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Staunton, Virginia
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Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,853 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Augusta County. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Staunton (along with nearby Waynesboro) with Augusta county for statistical purposes.
The city was originally named Beverley's Mill Place and was the westernmost courthouse in British North America prior to the American Revolution. The city was re-named Staunton after Lady Rebecca Staunton, the wife of the popular Colonial Governor William Gooch (for whom Goochland County, Virginia is named).
It is known for being the birthplace of the 28th U.S.
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Encyclopedia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,853 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Augusta County. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Staunton (along with nearby Waynesboro) with Augusta county for statistical purposes.
The city was originally named Beverley's Mill Place and was the westernmost courthouse in British North America prior to the American Revolution. The city was re-named Staunton after Lady Rebecca Staunton, the wife of the popular Colonial Governor William Gooch (for whom Goochland County, Virginia is named).
It is known for being the birthplace of the 28th U.S. President, Woodrow Wilson and the home of Mary Baldwin College, a women's college that features a number of unique programs, including the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership and the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. Staunton is also home to the older of the two campuses of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. (The newer campus is in Hampton, Virginia.)
Staunton is the larger of the two principal cities of the Staunton-Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Augusta County and the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.. The micropolitan area had a combined population of 108,988 at the 2000 census.
History
In 1746, the surveyor Thomas Lewis laid out the first town plat of Staunton for landowner William Beverley. Staunton was founded in 1747, incorporated in 1871, and became an independent city on July 10, 1902. In 1908, Staunton was the first city in the world to adopt a city manager form of government, an outgrowth of the Progressive movement, which has been repeated in many locations since.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.7 square miles (51.0 km²), all land. Staunton is located in the Shenandoah Valley in between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains of the Appalachian Mountains.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,853 people, 9,676 households, and 5,766 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,210.3 people per square mile (467.3/km²). There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 529.1/sq mi (204.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.29% White, 13.95% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.
There were 9,676 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.7% 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 2.19 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,941, and the median income for a family was $44,422. Males had a median income of $30,153 versus $22,079 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,161. About 7.7% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Tourism is one of Staunton's highest appeals. It is home to Blackfriars Playhouse, the only existing replica of Shakespeare's Blackfriars Theatre. The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library is open for visitors, as well as the Museum of American Frontier Culture, an insider's look at life in early America. Often called the "Queen City" of the Shenandoah Valley, Staunton has five separate historic districts.
Staunton is also the official home of country music legends the Statler Brothers who, until 1994, provided free concerts at the annual Fourth of July celebration with guest hosts that included many of the greats of country music. The city is where Statlers Don Reid, Harold Reid, and Phil Balsley grew up and still make their home.
Film
The city maintains strict building codes in the historic downtown area so that the area can be used for period films. This effort included an enormous project in the 1990s known locally as The Big Dig in which all of the modern utilities were put underground, out of sight. The historic downtown area of Staunton and Sherwood Avenue were used in the American Civil War film Gods and Generals. The local Shenandoah Valley Railroad as well as a number of nearby houses were used in filming of Hearts in Atlantis. In the summer of 2006, some scenes for the movie Evan Almighty were also filmed in Staunton.
Architecture
Staunton is the home of over 200 buildings designed by T.J. Collins, an architect who worked in various styles during the Victorian era.
Staunton was once home to about 10 historic hotels. One of them that is still in operation is the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. It was completely renovated in the early 2000s, and is now in operation as a hotel and a conference center. Some of the hotels that are no longer in operation are The Virginia Hotel, the Eakleton Hotel, the Valley Hotel, and the American Hotel. All of these buildings are still standing except for the Virginia Hotel, which was demolished in 1930 to make way for a planned addition to the Stonewall Jackson Hotel which was never built. The New Street Parking Garage now stands on the site.
Religion
Staunton is home to Temple House of Israel, a Reform Judaism congregation.
Sports
Staunton is home to the Staunton Braves of the Valley Baseball League.
Parks and recreation
The city has several public facilities:
- Betsy Bell Wilderness Park — a mountaintop park with a observation platform
- Gypsy Hill Park — a multi-use facility with a golf course, football and baseball stadiums, gymnasium, lake, two playgrounds, three youth baseball fields, public swimming pool, volleyball court, horseshoe pits, tennis courts, the Gypsy Express mini-train, the Duck Pond, a bandstand and several pavilions.
