg High School serves ninth through twelfth graders.
The schools are administrated by the Shenandoah County Public School system, which is located in Woodstock, and the Virginia Department of Education, which is located in Richmond.
Notable residents
- Danni Leigh (musician)
References
- ^ "Preserve America Community". PreserveAmerica.gov. http://www.preserveamerica.gov/vastrasburg.html. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "About the Town/History – Town of Strasburg". Town of Strasburg. http://www.strasburgva.com/v.php?pg=7. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ^ "Isaac and John Vanmetre Land Grant assignees, 1730/1734". RootsWeb.com. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/frederick/land/landgrants/v5360000.txt. Retrieved April 20, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ "Shenandoah Valley, VA – Early Strasburg Families". Ann Brown. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ajobebrown/atnip/va2.html. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "BARD/BEARD in Shenandoah County, Virginia". Robert W. Baird. http://www.genfiles.com/baird/Shenandoah.htm. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "Shenandoah Ancestors Online". Alley Blackford. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071114170331/http://www.rootsweb.com/~vashenan/from-whence.html. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ a b "Christian Stover". Trekking Stover Counsins Webpage. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/heartland/meadows/1043/christian1.htm&date=2009-10-25+23:48:15. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "IM206: Jacob STOVER (ABOUT 1685 – March 1741)". The Cockrill Family of Sonoma County. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070127032208/http://cotati.sjsu.edu/cockrill/d0000/IM206.html. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "Frontier Fort – The Old Hupp Homestead Marker". HMdb.org. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=660. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "RootsWeb: WVPIONEERS-L WVPioneers German Element – Chapter 6 – Part 1". RootsWeb.com. http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/WVPIONEERS/2000-08/0966297803. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "The Ancestors/Family Tree of Kim Denny". Kim Denny. http://www.kimshockey.com/family/myancestors.html. Retrieved April 20, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ "Tour 5 from A Guide to the Old Dominion". University of Virginia American Studies Program. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/VAGuide/tour05.html. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Strasburg Museum, Strasburg, Virginia". Calvin Sonner. http://www.csonner.net/museum.htm. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
- ^ "National Register". National Park Service. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreghome.do?searchtype=natreghome. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
External links
- Shenandoah County, VA
- Shenandoah County Public Schools
- Sandy Hook Elementary School
- Signal Knob Middle School
- Strasburg High School
- Strasburg Chamber of Commerce
- Hometown Strasburg
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