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Virginia
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Fredericksburg_Sealgif
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VAMap-doton-FredericksburgPNG
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250
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Location in Virginia
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1728
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Independent City
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Thomas Tomzak
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272 Km&2 (105 Mi&2 )
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272 km&2 (105 mi&2)
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0 km&2 (0 mi&2)
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0%
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2000
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19,279
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7076
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Eastern
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5
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383018
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774708
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wwwfredericksburgvagov
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is an
Independent City in the U.S. Commonwealth of
Virginia , 50 miles south of
Washington, D.C. , and 55 miles north of
Richmond, Virginia . As of the
2000 census, the city had a population of 19,279. The
Bureau Of Economic Analysis combines the city of Fredericksburg with neighboring
Spotsylvania County for statistical purposes. This city is a part of the
Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area .
Located on the
Rappahannock River near the head of navigation at the
Fall Line , Fredericksburg developed as the frontier of colonial Virginia shifted west out of the coastal plain. The land on which the city was founded was part of a tract patented in
1671 . The
Virginia General Assembly established a fort on the Rappahannock in
1676 , just below the present-day city. In
1714 , Lt. Gov.
Alexander Spotswood sponsored a German settlement called
Germanna on the
Rapidan River , a tributary of the Rappahannock upstream from the future site of the city, and led an expedition westward over the
Blue Ridge Mountains in
1716 .
As interest in the frontier grew, the colonial assembly responded by forming a new county named
Spotsylvania (after the governor) in
1720 and establishing Fredericksburg in
1728 as a port for the county, of which it was then a part. Named for
Frederick, Prince Of Wales , son of King
George II and father of King
George III , the colonial town's streets bore the names of members of the royal family. The county court was moved to Fredericksburg in
1732 and the town served as
County Seat until
1780 when the courthouse was moved closer to the county center. Fredericksburg was incorporated as a
Town , with its own court, council, and mayor, in
1781 , and received its charter as an
Independent City in
1879 . The city adopted the city manager/council form of government in
1911 .
The city has close associations with
George Washington , whose family moved to the Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg in
1738 . Washington's mother Mary later moved to the city, and his sister Betty lived at Kenmore, a plantation house then outside the city. Other significant early residents include the Revolutionary War generals
Hugh Mercer and
George Weedon , naval war hero
John Paul Jones , and future U.S. president
James Monroe .
During the 19th century Fredericksburg sought to maintain its sphere of trade but with limited success, promoting the development of a
Canal on the Rappahannock and construction of a
Turnpike and
Plank Road to bind the interior country to the market town. By 1837, a north-south railroad, which became the
Richmond, Fredericksburg And Potomac Railroad , linked the town to
Richmond , the state capital, but a much-needed railroad joining the town to the farming region to the west remained unfinished until after the
Civil War .
During the
American Civil War , Fredericksburg gained strategic importance due to its location midway between
Washington and Richmond, the opposing capitals of the Union and the Confederacy. During the
Battle Of Fredericksburg , December 11-15,
1862 , the town sustained significant damage due to bombardment and looting at the hands of Union forces. A second battle was fought in and around the town on
May 3 1863 , in connection with the
Chancellorsville campaign (
April 27 -
May 6 1863 ). The battles of
The Wilderness and
Spotsylvania Court House were fought nearby in May
1864 .
After the war, Fredericksburg recovered its former position as a center of local trade and slowly grew beyond its prewar boundaries. The
University Of Mary Washington was founded here in
1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women. Adopting the name of Mary Washington College in
1938 , the college was for many years associated with the
University Of Virginia as a women’s liberal arts college. The college became coeducational in
1970 and is now independent of UVa. A separate campus for graduate and professional studies is located in suburban
Stafford County .
Today Fredericksburg is the commercial hub of a rapidly growing region in north central Virginia. Despite recent decades of suburban growth, reminders of the area’s past abound. A 40-block national historic district embraces the city’s downtown area and contains more than 350 buildings dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. Notable homes include Kenmore, home of Washington’s sister Betty, and the Mary Washington House, where his mother spent her final years. The historic district draws crowds of tourists to Fredericksburg during the summer months.
Other historic buildings and museums include the late 18th century Rising Sun Tavern,
Hugh Mercer apothecary shop, and the
James Monroe law office museum. Significant public buildings include the 1852 courthouse designed by
James Renwick , whose works include the Smithsonian Institution’s castle building in Washington and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, and the 1816 town hall and market house. The latter building now houses a local history museum and cultural center.
Nearby points of interest include
George Washington Birthplace National Memorial , located 38 miles to the east in
Westmoreland County , and the
Ferry Farm historic site in
Stafford County where Washington spent his boyhood across the river from Fredericksburg. The historic community of
Falmouth lies across the Rappahannock to the north and includes the historic house Belmont, home of American artist
Gari Melchers .
The area’s Civil War battles are commemorated in
Fredericksburg And Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park . Formed by an act of Congress in
1927 , the national military park preserves portions of the battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. The Fredericksburg National Cemetery, also part of the park, is located on Marye’s Heights on the Fredericksburg battlefield and contains more than 15,000 Union burials from the area’s battlefields.
According to the
United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 27.2
Km&2 (10.5
Mi&2 ). None of the area is covered with water.
It is bounded on the north and east by the
Rappahannock River ; across the river is
Stafford County ; and is bounded on the south and west by
Spotsylvania County .
As of the
Census of
2000 , there were 19,279 people, 8,102 households, and 3,921 families residing in the city. The
Population Density was 707.6/km&
2 (1,833.0/mi&
2). There were 8,888 housing units at an average density of 326.2/km&
2 (845.0/mi&
2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.18%
White , 20.41%
Black or
African American , 0.34%
Native American , 1.51%
Asian , 0.06%
Pacific Islander , 2.56% from
Other Races , and 1.95% from two or more races. 4.90% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 8,102 households out of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.8% were
Married Couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 23.8% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,585, and the median income for a family was $47,148. Males had a median income of $33,641 versus $25,037 for females. The
Per Capita Income for the city was $21,527. 15.5% of the population and 10.4% of families were below the
Poverty Line . Out of the total population, 19.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Fredericksburg's daily
Newspaper is ''The Free Lance–Star''. ''The Free Lance'' was first published in
1885 , and competed with two twice-weekly papers in the city during the late 19th century, the ''Fredericksburg News'' and ''The Virginia Star''. While the ''News'' folded in
1884 , the ''Star'' company began publishing the ''Daily Star'' in
1893 . In
1900 , the two companies merged, with both newspapers continuing publication until
1926 , when they merged under the present title. Since that time, the ''Free Lance–Star'' has been owned and operated by members of the Rowe family of Fredericksburg.
Fredericksburg is often considered part of the Washington, D.C. media market, and city residents receive television and radio signals from both Washington and Richmond, as well as the newspapers of those cities. Fredericksburg and the nearby region also have several radio stations, including (on the
FM dial) WJYJ (90.5, Christian), WFLS (93.3, country), WGRQ (95.9, "Rockin' Oldies"), WWUZ (96.9, classic rock), WYSK (99.3, modern rock), WBQB ("B-101.5", adult contemporary), and WGRX ("Thunder 104.5", country). Fredericksburg
AM stations include WFVA (1230, news/talk) and WYSK (1350, Spanish-language). WFLS, WWUZ and WYSK are owned by the Free Lance–Star Company. In 2001, the Arbitron media service began listing the Fredericksburg area as a nationally rated radio market. As of the fall of 2005, the area ranked 154th out of 297 markets surveyed, with a total market population of more than 280,000.
