Bluefield, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Bluefield is a town in Tazewell County
, Virginia
, along the Bluestone River
. The population was 5,078 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV
-VA micropolitan area
which has a population of 107,578. The micropolitan area is the 350th largest statistical population area in the United States
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 5,078 people, 2,134 households, and 1,423 families residing in the town. The population density
was 669.9 people per square mile (258.7/km²). There were 2,349 housing units at an average density of 309.9 per square mile (119.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.30% White, 4.86% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.12% from other races
, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 2,134 households out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,157, and the median income for a family was $44,000. Males had a median income of $34,167 versus $18,875 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,755. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
state line. The original name for the post office in the town was Pin Hook, and as the railroad was being built by Norfolk and Western, a blueprint for a town was laid out around the post office, and the town of Harman was born. Harman was a community whose borders are now roughly the same as the downtown area alongside the railroad. Bluefield, West Virginia
beat Harman, Virginia out as the preferred community for the Norfolk and Western railroad to build its regional headquarters and main docking yards for the Pocahontas region. As a result, Bluefield, West Virginia grew at a much faster rate than its neighbor to the west.
Harman still held out hope to become a major city in the region - billing itself the "Pittsburgh
of the South
" by its mayor in an effort to attract a steel refining industry alongside the railyards. It is possible that the city may have had a chance to boom, had it not been for the Great Depression
, which essentially killed any chance of Harman to grow. Even after the name change in the 1920s, the city did not start to expand outside of the downtown area until the 1950s, when the city annexed the small town of Graham to the west, and then began to expand to the more open rural foothills to the south of the city. Contrary to popular belief, Harman and Graham were two entirely separate towns until Harman changed its name to Bluefield, and then annexed the town of Graham.
As the largest town in Tazewell County, Virginia
, Bluefield has recently undergone a new wave of growth throughout the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium. After a series of devastating floods in the past five years, the city is in the process of moving its entire downtown area (the area originally encompassing Harman, which lies in a flood plain) to the southernmost point in the city at the foot of East River Mountain. The area is already booming there - with a Super Wal-Mart
and numerous strip mall
s and a medical center already operating along U.S. Highway 460. The new downtown area will be located on the southern side of Route 460, and should have plenty of expansion room for more growth.
Bluefield, Virginia's most famous residents are Bill Dudley
, an NFL Hall of Famer; New York Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw
; and the widow of the late western actor Lorne Greene
, who lives in a mansion atop a hill overlooking the town's most historic home, the Sanders house. The Sanders house was threatened with demolition by the Walmart corporation during construction of a store but was saved thanks to a strong community effort to preserve the structure. It now houses the Tazewell County Visitors Center.
The town was chosen by Hollywood film producers for the 1990s remake of the classic movie, Lassie
, and has been mentioned by musicians in numerous songs, including Blessid Union of Souls
' "Oh Virginia".
and Bluefield College
.
team, play their home games at Bowen Field
, a stadium in the city park that serves both Bluefield and its neighbor of the same name
in West Virginia
. Although the park is operated by the West Virginia city, the Orioles' stadium lies entirely within Virginia.
Bluefield College
hosts many sports programs, including basketball, soccer, baseball, and now football.
Tazewell County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,598 people, 18,277 households and 13,232 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 20,390 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, along the Bluestone River
Bluestone River
The Bluestone River is a tributary of the New River, 77 mi long, in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia in the United States. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River...
. The population was 5,078 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
-VA micropolitan area
Bluefield micropolitan area
The Bluefield Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties – one in West Virginia and one in Virginia – anchored by the city of Bluefield, West Virginia....
which has a population of 107,578. The micropolitan area is the 350th largest statistical population area in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Geography
Bluefield is located at 37°14′39"N 81°16′30"W (37.244195, -81.274926).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,078 people, 2,134 households, and 1,423 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 669.9 people per square mile (258.7/km²). There were 2,349 housing units at an average density of 309.9 per square mile (119.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.30% White, 4.86% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 2,134 households out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,157, and the median income for a family was $44,000. Males had a median income of $34,167 versus $18,875 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $21,755. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
Bluefield has not always borne the name Bluefield. The town was renamed Bluefield in 1924 during a marriage ceremony, which was held in the city park to celebrate the renaming of the community to match its sister city across the West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
state line. The original name for the post office in the town was Pin Hook, and as the railroad was being built by Norfolk and Western, a blueprint for a town was laid out around the post office, and the town of Harman was born. Harman was a community whose borders are now roughly the same as the downtown area alongside the railroad. Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
beat Harman, Virginia out as the preferred community for the Norfolk and Western railroad to build its regional headquarters and main docking yards for the Pocahontas region. As a result, Bluefield, West Virginia grew at a much faster rate than its neighbor to the west.
