Alderson, West Virginia

Alderson, West Virginia
—  Town  —
Historic section on the Monroe County side
Location of Alderson, West Virginia
Coordinates: 37°43′39″N 80°38′29″W
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Counties	Greenbrier, Monroe
Government
• Mayor	Luther Lewallen, Jr.
Area
• Total	1.0 sq mi (2.5 km2)
• Land	0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	1,549 ft (472 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	1,091
• Density	1,214.5/sq mi (468.9/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	24910
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-00772
GNIS feature ID	1534854

The historic Alderson Memorial Bridge

Alderson, a town in the US State of West Virginia, is split geographically by the Greenbrier River, with portions in both Greenbrier and Monroe Counties. Although split physically by the river, the town functions as one entity, including that of town government. The population was 1,091 at the 2000 census.

History

Alderson, WV, is a community located along the Greenbrier River in Greenbrier County and Monroe County, incorporated in 1881. Alderson was originally settled in 1777 by "Elder" John Alderson, a frontier missionary for whom the town is named, who organized the first Baptist church in the Greenbrier Valley. In 1763, the nearby Muddy Creek settlements were destroyed by Shawnee Indians under Chief Cornstalk. Alderson is the location of the historic Federal Reformatory for Women, opened in 1927, the first Federal prison for women. During the early 1900s, Alderson became a hub of higher education in the state. It was home to three separate institutions of higher education, including the Alderson Academy and Junior College, which eventually was integrated into Alderson-Broaddus College in 1932.

The Alexander McVeigh Miller House in Greenbrier County is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sunset Hill is listed in Monroe County. The Alderson Bridge and Alderson Historic District are located in both counties.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²). 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (6.25%) is water.

Climate

Climate data for Alderson
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °F (°C)	45.3 (7.4)	47.6 (8.7)	56.7 (13.7)	69.6 (20.9)	77 (25)	83.5 (28.6)	86.4 (30.2)	85.2 (29.6)	79.3 (26.3)	70.8 (21.6)	57.9 (14.4)	45.3 (7.4)	67.05 (19.47)
Average low °F (°C)	23.8 (−4.6)	24.3 (−4.3)	30.3 (−0.9)	39.2 (4.0)	47.6 (8.7)	56.6 (13.7)	60.7 (15.9)	60.3 (15.7)	52.8 (11.6)	41.9 (5.5)	30.3 (−0.9)	24.1 (−4.4)	40.99 (5.00)
Precipitation inches (cm)	3 (8)	2.8 (7)	3.5 (9)	3.2 (8)	3.8 (10)	3.4 (9)	3.9 (10)	3.1 (8)	3.1 (8)	2.5 (6)	2.6 (7)	3 (8)	37.9 (96)
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,091 people, 481 households, and 305 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,214.5 inhabitants per square mile (468.0/km²). There were 586 housing units at an average density of 652.3 per square mile (251.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.83% White, 6.60% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.18% Asian, and 2.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.

There were 481 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,043, and the median income for a family was $29,028. Males had a median income of $31,000 versus $20,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,474. About 17.8% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

See also: Alderson (Amtrak station)

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to Alderson under the Cardinal route.

Economy

Federal Prison Camp, Alderson is the largest employer in the Alderson area

The Federal Bureau of Prisons facility Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, where media mogul Martha Stewart was imprisoned, is the largest employer in Alderson. Marguerite Higgins of The Washington Times said that the fact that Stewart was sent to FPC Alderson was "a boon" for Alderson. A portion of FPC Alderson is located in unincorporated Monroe County, while the other portion of the prison lies in unincorporated Summers County.

The Alderson Federal Prison Camp is located on the spot on which the earliest settlers of the area chose to settle and called their settlement Baughman's Fort. Baughman's Fort was built in the 1750s and the settlement was supposedly destroyed by Native Americans shortly thereafter, though no factual evidence exists to support this theory. Few archaeological remains of the early fort remain after the building of the Federal Prison Camp in the early 20th century. Only notations in early journals refer to the location of the fort.

Betty Alderson, who is married to a descendant of the original founders of Alderson, stated "every business profited" when Martha Stewart was incarcerated at Alderson and media attention was focused on the community. Residents planted bulbs into a garden that was to be named "Martha's Garden."

Local Events

Alderson has the largest Fourth of July Celebration in West Virginia. Each year the events span an entire week, always ending with a "Rubber Ducky" race on the Greenbrier River. Each year, events include...a fireman's rodeo, an old-fashion gospel sing, a band each night, a car show, a grand parade, field events, talent show, pageant, fireworks and more.

Notable People Born in Alderson

Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia Smith, better known as Bricktop (August 14, 1894 – February 1, 1984) was an American dancer, singer, vaudevillian, and self-described saloon-keeper who owned the nightclub Chez Bricktop in Paris from 1924 to 1961, as well as clubs in Mexico City and Rome. She has been called "...one of the most legendary and enduring figures of 20th-century American cultural history."