Stuart, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Stuart is a town in Patrick County
, Virginia
, United States
, and its county seat
. The population was 961 at the 2000 census. Due to recent boundary expansion, the town of Stuart has an estimated population of nearly 1,700 residents. The town of Stuart was named after Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
, of nearby Ararat, Virginia
.
The Town of Stuart was first incorporated as Taylorsville, Virginia, in 1792, in honor of early settler George Taylor. Stuart has been the county seat
of Patrick County since the county's formation from Henry County, Virginia
in 1791. With the courthouse
at its center, the Stuart Uptown Historic District encompasses the historic core of the county seat and includes government, financial, religious, and commercial buildings dating from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries.
s, two innkeepers, three merchant
s, attorneys
, two physician
s, two cabinetmakers, two saddler
s, one harness maker, three tailor
s, one bricklayer
, nine laborer
s, a clerk, a mail carrier
, and a sheriff
with two deputies. The Danville and Wytheville Turnpike, following present-day Virginia State Route 8
, was established in the 1850s. In 1848, the Richmond and Danville Railroad
was chartered, and tracks were completed to Danville
by 1856.
, the residents of Taylorsville focused their energies on expanding railroads to boost the economy. The Danville and New River Railroad was chartered in 1873, with the line completed to Martinsville, Virginia
in nearby Henry County by 1881. In 1883, citizens of Patrick County approved a bond of $150,000 to expand the line. The first train pulled into Taylorsville in August 1884. With the growth associated with the railroad, Taylorsville was incorporated as a town in 1884 and was renamed Stuart in honor of Confederate Major General
J.E.B. Stuart
, who was born 20 miles west of town in Ararat, Virginia
.
Following the completion of the railroad, the town of Stuart continued to grow steadily. The population increased 25% from 300 in 1884 to 371 in 1900. While occupations continued to center around the courthouse activities and the typical needs of a community, the 1900 census reflects the influence of the railroad by citing four railroad employees, eight salesmen, one insurance agent, one mining engineer, and one timber dealer. Five teachers, three hotels, two druggists, and two bartenders also indicate the growth of the town. The construction of the railroad led to the distinction of "uptown" and "downtown" Stuart, since the original courthouse village was situated at the crest of a hill and an industrial and commercial area developed adjacent to the railroad, which was located further downhill along the Mayo River
. "Uptown" continued to serve as the center of the town with the courthouse, churches, school, attorneys' offices, banks, hotels, and stores. The two areas, however, were closely related and interdependent as is evidenced by the town's first telephone
line at the turn of the twentieth century being run between the railroad depot downtown and the Hotel Perkins uptown.
or sewer system
was available, and water came from private well
s or from nearby spring
s. There were no streetlights, and oil lamp
s were used for interior lighting
, the roads were unpaved and the sidewalk
s were wooden. After the water system was installed, it was well received, but by 1926 the population of the town had increased so much that improvements needed to be made. In 1916, the Clark Power and Light Company established the first electric light
system in Stuart. Each customer was charged a flat rate of $1.25 per month, and if 300 citizens bought into the system, Clark would allow the lights to burn all night. The Stuart Power and Light Company bought them out, and they were then sold to the Virginia East Coast Utilities Company, and in 1938, the Appalachian Electric Power Company bought them out. Joseph H. Vipperman, a Stuart native, was the president of this company when its name was changed to American Electric Power
. The first telegraph came to Stuart with the railroad in 1884, and reportedly the first telephone was operated at the Hotel Perkins. By 1923, ten lines served the county, each with a central; the Stuart central was located in the home of Walter S. Gilbert. In 1937, the Lee Telephone Company acquired all the private lines. In 1974, the Central Telephone Company of Virginia
bought out the Lee Company where years after, Sprint
/Centel
bought them out and now Embarq
serves Patrick County.
Travel to Stuart was difficult until the first hard-paved road reached Stuart from Martinsville in 1925. In 1929, a nine-mile stretch from Stuart to the North Carolina
state line south was covered. In 1930, the three miles to Cruzes (Cruises) Store was paved, and in 1932, the road was extended to Hillsville, Virginia
. Today, State Routes 8 and U.S. Route 58
serve the town and the county and other counties along its east-to-west stretch. Today, Route 58 is a four-lane divided highway, crossing the entire Commonwealth
, as well as Patrick County.