- Montgomery Hall Park — a multi-use facility with softball and soccer fields, tennis courts, disc golf course http://www.pdga.com/course/courses_by_city.php?id=2086 , playgrounds, picnic shelters, hiking and fitness trails and a swimming pool. The offices of the Department of Parks and Recreation are at the Irene Givens Administration building, which also includes a kitchen, activity room, and conference room which are available for public use.
- Booker T Washington Community Center
- Nelson Street Teen Center
Government
Education
Staunton is home to numerous education facilities:
Education in Staunton was noteworthy in 2005, as the local board of education debated whether to continue classes in Weekday Religious Education. This agenda item was contentious due to the issue of Separation of church and state in the United States, and was discussed in the national and international media.
Media
The News Leader is Staunton's local newspaper. WHSV in Harrisonburg also maintains a newsroom in Staunton and has a 5:00 news program focused on the city.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to Staunton under the Cardinal route. The route serves Staunton's downtown train station. It also serves as the closest station for Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The city is located very close to the intersection of I-81 and I-64. VA-262 provides a partial beltway around the city. US-11 passes through the city.
The nearest commercial airport is Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, Virginia.
Healthcare
Staunton is home to two medical facilities:
Notable natives and residents
- John Briscoe Baldwin (1820—1873). Noted Staunton legislator and civic booster who met with President Abraham Lincoln in 1860 to try to find a way to avoid the coming Civil War.
- Mary Julia Baldwin (1829—1897), guided the Augusta Female Seminary in Staunton through the Civil War, keeping the school open when most similar institutions in the South folded. The school was renamed in her honor and is today Mary Baldwin College.
- Abraham Emmett, born in Staunton, father of Daniel Emmett, who would write the Southern anthem "Dixie".
- John Greene, 1891-1975, notable for being the first American doughboy to be decorated for heroism after the United States entered World War I. He was decorated for his actions on March 1, 1918, in France, in which he single-handedly repulsed a German attack on American trenches.
- William Haines (1900—1973), born in Staunton, MGM film actor and interior designer.
- Wade H. Haislip (1889—1971), was born in Woodstock, Virginia and reared in Staunton. He became a United States Army four star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1949 to 1951.
- John N. Hendren, Augusta County attorney and judge who served as the second Treasurer of the Confederate States of America
- Jacob "Jack" Manch (1918-1958), co-pilot of the April 18, 1942 bombing raid on Tokyo led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. Manch, who made the Air Force a career, crashed and died in 1958 after guiding his disabled jet fighter away from a Las Vegas housing development.
- Jerry Lee May, 1943-1996. Born in Staunton. Major League Baseball player from 1964-1973.
- Members of the renowned country vocal group the Statler Brothers grew up and reside in Staunton. Don Reid, Harold Reid and Phil Balsley retired to Staunton in 2002, while the fourth member of the group, Jimmy Fortune, continues his music and recording career in Nashville, Tennessee.
Western State Hospital
Staunton is also home to the former Western State Lunatic Asylum, a hospital for the mentally ill, which originally began operations in 1828. The hospital was renamed Western State Hospital in 1894.
In its early days, the facility was a resort-style asylum. It had terraced gardens where patients could plant flowers and take walks, roof walks to provide mountain views, and many architectural details to create an atmosphere that would aid in the healing process.
Western State vacated the property in the 1970s when the hospital moved to its present site near Interstate 81. The facility was then converted to the Staunton Correctional Center, a medium-security men's penitentiary. The prison closed in 2003, and the site was left vacant for several years.
The site is currently being redeveloped into a mixed-use neighborhood called "The Villages at Staunton." The multi-phase process is expected to take several years to complete. The first building to be renovated is The Bindery, which holds office spaces. The development team consists of Frazier Associates of Staunton, Folsom Group of Charlottesville, Miller & Associates of Richmond, and The Arcadia Land Company of Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Sister cities
Staunton has a sister city, Viseu de Sus, Romania.
External links
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