Abingdon | |
|---|---|
 The Abingdonwelcome sign in 2024 | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: Honor Pro Antiquis, Fides Pro Futuris | |
 Location inVirginia | |
  Abingdon Location in the United States Show map of the United States Abingdon Abingdon (North America) Show map of North America | |
| Coordinates:36°42′35″N81°58′32″W / 36.70972°N 81.97556°W /36.70972; -81.97556 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Washington |
| Founded | 1776 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dwayne Anderson |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.06 sq mi (20.87 km2) |
| • Land | 8.05 sq mi (20.85 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,087 ft (636 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,375 |
• Estimate (2019)[2] | 7,869 |
| • Density | 977.4/sq mi (377.39/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 24210-24212 |
| Area code | 276 |
| FIPS code | 51-00148[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1498444[4] |
| Website | www |
Abingdon is atown in and thecounty seat[5] ofWashington County, Virginia, United States, 133 miles (214 km) southwest ofRoanoke. The population was 8,375 at the2020 census. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and features a fine arts and crafts scene centered on the galleries and museums along Main Street.
Abingdon is part of theKingsport−Bristol (TN)Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of theJohnson City−Kingsport−Bristol,TN-VACombined Statistical Area − commonly known as theTri-Cities region.
The region was long the territory of varying cultures ofindigenous peoples, including theChisca andXualae. From the late 17th-century, it was occupied by the Cherokee Nation, whose territory extended from the present-day area of borders of Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky through the spine of North Carolina and later into Georgia.
Between 1748 and 1750, Thomas Walker, a principal in the Loyal Land Company, and his crew surveyed the land where the town of Abingdon is now situated. Walker wrote that the tract on which Abingdon was later built was known as the Wolf Hill Tract.[6] In the twenty-first century, the town sponsored a public art event, in which artists created 27 wolf sculptures, which were installed around the town. Most were later sold at an auction to raise money for Advance Abingdon.[7]
Between 1765 and 1770 James Douglas, Andrew Colville, George Blackburn, Joseph Black, Samuel Briggs and James Piper settled in and around present-day Abingdon under purchases from Thomas Walker. By 1773 there were enough settlers, primarily Scots-Irish, to establish Presbyterian congregations, and the Rev. Charles Cummings became the first settled pastor west of the Allegheny Mountains.[8]
DuringLord Dunmore's War,Joseph Black built Black's Fort in 1774 to protect local settlers in the region from attacks by theCherokee of the Lower Towns.[7] It consisted of a log stockade, with a few log cabins inside, where nearby settlers took refuge in event of attack. They retreated to the fort in 1776 when attacked by the war leaderDragging Canoe and hisChickamauga Cherokee forces. Hoping to push out the colonists, the Cherokee had allied with the British in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[9] The settlement was known asBlack's Fort prior to being incorporated by the Commonwealth of Virginia as Abingdon in 1778. Black, Briggs and Walker donated the 120 acres of land upon which the original town was laid out.
The area was at the intersection of two great Indian trails, which had followed ancient animal migration trails through the mountains. It was a prime location as a trade center and access point to the west and south. In 1776 the community of Black's Fort was made the county seat of the newly formed Washington county. In 1778, Black's Fort was incorporated as the town of Abingdon. The reason for the name is disputed. Some sources indicated the town was named forAbingdon-on-Thames the ancestral home ofMartha Washington inOxfordshire, England. Other possible namesakes for the town include Jake Dore's home in Abington, Pennsylvania, or Lord Abingdon, friend of settlerWilliam Campbell.[10]
The post office was first established in Abingdon on August 20, 1792, on the same day as the Charlottesville and Lexington post offices and the Danville KY post office. Only ten post offices existed in Virginia prior to that date; Abingdon's and Danville's were the first ones established west of the Eastern Continental Divide.[11] The Abingdon postmaster appointed on that date, William Conn, declined the position and never served. Gerrard T. Conn became the first person to serve as postmaster on January 14, 1793 and served until January 15, 1796.[12]
With a bequest of $10,000 from salt entrepreneur William King, the Abingdon Male Academy opened in 1824. By 1830, over forty students were enrolled. It continued to thrive until 1861 when classes were suspended during the Civil War, and eventually closed in 1905. The property later became the Abingdon High School and is now home to the William King Museum of Art.[13]
Martha Washington College, a school for women, operated in Abingdon from 1860 to 1932 in the former residence of Gen.Francis Preston which was built about 1832.[14] Since 1935 the building has been occupied and operated as a hotel, theMartha Washington Inn. In 1867, Roman Catholics opened Villa Maria Academy of the Visitation for the education of young ladies.[15] The Stonewall Jackson Female Institute operated from 1868 to 1930 in the former residence of Gov.John B. Floyd next to the Preston home.[16]
TheBarter Theatre, the state theatre of Virginia, was opened in Abingdon in 1933 during theGreat Depression. It is now the longest-running professional equity theatre in the United States.