By 1940, the population of Stuart had increased to 600 and the majority of the buildings standing today were already constructed. The Patrick County Bank (established in 1890 and later merged with the Bank of Stuart in 1926) constructed its large Classical building
directly across from the courthouse in 1911. The two uptown churches, Stuart United Methodist Church
and the Stuart Baptist Church, constructed their present-day structures in the early twentieth-century.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²), all of it land.
0.7 square miles (1.8 km²)
The town of Stuart is a hilly community within a small valley surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains
. The Mayo River runs through the heart of town, down through Patrick County.
of 2000, there were 961 people, 449 households, and 246 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,301.5 people per square mile (501.4/km²). There were 516 housing units at an average density of 698.8 per square mile (269.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.89% White, 15.09% African American, 2.08% from other races
, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.68% of the population.
There were 449 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.9% were married couples
living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.0% were non-families. 42.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $20,192, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $19,938 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,265. About 21.3% of families and 24.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
are what many consider Sister cities. Each year, town officials from each locality visit the other.
s and one high school
, with Stuart Elementary School and Patrick County High School
lying within the town's boundaries. The high school
, which serves approximately 1,000 students in grades 8-12, is fully accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
. Stuart Elementary provides a pre-kindergarten
to seventh grade level education for approximately 500 students each year. The school constantly ranks in the top schools in Virginia in the Standards of Learning
Testing program, as well as many other areas of academic excellence. Patrick County High School
recently became the District and Regional Academic Champions, as well as winning other titles throughout the academic and sports fields, such as Regional Cross Country
Champions, District Football
Champions, Regional Women's Basketball
Champions, and multiple District Tennis
Champions. They too have a proud academic history, and were also ranked as one of the top public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In their annual public high school rankings, U.S. News and World Report ranked Patrick County High School
as one of the top schools in America
.
in the Commonwealth of Virginia to be designated as a Critical Access Hospital. Public water and sewer services are offered to residents in the Stuart-Patrick Springs area through the Stuart Water and Sewer Plant, as well as a public waste field just outside of town. The town does not offer an airport
. The local media outlets are the 1270 AM WHEO
Radio Station
, Cable 5 TV, and The Enterprise, the town's weekly newspaper
.
festival on the East Coast
, "Hot Fun in the Summertime" presented by the Virginia Jaycees. Other major attractions include the Virginia Peach Festival, The Stuart Apple Dumpling and Strawberry Festivals, The 4th of July Celebration, The Patrick County Fair, and the annual musical events featured on the Crooked Road Music Trail.
Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 18,490. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region of Virginia and mountainous Southwest Virginia....
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. The population was 961 at the 2000 census. Due to recent boundary expansion, the town of Stuart has an estimated population of nearly 1,700 residents. The town of Stuart was named after Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
, of nearby Ararat, Virginia
Ararat, Virginia
Ararat is an unincorporated community in Patrick County, Virginia, United States, south of the Blue Ridge Parkway and north of Mount Airy, North Carolina. Ararat is located near the Virginia/North Carolina state line about five miles north of Mount Airy, North Carolina and about 25 miles west of...
.
Incorporation (1753-1830)
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Patrick County since the county's formation from Henry County, Virginia
Henry County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,930 people, 23,910 households, and 16,952 families residing in the county. The population density was 152 people per square mile . There were 25,921 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
in 1791. With the courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
at its center, the Stuart Uptown Historic District encompasses the historic core of the county seat and includes government, financial, religious, and commercial buildings dating from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries.
Antebellum (1831-1860)
By 1850, Taylorsville had grown to include approximately 50 dwellings and businesses. The 1850 census reported 18 households with 50 adults (including 29 boarders) and 60 children living in the area of the courthouse. Occupations listed included four farmerFarmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s, two innkeepers, three merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
s, attorneys
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, two physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, two cabinetmakers, two saddler
Saddler
Saddler is both a skilled trade and a surname. As a trade, it refers to the occupation of making saddles.Saddler may refer to* Osmund Saddler* Sandy SaddlerAlso* Saddler, reporting name for the R-16 missile...
s, one harness maker, three tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
s, one bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
, nine laborer
Laborer
A Laborer or labourer - see variation in english spelling - is one of the construction trades, traditionally considered unskilled manual labor, as opposed to skilled labor. In the division of labor, laborers have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment, and act...
s, a clerk, a mail carrier
Mail carrier
A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...
