Spotsylvania County, Virginia

Spotsylvania County, Virginia
Spotsylvania County Courthouse
Seal
Location in the state of Virginia
Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1721
Named for	Alexander Spotswood
Seat	Spotsylvania Courthouse
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	412 sq mi (1,067 km²) 401 sq mi (1,039 km²) 11 sq mi (28 km²), 2.77%
PopulationEst.  - (2012)  - Density	124,526 301/sq mi (116.4/km²)
Website	www.spotsylvania.va.us

Spotsylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 90,395, growing to 124,526 by 2012. Its county seat is Spotsylvania Courthouse. The independent city of Fredericksburg is located northeast of the county but is politically separate.

The county is a part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. A number of commuters travel north on Interstate 95 or the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) for work in Washington, D.C. .^{[citation needed]}

History

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Spotsylvania County were a Siouan-speaking tribe called the Manahoac.

Spotsylvania County was established in 1721 from Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties. The county was named in Latin for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood.

Many battles were fought in this county during the Civil War, including the Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Fredericksburg, and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

Stonewall Jackson was shot and mortally wounded in Spotsylvania County during the Battle of Chancellorsville. A group of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina were in the woods and heard General Jackson's party returning from reconnoitering the Union lines. They mistook him for a Federal patrol and fired their weapons, wounding him in both arms. His left arm was amputated. General Jackson died a few days later from pneumonia at nearby Guinea Station. Confederate wounded were being gathered there for evacuation to hospitals further to the south and away from enemy lines.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 square miles (1,070 km²), of which 401 square miles (1,040 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (2.77%) is water.

It is bounded on the north by the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers, the independent city of Fredericksburg (all of which were part of the area's early history), and the counties of Stafford and Culpeper; on the south by the North Anna River and its impoundment, Lake Anna, and by the counties of Hanover and Louisa; on the west by Orange County and Culpeper County; and on the east by Caroline County.

Adjacent jurisdictions

• Culpeper County, Virginia - north
• Stafford County, Virginia - northeast
• City of Fredericksburg, Virginia - northeast
• Caroline County, Virginia - southeast
• Hanover County, Virginia - south
• Louisa County, Virginia - southwest
• Orange County, Virginia - west and northwest

National protected area

• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	11,252		—
1800	13,002		15.6%
1810	13,296		2.3%
1820	14,254		7.2%
1830	15,134		6.2%
1840	15,161		0.2%
1850	14,911		−1.6%
1860	16,076		7.8%
1870	11,728		−27.0%
1880	14,828		26.4%
1890	14,233		−4.0%
1900	9,239		−35.1%
1910	9,935		7.5%
1920	10,571		6.4%
1930	10,056		−4.9%
1940	9,905		−1.5%
1950	11,920		20.3%
1960	13,819		15.9%
1970	16,424		18.9%
1980	34,435		109.7%
1990	57,403		66.7%
2000	90,395		57.5%
2010	122,397		35.4%
Est. 2012	124,526		1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 2012 Estimate

As of the census of 2010, there were 122,397 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile (87/km²). There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile (32/km²). The racial makeup of the county was:

• 78.4% White
• 15.8% Black or African American
• 0.4% Native American
• 2.4% Asian
• 0.05% Pacific Islander
• 2.8% from other races, and
• 1.88% from two or more races.

7.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 31,308 households out of which 42.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.30% were non-families. 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the county, the population was spread out with 30.00% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 32.20% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.

The 2006 median income for a household in the county was $72,453, and the median income for a family was $75,507. Males had a median income of $49,166 versus $38,076 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,458. About 3.90% of families and 5.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.

Major highways

• I-95
• US 1
• US 17
• US 522
• SR 2
• SR 3
• SR 208

Law and government

County government

Spotsylvania County's highest level of management is that of County Administrator. C. Douglas Barnes is the County Administrator. He oversees all county departments and agencies and serves as the Spotsylvania County's Board of Supervisors' liaison to state and regional agencies.

Board of Supervisors

Spotsylvania is governed by a Board of Supervisors. The board consists of seven members (one from each district within the county). The Board of Supervisors sets county policies, adopts ordinances, appropriates funds, approves land rezoning and special exceptions to the zoning ordinance, and carries out other responsibilities set forth by the county code.

