Waynesboro, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Waynesboro, deriving its name from General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...

, is an independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...

 surrounded by Augusta County
Augusta County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 65,615 people, 24,818 households, and 18,911 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 26,738 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...

 in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of 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...

. The population was 21,006 in 2010..

It is located in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...

, near many important historical markers of the Civil War and Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. state of Virginia. This national park is long and narrow, with the broad Shenandoah River and valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east...

. A portion of Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...

 falls within the city limits of Waynesboro, and the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...

, Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive is a 105-mile road that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The scenic drive is particularly popular in the fall when the leaves are changing colors...

, and the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...

 are less than five miles away. The town is perhaps best known for being the home of P. Buckley Moss
P. Buckley Moss
P. Buckley Moss was born on May 20, 1933 on Staten Island in New York City. She attended Washington Irving High School for the Fine Arts in Manhattan. In what turned out to be quite ironic in light of her later career, she was voted "Least Likely to Succeed" by the students of her high school. She...

 and the P. Buckley Moss Museum, which attracts 45,000 visitors annually. A large DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...

 plant (now Invista
INVISTA
Invista, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, is the world's largest integrated fiber, resin and intermediates company. DuPont originally formed the company as a subsidiary in 2003 from its textile fibers division and named it DuPont Textiles and Interiors while a permanent identity was established...

 and owned by Koch Industries
Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc. , is an American private energy conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas, with subsidiaries involved in manufacturing, trading and investments. Koch also owns Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals and Matador Cattle Company...

) and the associated Benger Laboratory where Lycra (spandex
Spandex
Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...

) was invented, as well as a large textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...

 mill called Wayn-Tex (now owned by Mohawk Industries), were significant employers for residents through much of the 20th century. Waynesboro is home to the corporate headquarters of Ntelos
NTelos
nTelos is a wireless telecommunications company based in Waynesboro, Virginia, United States. nTelos is a provider of PCS services to customers.- Wireless services :...

 (a regional wireless and telecommunications company serving Virginia, 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...

, 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...

, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

). Tourism, industrial production, and retail remain vital to the Waynesboro economy. The Generals
Waynesboro Generals
The Waynesboro Generals are a collegiate summer baseball team in Waynesboro, Virginia. They play in the southern division of the Valley Baseball League....

 of the Valley Baseball League
Valley Baseball League
The Valley Baseball League is an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Each Valley Baseball League season consists of 44 games played during summer. Many Valley Baseball League players have continued on to play in Major League Baseball.The...

 play there.

Waynesboro is a principal city of the Staunton-Waynesboro micropolitan area
Staunton-Waynesboro micropolitan area
The Staunton–Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Micropolitan Statistical Area in Virginia, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget as of June, 2003...

, which includes all of Augusta County and the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.

History

Located in the British Colony of Virginia, before the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

 and shortly thereafter independence and statehood for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the areas west of the Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

 and 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...

 were known as the frontier. Travel over the mountains in a wagon was near impossible, except where nature afforded some gap between them. One such wind gap
Wind gap
A wind gap is a valley through which a waterway once flowed, but is now dry as a result of stream capture. A water gap is a similar feature, but one in which a waterway still flows...

, Rockfish Gap
Rockfish Gap
Rockfish Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia, United States, through Afton Mountain, which is frequently used to refer to the gap....

, is located near Waynesboro, making the area a convenient location for a stop for many who wished to venture west.

The area was commonly referred to as Teasville (or Teesville) early on. There are a couple of theories of why it was called that. First, it was named after the tavern owned by Jacob Teas and his wife. It is believed that many stayed the night at the Teas’ tavern, including George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

, and the Marquis de Chastellux. (It is only fair to point out that there are few taverns of this period in which Washington and Jefferson are not claimed to have visited). In a letter from the Marquis de Chastellux, the Marquis describes the tavern as one of the worst in America and affirms that Jefferson had stayed there and told him of the place.
Second, it was names after the Tees brothers.

Shortly after U.S. Army General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...

's important victory at Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 during the Northwest Indian War
Northwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...

, the area began to be called Waynesborough. Since many settlers to the area were from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, it is not surprising that they would want their new land named after a hero from their home. Sometime after, it was called Waynesboro.

As early as 1798, the current downtown area was plotted and sold. On January 8, 1801, the town Waynesborough was officially recognized by the state of Virginia, and was incorporated by 1834.

Some of the remaining buildings from this period of its history include the Plumb House
Plumb House (Waynesboro, Virginia)
The Plumb House is a historic U.S. home located at 1012 West Main Street, Waynesboro, Virginia. The house currently serves as the Plumb House Museum.-Plumb House Museum:...

 (now a museum open for tours seasonally) and the Coiner-Quesenbury House built in 1806, believed to be the first brick house built in the town, which is still standing on Main Street.