, and a sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
with two deputies. The Danville and Wytheville Turnpike, following present-day Virginia State Route 8
Virginia State Route 8
Virginia State Route 8 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Palmetto, where the highway continues south as North Carolina Highway 8 , north to U.S. Route 11 in Christiansburg...
, was established in the 1850s. In 1848, the Richmond and Danville Railroad
Richmond and Danville Railroad
The Richmond and Danville Railroad was chartered in Virginia in the United States in 1847. The portion between Richmond and Danville, Virginia was completed in 1856...
was chartered, and tracks were completed to Danville
Danville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...
by 1856.
War, reconstruction and growth (1860-1916)
Following the economic difficulties of the warAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the residents of Taylorsville focused their energies on expanding railroads to boost the economy. The Danville and New River Railroad was chartered in 1873, with the line completed to Martinsville, Virginia
Martinsville, Virginia
Martinsville is an independent city which is surrounded by Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,821 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Martinsville with Henry County for statistical purposes...
in nearby Henry County by 1881. In 1883, citizens of Patrick County approved a bond of $150,000 to expand the line. The first train pulled into Taylorsville in August 1884. With the growth associated with the railroad, Taylorsville was incorporated as a town in 1884 and was renamed Stuart in honor of Confederate Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
, who was born 20 miles west of town in Ararat, Virginia
Ararat, Virginia
Ararat is an unincorporated community in Patrick County, Virginia, United States, south of the Blue Ridge Parkway and north of Mount Airy, North Carolina. Ararat is located near the Virginia/North Carolina state line about five miles north of Mount Airy, North Carolina and about 25 miles west of...
.
Following the completion of the railroad, the town of Stuart continued to grow steadily. The population increased 25% from 300 in 1884 to 371 in 1900. While occupations continued to center around the courthouse activities and the typical needs of a community, the 1900 census reflects the influence of the railroad by citing four railroad employees, eight salesmen, one insurance agent, one mining engineer, and one timber dealer. Five teachers, three hotels, two druggists, and two bartenders also indicate the growth of the town. The construction of the railroad led to the distinction of "uptown" and "downtown" Stuart, since the original courthouse village was situated at the crest of a hill and an industrial and commercial area developed adjacent to the railroad, which was located further downhill along the Mayo River
Mayo River (Dan River)
The Mayo River is a tributary of the Dan River, which in turn is a tributary of the Roanoke River. All three rivers flow through the U.S. states of Virginia and North Carolina. It is named for Major William Mayo .-Course:...
. "Uptown" continued to serve as the center of the town with the courthouse, churches, school, attorneys' offices, banks, hotels, and stores. The two areas, however, were closely related and interdependent as is evidenced by the town's first telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
line at the turn of the twentieth century being run between the railroad depot downtown and the Hotel Perkins uptown.
World War I to World War II (1917-1945)
Before 1915, no public waterPublic water system
The US Safe Drinking Water Act and derivative legislation define public water system as an entity that provides "water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances to at least 15 service connections or serves an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year."The...
or sewer system
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
was available, and water came from private well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s or from nearby spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s. There were no streetlights, and oil lamp
Oil lamp
An oil lamp is an object used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and is continued to this day....
s were used for interior lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
, the roads were unpaved and the sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
s were wooden. After the water system was installed, it was well received, but by 1926 the population of the town had increased so much that improvements needed to be made. In 1916, the Clark Power and Light Company established the first electric light
Electric light
Electric lights are a convenient and economic form of artificial lighting which provide increased comfort, safety and efficiency. Most electric lighting is powered by centrally-generated electric power, but lighting may also be powered by mobile or standby electric generators or battery systems...
system in Stuart. Each customer was charged a flat rate of $1.25 per month, and if 300 citizens bought into the system, Clark would allow the lights to burn all night. The Stuart Power and Light Company bought them out, and they were then sold to the Virginia East Coast Utilities Company, and in 1938, the Appalachian Electric Power Company bought them out. Joseph H. Vipperman, a Stuart native, was the president of this company when its name was changed to American Electric Power
American Electric Power
American Electric Power is a major investor-owner electric utility in various parts of the United States. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S...