The following is the current list of supervisors and districts which they represent:

Position		Name	Affiliation	District
	Chairman	Ann L. Heidig	Independent	Livingston
	Vice Chairman	Benjamin T. Pitts	Independent	Battlefield
	Member	Emmitt B. Marshall	Independent	Berkeley
	Member	Tim McLaughlin	Independent	Chancellor
	Member	David Ross	Republican	Courtland
	Member	Gary Skinner	Independent	Lee's Hill
	Member	Paul D. Trampe	Independent	Salem

State representation

Virginia House of Delegates

Office		Name	Party	District
	Delegate	Robert D. "Bobby" Orrock	Republican Party	54
	Delegate	Mark L. Cole	Republican Party	88
	Delegate	Christopher S. Peace	Republican Party	97

Virginia State Senate

Office		Name	Party	District
	Senator	Ryan T. McDougal	Republican Party	4
	Senator	Bryce Reeves	Republican Party	17

Federal representation

Spotsylvania residents are represented by either Eric Cantor (R-7th District) or Rob Wittman (R-1st District) in the House of Representatives. The current U.S. Senators from the Commonwealth of Virginia are Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D).

Education

Public schools

Main article: Spotsylvania County Public Schools

Spotsylvania County Public Schools is a public school district serving Spotsylvania County, Virginia. It consists of 17 Elementary, 7 Middle, and 5 High Schools and has a total enrollment of over 24,000 students. The Spotsylvania County School division also has a Career and Technical Center and participates with other local school systems to offer the Commonwealth Governor's School. The district partners with area businesses to develop learning opportunities for the students. Spotsylvania County Public Schools works with the area Parks and Recreation Department to help maintain the area around the Schools (athletic facilities, etc.).

Private schools

Fredericksburg Academy, Fredericksburg Christian School, Odyssey Montessori School, Saint Patrick School, Saint Michael the Archangel High School, and Faith Baptist Christian School are private schools that serve the area.

Colleges and universities

Germanna Community College is part of the Virginia Community College System and serves the City of Fredericksburg, and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Orange, Culpeper, and King George.

The University of Mary Washington located in nearby Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a four-year university and graduate school that also serves the area.

Emergency services

Fire and rescue services in Spotsylvania County are provided by a combination of career and volunteer organizations. These organizations work together to provide quality service to the citizens of Spotsylvania County. The career staff of the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management provide fire and rescue services from 04:40 AM till 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. The volunteer organizations include: Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue, The Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department, and The Spotsylvania Volunteer Rescue Squad. Each organization is supplemented by Spotsylvania County Fire and Rescue during daytime hours.

Localities

Alsop Arcadia Artillery Ridge Bells Crossroad Belmont Blades Corner Brandon Brockroad

Brokenburg Carters Store Chancellor Chancellorsville Chewnings Corner Cookstown Dunavant

Five Mile Fork Four Mile Fork Granite Springs Lanes Corner Leavells Lewiston Margo

Marye Massaponax McHenry Old Trap Olivers Corner Partlow Paytes

Post Oak Shady Grove Corner Snell Spotsylvania Courthouse Stubbs Thornburg Todds Tavern

Points of interest

• Lake Anna State Park
• Spotsylvania County Public Schools
• Spotsylvania Courthouse
• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park
• Spotsylvania Towne Centre
• Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office

Notable people

• Thomas Dickens Arnold, United States Congressman from Virginia
• Francis Asbury (1745–1816), one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now the United Methodist Church in the United States. Asbury died near the Partlow Road, south of Blades Corner.
• Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia, Miss America for the year of 2010
• Joe Gibbs, former Washington Redskins coach
• Rahman "Rock" Harper, chef, television personality, and restaurateur
• Alexander Holladay (1811–1877), a U. S. Representative, grew up at Prospect Hill, now the Littlepage Inn, in Mineral
• Kunta Kinte, a.k.a. Toby Reynolds, the central character of the novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, and of the television miniseries Roots, based on the book. Kinte, a Muslim of the Mandinka people, was captured and brought as a slave to Annapolis, Maryland, and later sold to a plantation owner in Spotsylvania County near the present-day rural community of Partlow.
• John Maine, pitcher for the New York Mets
• Danny McBride, actor
• Phil Short, former member of the Louisiana State Senate and United States Marine Corps officer

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Spotsylvania County, Virginia

External links

• Spotsylvania County official website
• Spotsylvania County Department of Economic Development
• Spotsylvania County Public Schools
• Fredericksburg.com, site of The Free Lance-Star