Harman still held out hope to become a major city in the region - billing itself the "Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
of the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
" by its mayor in an effort to attract a steel refining industry alongside the railyards. It is possible that the city may have had a chance to boom, had it not been for the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, which essentially killed any chance of Harman to grow. Even after the name change in the 1920s, the city did not start to expand outside of the downtown area until the 1950s, when the city annexed the small town of Graham to the west, and then began to expand to the more open rural foothills to the south of the city. Contrary to popular belief, Harman and Graham were two entirely separate towns until Harman changed its name to Bluefield, and then annexed the town of Graham.
As the largest town in Tazewell County, Virginia
Tazewell County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,598 people, 18,277 households and 13,232 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 20,390 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
, Bluefield has recently undergone a new wave of growth throughout the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium. After a series of devastating floods in the past five years, the city is in the process of moving its entire downtown area (the area originally encompassing Harman, which lies in a flood plain) to the southernmost point in the city at the foot of East River Mountain. The area is already booming there - with a Super Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and numerous strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
s and a medical center already operating along U.S. Highway 460. The new downtown area will be located on the southern side of Route 460, and should have plenty of expansion room for more growth.
Bluefield, Virginia's most famous residents are Bill Dudley
Bill Dudley
William McGarvey "Bullet Bill" Dudley was a professional American football player in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.-Early life:Dudley was born in Bluefield, Virginia and...
, an NFL Hall of Famer; New York Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants...
; and the widow of the late western actor Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
, who lives in a mansion atop a hill overlooking the town's most historic home, the Sanders house. The Sanders house was threatened with demolition by the Walmart corporation during construction of a store but was saved thanks to a strong community effort to preserve the structure. It now houses the Tazewell County Visitors Center.
The town was chosen by Hollywood film producers for the 1990s remake of the classic movie, Lassie
Lassie (1994 film)
Lassie is a 1994 adventure family film directed by Daniel Petrie and featuring the fictional collie Lassie.-Plot:The Turner family moves from the big city to the rural countryside in Virginia, hoping to start a new life. The move creates problems for everyone, especially 13-year old Matt, who...
, and has been mentioned by musicians in numerous songs, including Blessid Union of Souls
Blessid Union of Souls
Blessid Union of Souls is an American rock band from Morrow, Ohio that was formed in 1990 by friends Jeff Pence and Eliot Sloan....
' "Oh Virginia".
Education
Educational institutions include Graham High SchoolGraham High School (Bluefield, Virginia)
Graham High School is a public high school located in Bluefield, Virginia across the state line from Bluefield, West Virginia in Tazewell County, Virginia, as a part of Tazewell County Public Schools....
and Bluefield College
Bluefield College
Bluefield College is a small, Christian liberal arts college in Bluefield, Virginia, United States, in Tazewell County. It offers 22 majors, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
.
Sports
The Bluefield Blue Jays, a minor league baseballMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team, play their home games at Bowen Field
Bowen Field
Bowen Field is a stadium in Bluefield, Virginia, United States. Primarily used for baseball, it is the home field of the Bluefield Blue Jays minor league baseball team, and of the Bluefield College baseball team...
, a stadium in the city park that serves both Bluefield and its neighbor of the same name
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Although the park is operated by the West Virginia city, the Orioles' stadium lies entirely within Virginia.
Bluefield College
Bluefield College
Bluefield College is a small, Christian liberal arts college in Bluefield, Virginia, United States, in Tazewell County. It offers 22 majors, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
hosts many sports programs, including basketball, soccer, baseball, and now football.