. The first telegraph came to Stuart with the railroad in 1884, and reportedly the first telephone was operated at the Hotel Perkins. By 1923, ten lines served the county, each with a central; the Stuart central was located in the home of Walter S. Gilbert. In 1937, the Lee Telephone Company acquired all the private lines. In 1974, the Central Telephone Company of Virginia
Central Telephone Company of Virginia
Central Telephone Company of Virginia is a telephone company owned by CenturyLink that provides local telephone service within the commonwealth of Virginia....
bought out the Lee Company where years after, Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
/Centel
Centel
Centel Corporation was an American telecommunications company, with primary interests in providing basic telephone service, cellular phone service and cable television service. It was founded in 1900 as an electric company....
bought them out and now Embarq
Embarq
Embarq Corporation was the largest independent local exchange carrier in the United States , serving customers in 18 states and providing local, long distance, high-speed data and wireless services to residential and business customers...
serves Patrick County.
Travel to Stuart was difficult until the first hard-paved road reached Stuart from Martinsville in 1925. In 1929, a nine-mile stretch from Stuart to the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
state line south was covered. In 1930, the three miles to Cruzes (Cruises) Store was paved, and in 1932, the road was extended to Hillsville, Virginia
Hillsville, Virginia
Hillsville is a town in Carroll County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,607 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County.-Geography:Hillsville is located at ....
. Today, State Routes 8 and U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58 is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only inside the commonwealth of Virginia...
serve the town and the county and other counties along its east-to-west stretch. Today, Route 58 is a four-lane divided highway, crossing the entire Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
, as well as Patrick County.
By 1940, the population of Stuart had increased to 600 and the majority of the buildings standing today were already constructed. The Patrick County Bank (established in 1890 and later merged with the Bank of Stuart in 1926) constructed its large Classical building
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
directly across from the courthouse in 1911. The two uptown churches, Stuart United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
and the Stuart Baptist Church, constructed their present-day structures in the early twentieth-century.
Present-Day
Today, Stuart experiences a dynamic setting for all age groups. Recent retail developments and population adjustments have helped the town to expand continuously for years to come.Geography
Stuart is located at 36°38′25"N 80°16′26"W (36.640197, -80.273940).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 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²), all of it land.
0.7 square miles (1.8 km²)
The town of Stuart is a hilly community within a small valley surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
. The Mayo River runs through the heart of town, down through Patrick County.
Climate
| Stuart, VA Weather Base Recent Averages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Yearly Rainfall Amount-51.3 Inches | Jan Temps, 26 to 45 F | April Temps, 43 to 67 F | July Temps, 67 to 90 F | October Temps, 45 to 68 F |
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 961 people, 449 households, and 246 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 1,301.5 people per square mile (501.4/km²). There were 516 housing units at an average density of 698.8 per square mile (269.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.89% White, 15.09% African American, 2.08% 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 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.68% of the population.
There were 449 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.9% 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, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.0% were non-families. 42.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $20,192, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $19,938 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 $16,265. About 21.3% of families and 24.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
Sister cities
Although neither is a city, the towns of Stuart and FarmvilleFarmville, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....
are what many consider Sister cities. Each year, town officials from each locality visit the other.
| Population Numbers From Stuart | |
|---|---|
| 5 Miles | 6,329 |
| 10 Miles | 15,594 |
| 20 Miles | 95,093 |
| 40 Miles | 824,396 |
| 50 Miles | 1,473,391 |
| http://www.census.gov/ | |
Education
The Patrick County Public School System offers six elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s and one high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, with Stuart Elementary School and Patrick County High School
Patrick County High School
Patrick County High School is a comprehensive public high school in Stuart, Virginia, USA. The school currently enrolls over 1,000 students in grades 8–12. It is the only public high school operated by the...
lying within the town's boundaries. The high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, which serves approximately 1,000 students in grades 8-12, is fully accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
. Stuart Elementary provides a pre-kindergarten
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
to seventh grade level education for approximately 500 students each year. The school constantly ranks in the top schools in Virginia in the Standards of Learning
Standards of Learning
Standards of Learning ' is a public school standardized testing program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools...
