Ashland, Virginia

Ashland, Virginia
—  Town  —
Location in Virginia
Coordinates: 37°45′34″N 77°28′38″W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Hanover
Founded	1850
Area
• Total	7.2 sq mi (18.7 km2)
• Land	7.2 sq mi (18.6 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	213 ft (65 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	6,619
• Density	922.0/sq mi (356.0/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	23005
Area code(s)	804
FIPS code	51-03368
GNIS feature ID	1492492
Website	http://www.town.ashland.va.us

Ashland is a town located just north of Richmond in Hanover County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,619 at the 2000 census. It is the only legally incorporated town in Hanover County. Ashland is home to Randolph-Macon College (1830). "The Center of the Universe" is a popular thematic phrase displayed on signs in the town.

Geography

Ashland is located at 37°45′34″N 77°28′38″W (37.759361, -77.477226).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.7 km²), of which 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.55%) is water.

Ashland Town Hall

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 7225 people, 2,282 households, and 1,453 families residing in the town. The population density was 922.0 inhabitants per square mile (355.9/km²). There were 2,445 housing units at an average density of 340.6 per square mile (131.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.74% White, 22.25% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.68% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.

There were 2,282 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 22.2% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,125, and the median income for a family was $43,101. Males had a median income of $31,373 versus $24,054 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,932. About 6.9% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

History

Ashland Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Ashland Theater
Location:	Center, Racecourse, James, Howard, Clay Sts., Hanover and Railroad Aves., Ashland, Virginia
Area:	159 acres (64 ha)
Architectural style:	Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian, Other, Early Commercial
NRHP Reference#:	83003284
Added to NRHP:	February 11, 1983

Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One (a stage route between Richmond and Washington, DC) and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation. The tracks run through the center of town, and the area near the Ashland train station is a popular train-watching site for railfans.

Ashland is home to one of the oldest churches in Virginia: Slash Church, built in 1729 by Anglican parishioners.[1] The church is still in operation.[2]

Major Payne was filmed at the Ashland Train Station.

Many citizens of Ashland unsuccessfully fought off a bid to build a Wal-Mart just outside of town (using pink lawn flamingos as an anti-walmart symbol), and they were featured in the 2001 PBS special Store Wars - When Wal-Mart Comes to Town.

In October 2002, Ashland made national news as the site of one of the Beltway sniper attacks. 37-year-old Jeffrey Hopper was shot on October 19 at 8:00 pm in the parking lot of a Ponderosa Steakhouse as he was leaving the restaurant with his wife.

Fire Department

The Ashland Volunteer Fire Company, formed in 1890, is located on 501 Archie Canon Drive. It is one of the oldest all-volunteer fire stations in Virginia, handling about 2,000 calls per year. www.ashlandfire.net^{[citation needed]}

Local Festivals

Ashland is home to the Strawberry Faire that takes place every June. This festival brings vendors from all around the state who sell a variety of different things (with a strawberry theme). There is also a Strawberry Faire Pageant for Little Miss and Mister Strawberry. There is even a Strawberry Faire Scholarship awarded to ten Hanover County Schools students each year. The Faire also includes live performances from local artists. June 4th 2011 will mark the 30th Anniversary of the Strawberry Faire

References

http://ashlandstrawberryfaire.com/

External links

• Ashland Volunteer Fire Company
• TownHound
• Herald-Progress area newspaper
• Hanover County Economic Development
• Ashland Tourist Attractions
• City of Ashland Tourism Department
• Hanover County Stormwater Pollutant Removal and Filtration
• Ashland Weather and Air Quality/Pollution