Population growth to the town was slow at first. In 1810, the town had a population of 250. By 1860, that number grew to 457. The town maintained a steady stream of visitors, however, due to its position on the Valley Turnpike
Valley Pike
Valley Pike or Valley Turnpike is the traditional name given for the Indian trail and roadway which now is designated as U.S. Highway 11 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia....

, which took advantage of connections through Rockfish Gap
Rockfish Gap
Rockfish Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia, United States, through Afton Mountain, which is frequently used to refer to the gap....

.

On March 2, 1865, Waynesboro was the site of the last battle of the Civil War
American 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...

 for the Confederate Lt. General Jubal A. Early. The Battle of Waynesboro
Battle of Waynesboro
The Battle of Waynesboro was fought on March 2, 1865, in Augusta County, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It was the final battle for Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early, whose force was destroyed.-Background:...

 lasted only 20 minutes, and was a final blow for the Confederate Army in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...

. After losing this battle, Early relinquished the town and the valley to General Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...

. Some of the buildings from this period still show their scars from this battle.

After the war, the Waynesboro area became the junction of two railroad lines. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...

 (running east to west) and the Shenandoah Valley Railroad
Shenandoah Valley Railroad (N&W)
Shenandoah Valley Railroad was a line completed on June 19, 1882 extending down the Shenandoah Valley from Hagerstown, Maryland USA through the West Virginia panhandle into Virginia to reach Roanoke, Virginia and to connect with the Norfolk and Western Railway . The development of this railroad had...

, which soon became the Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....

 (running north to south). The lines met near Waynesboro, giving the town the nickname as the "Iron Cross".
In 1890, land to the east of Waynesboro was plotted and sold. Within that year, the Town of Basic City
Basic City, Virginia
Basic City was an incorporated town located in Augusta County, Virginia, in the United States. Formed in 1890, it was named after a process for steel manufacture. This process was to be implemented in Basic City, and gave rise to land speculation...

 was incorporated. A rivalry soon developed between the two towns, each attempting to best the other as the more developed area. One important difference between the two was that Waynesboro had been a "dry" area since before the Civil War
American 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...

. This meant that no alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...

 could be sold within the town’s borders. Such was not the case in Basic City, where bars were opened for the benefit of Basic’s citizens (as well as any others).

The two towns voted for and approved of consolidation into a single town to be called Waynesboro-Basic in 1923. Due to the duplicitous actions of some of Waynesboro’s town leaders, namely Guy Branamen, the petition given to the state referred to the new town as merely Waynesboro. This became official in 1924, to the great outrage of the people of Basic City, which became one of the "Lost Towns" of Virginia.

Since 1924, Waynesboro has made numerous territorial acquisitions from areas of Augusta County through annexation and officially became an independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...

 in 1948. In 2005, Waynesboro established a new charter, repealing one in place since 1948.

Geography

Waynesboro is located at 38°4′11"N 78°53′40"W (38.069874, -78.894517). It is 1,305 feet above sea level.

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 city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²), of which, 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.13%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 19,520 people, 8,332 households, and 5,432 families residing in the city. 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 1,270.8 people per square mile (490.7/km²). There were 8,863 housing units at an average density of 577.0 per square mile (222.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.46% White, 9.96% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.09% 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 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.29% of the population.

There were 8,332 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% 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, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,686, and the median income for a family was $40,772. Males had a median income of $30,943 versus $22,185 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 city was $17,932. About 11.0% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Waynesboro is the home of Fishburne Military School
Fishburne Military School
Fishburne Military School is located in Waynesboro, Virginia. Founded by James A. Fishburne in 1879, it is one of the oldest military schools in the country...

, an all male military boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...

 for grades 8-12. It sits on a hill overlooking the downtown area.

The Waynesboro City Public Schools system serves the area.

Media

Waynesboro's local newspaper is The News Virginian
The News Virginian
The News Virginian is a newspaper owned by Media General. The paper serves residents in the cities of Waynesboro and Staunton, Virginia, as well as Augusta and Nelson Counties.- External links :*...

.

Two movies have filmed scenes in Waynesboro: Toy Soldiers (1991) and Evan Almighty
Evan Almighty
Evan Almighty is a 2007 American religious comedy film and the stand-alone sequel to Bruce Almighty . The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Steve Oedekerk, and starring Steve Carell as the title character. Morgan Freeman also reprised his role as God from the original film. Production of...

(2007).

Further reading

  • Hawke, George, A History of Waynesboro to 1900, Waynesboro Historical Commission, 1997
  • Bowman, Curtis, Waynesboro Days of Yore: Volumes I and II, McClung Companies, Inc, Waynesboro, 1992
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