Testing program, as well as many other areas of academic excellence. Patrick County High School
Patrick County High School
Patrick County High School is a comprehensive public high school in Stuart, Virginia, USA. The school currently enrolls over 1,000 students in grades 8–12. It is the only public high school operated by the...
recently became the District and Regional Academic Champions, as well as winning other titles throughout the academic and sports fields, such as Regional Cross Country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
Champions, District Football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
Champions, Regional Women's Basketball
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
Champions, and multiple District Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
Champions. They too have a proud academic history, and were also ranked as one of the top public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In their annual public high school rankings, U.S. News and World Report ranked Patrick County High School
Patrick County High School
Patrick County High School is a comprehensive public high school in Stuart, Virginia, USA. The school currently enrolls over 1,000 students in grades 8–12. It is the only public high school operated by the...
as one of the top schools in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Public Services
The town of Stuart has the first hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in the Commonwealth of Virginia to be designated as a Critical Access Hospital. Public water and sewer services are offered to residents in the Stuart-Patrick Springs area through the Stuart Water and Sewer Plant, as well as a public waste field just outside of town. The town does not offer an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
. The local media outlets are the 1270 AM WHEO
WHEO
WHEO is a Classic Country/Bluegrass/Gospel formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Stuart, Virginia, serving Stuart and Patrick County, Virginia...
Radio Station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, Cable 5 TV, and The Enterprise, the town's weekly newspaper
Weekly newspaper
A weekly newspaper is a general-news publication that is published on newsprint once or twice a week.Such newspapers tend to have smaller circulations than daily newspapers, and are usually based in less-populous communities or small, defined areas within large cities; often, they may cover a...
.
Notable events and residents
Stuart has an annual festival, the Easter Brothers' Homecoming Gospel Sing, held every July in Dominion Valley Park. The celebration honors a local group that gained national fame, the Easter Brothers. Stuart also hosts the oldest continuous beach musicBeach music
Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the forties, fifties and sixties. These styles ranged from big band swing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, jazz, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues,...
festival on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, "Hot Fun in the Summertime" presented by the Virginia Jaycees. Other major attractions include the Virginia Peach Festival, The Stuart Apple Dumpling and Strawberry Festivals, The 4th of July Celebration, The Patrick County Fair, and the annual musical events featured on the Crooked Road Music Trail.
Notable residents
- Wood BrothersWood Brothers RacingWood Brothers Racing is an American auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. The team was formed in 1950 by the sons of Walter and Ada Wood, thus the Wood Brothers...
, the NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
team - Judge Martin Clark, novelist
- Gerald Baliles, Governor of VirginiaGovernor of VirginiaThe governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
- Mary Sue TerryMary Sue TerryMary Sue Terry is a Democratic politician from Virginia, born September 28, 1947, in Martinsville, Virginia.-Early life:Miss Terry was an active and enthusiastic Democrat as a girl.She was graduated from in Critz, Virginia in 1965...
, the first female Attorney General of VirginiaAttorney General of VirginiaThe Attorney General of Virginia is an executive office in the Government of Virginia. Attorneys General are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election . There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as Attorney General... - Brad ClontzBrad ClontzJohn Braddock Clontz was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball –.Clontz was born in Stuart, Virginia. An alumnus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, he made his major league debut on April 26, . During his career, he pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and...
, professional baseballProfessional baseballBaseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player - Jessie Martin, Musician best known for his works in The Burning Of Eterna CityThe Burning Of Eterna CityThe Burning Of Eterna City is a Nintendocore band founded in 2010.They are known for having all music made by Computer, being a Virtual Band as well as having members from all over the world. They are also known for incorporating numerous genres such as Electropop, Chiptune, Deathcore, and elements...
and TakeMeToTheMorgueTakeMeToTheMorgueTakeMeToTheMorgue is an Dark ambient Artist from Stuart, Virginia He is known for his numerous collaborations and lengthy albums.-Formation and "The Machine":...