Abingdon is the final stop along theVirginia Creeper Trail, which allows pedestrian, cyclist and equestrian traffic. This rail-to-trail conversion is 35 miles long, extending fromWhitetop Mountain throughDamascus, Virginia, with the trailhead in Abingdon. The Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, located in Abingdon, serves as a regional genealogy center, in addition to being a repository for Washington County history.[17]
TheAbingdon Historic District,Abingdon Bank,Mont Calm,Moonlite Theatre,Dr. William H. Pitts House,White's Mill, andBaker-St. John House are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[18][19]
| Climate data for Abingdon, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1969–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) | 80 (27) | 85 (29) | 91 (33) | 91 (33) | 99 (37) | 99 (37) | 100 (38) | 97 (36) | 90 (32) | 82 (28) | 78 (26) | 100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.7 (18.7) | 68.7 (20.4) | 74.8 (23.8) | 82.5 (28.1) | 85.2 (29.6) | 89.6 (32.0) | 90.2 (32.3) | 89.6 (32.0) | 88.0 (31.1) | 81.4 (27.4) | 73.8 (23.2) | 66.0 (18.9) | 91.7 (33.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.9 (7.2) | 48.4 (9.1) | 57.0 (13.9) | 67.7 (19.8) | 75.2 (24.0) | 81.8 (27.7) | 84.7 (29.3) | 83.9 (28.8) | 79.1 (26.2) | 68.8 (20.4) | 57.4 (14.1) | 47.8 (8.8) | 66.4 (19.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) | 37.5 (3.1) | 44.9 (7.2) | 54.4 (12.4) | 62.8 (17.1) | 70.3 (21.3) | 73.5 (23.1) | 72.6 (22.6) | 67.0 (19.4) | 55.7 (13.2) | 45.1 (7.3) | 37.6 (3.1) | 54.7 (12.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 26.6 (−3.0) | 32.9 (0.5) | 41.1 (5.1) | 50.4 (10.2) | 58.8 (14.9) | 62.3 (16.8) | 61.3 (16.3) | 54.9 (12.7) | 42.7 (5.9) | 32.8 (0.4) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 42.9 (6.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 5.0 (−15.0) | 9.7 (−12.4) | 16.4 (−8.7) | 26.2 (−3.2) | 34.8 (1.6) | 47.3 (8.5) | 53.2 (11.8) | 52.6 (11.4) | 41.9 (5.5) | 28.1 (−2.2) | 18.7 (−7.4) | 12.0 (−11.1) | 1.9 (−16.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) | −17 (−27) | −6 (−21) | 12 (−11) | 27 (−3) | 35 (2) | 42 (6) | 37 (3) | 28 (−2) | 18 (−8) | 6 (−14) | −12 (−24) | −21 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.80 (97) | 3.85 (98) | 4.46 (113) | 4.42 (112) | 4.39 (112) | 4.26 (108) | 4.69 (119) | 3.84 (98) | 3.32 (84) | 2.78 (71) | 3.25 (83) | 4.21 (107) | 47.27 (1,201) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.8 (12) | 3.9 (9.9) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | trace | trace | 2.3 (5.8) | 12.5 (31.55) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 12.6 | 11.7 | 12.9 | 12.2 | 12.8 | 12.1 | 12.3 | 10.7 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.8 | 12.8 | 136.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 7.7 |
| Source:NOAA (snow/snow days 1981–2010)[20][21][22] | |||||||||||||
Abingdon is located at36°42′35″N81°58′32″W / 36.70972°N 81.97556°W /36.70972; -81.97556 (36.709773, −81.975694).[23]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21.6 km2), all land.
The town is located in theGreat Appalachian Valley, between the Middle Fork and the North Fork of theHolston River.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 715 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,064 | 48.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,674 | 57.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,306 | −22.0% | |
| 1910 | 1,757 | 34.5% | |
| 1920 | 2,532 | 44.1% | |
| 1930 | 2,877 | 13.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,158 | 9.8% | |
| 1950 | 4,709 | 49.1% | |
| 1960 | 4,758 | 1.0% | |
| 1970 | 4,376 | −8.0% | |
| 1980 | 4,318 | −1.3% | |
| 1990 | 7,003 | 62.2% | |
| 2000 | 7,780 | 11.1% | |
| 2010 | 8,191 | 5.3% | |
| 2020 | 8,376 | 2.3% | |
| source:[24] | |||
As of thecensus[3] of 2020, there were 8,376 people, 3,726 households residing in the town. The population density was 1,039 inhabitants per square mile (401/km2). There were 3,788 housing units at an average density of 454.1 per square mile (175.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94%White, 2.2%African American, 0.2%Native American, 1.1%Asian, and 1.8% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.8% of the population.[25]
There were 3,522 households, out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% weremarried couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,848, and the median income for a family was $46,106. Males had a median income of $32,005 versus $22,844 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $22,486. About 7.3% of families and 10.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Abingdon is served by Washington County Public Schools, where students attend Abingdon Elementary, Watauga Elementary, Greendale Elementary, E.B. Stanley Middle School, andAbingdon High School.
Virginia Highlands Community College located in Abingdon is the local community college offering 2-year degrees.
Emory & Henry College is located seven miles outside of town.
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, on the campus ofVHCC, provides the region with access to undergraduate and graduate degree programs and courses. Participating academic institutions include:Emory & Henry College,Old Dominion University,Radford University,University of Virginia,University of Virginia's College at Wise,Virginia Commonwealth University,Virginia Highlands Community College, andVirginia Tech.
Three Virginia governors lived here:Wyndham Robertson,David Campbell, andJohn B. Floyd.
Municipalities and communities ofWashington County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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