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Martinsburg, West Virginia

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City of Martinsburg
City
Martinsburg Historic District
Martinsburg Historic District
Location of Martinsburg in West Virginia
Location of Martinsburg in West Virginia
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyBerkeley
Government
 • MayorGeorge Karos
Area
 • City5.0 sq mi (13.1 km2)
 • Land5.0 sq mi (13.0 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation
453 ft (138 m)
Population
 (2009)
 • City17,112
 • Density3,391/sq mi (1,309.2/km2)
 • Urban
43,441
 • Metro
263,753
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
25401-25405
Area code304
FIPS code54-52060Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1542824Template:GR

Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest municipality in West Virginia.[1] Martinsburg is the county seat of Berkeley CountyTemplate:GR and one of the core cities in the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Martinsburg and Berkeley County are growing very rapidly from the influx of people moving from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

History

Martinsburg was founded in 1778 by General Adam Stephen who named it in honor of Colonel Thomas Bryan Martin, a nephew of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.

The first post office in what is now West Virginia was established at Martinsburg in 1792.

The Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad reached Martinsburg in 1842. The B&O Roundhouse and Station Complex was first constructed in 1849.

In 1863, Isabelle “Belle” Boyd, a famous spy for the Confederacy, was arrested in Martinsburg by the Union Army and imprisoned.

The city of Martinsburg was incorporated by an act of the West Virginia Legislature on March 30, 1868.

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began July 14, 1877 in Martinsburg and spread nationwide.

Telephone service first began in Martinsburg in 1883.

In 1889, electricity began to be furnished to Martinsburg as part of a franchise granted to the United Edison Manufacturing Company of New York.

The Interwoven mills began operations in Martinsburg in 1891 and grew to be the largest manufacturer of men's hosiery in the world.

Construction of the "Apollo Civic Theatre" was completed in 1913.

Over one thousand (1,039) men from Berkeley County participated in World War I. Of these, forty-one were killed and twenty-one were wounded in battle. A monument to those who fell in battle was erected in 1925.

During World War II, the Newton D. Baker Hospital in Martinsburg treated thousands of soldiers wounded in the war. In 1946 this military hospital became a part of the Veterans Administration (VA). The VA Medical Center in Martinsburg is still in service providing care to United States veterans.

Beginning in the late 1940s and through the 1950s, many of the mills and factories operating in Martinsburg shut down and went out of business, dealing a major blow to the local economy.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 14,972 people, 6,684 households, and 3,689 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,977.4 people per square mile (1,149.2/km²). There were 7,432 housing units at an average density of 1,478.0/sq mi (570.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.90% White, 11.63% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.91% of the population.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,495, and the median income for a family was $36,954. Males had a median income of $29,697 versus $22,212 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,314. About 14.7% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
199014,073—
200014,9726.4%
2009 (est.)17,112

Geography

Location and topography

Martinsburg is located at 39°27′33″N 77°58′4″W / 39.45917°N 77.96778°W / 39.45917; -77.96778Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (39.459207, -77.967814)Template:GR. As per MapQuest, Martinsburg is approximately 92 miles (148 km) driving distance northwest of Washington, D.C.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.1 km²), of which, 5.0 square miles (13.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.40%) is water.

Climate

Climate data for Martinsburg
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 80
(27) 		83
(28) 		87
(31) 		96
(36) 		100
(38) 		106
(41) 		112
(44) 		108
(42) 		103
(39) 		98
(37) 		86
(30) 		78
(26) 		112
(44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 41
(5) 		46
(8) 		55
(13) 		66
(19) 		75
(24) 		84
(29) 		88
(31) 		86
(30) 		79
(26) 		68
(20) 		57
(14) 		46
(8) 		66
(19)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 23
(−5) 		25
(−4) 		33
(1) 		42
(6) 		51
(11) 		60
(16) 		65
(18) 		63
(17) 		55
(13) 		43
(6) 		35
(2) 		27
(−3) 		44
(7)
Record low °F (°C) −18
(−28) 		−10
(−23) 		−3
(−19) 		19
(−7) 		26
(−3) 		36
(2) 		41
(5) 		40
(4) 		29
(−2) 		17
(−8) 		6
(−14) 		−12
(−24) 		−18
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.73
(69) 		2.40
(61) 		3.51
(89) 		3.14
(80) 		4.19
(106) 		3.49
(89) 		3.73
(95) 		3.40
(86) 		3.52
(89) 		3.40
(86) 		3.14
(80) 		2.74
(70) 		39.39
(1,000)
Source: The Weather Channel[2]

Commerce

Major private employers in and around Martinsburg include Quad/Graphics, EcoLab, Orgill, World Color, Sino-Swearingen, General Motors, and FedEx.

The city also has numerous federal government employers including the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Coast Guard Operations Systems Center, U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Veteran Administration Center.

The Martinsburg IRS Facility is one of the two Enterprise Computing Centers of the Internal Revenue Service (the other is in Memphis, Tennessee). The Martinsburg facility processes most of the country's electronically filed tax documents from businesses, and about one-third of electronically-filed tax returns.

The area is also home to the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard, based in Eastern WV Regional Airport.

Martinsburg had its own automobile company from 1912 to 1922, called Norwalk. The cars that were assembled here are the longest-made known cars to be built in the state of West Virginia.[3]

Healthcare

  • City Hospital - affiliated with West Virginia University Hospitals East
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Shopping

Martinsburg has one Shopping Mall

  • Martinsburg Mall: 551,351 square feet (51,222.2 m2) with approximately 50 stores and anchored by Walmart, JCPenney, Sears, and The Bon-Ton. Opened in 1991. Location: Foxcroft Avenue, Interstate 81 Exit 12 & 13.

Other retail centers/areas in Martinsburg include:

  • The Commons Shopping Center: 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) anchored by Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, TJ Maxx, Staples, Books A Million, Bed Bath and Beyond, Michaels, Petsmart, and Five Below. Opened in 2009. Location: Retail Commons Parkway, Interstate 81 Exit 12.
  • Old Courthouse Square: 201,350 square feet (18,706 m2) anchored by Food Lion, Schewels, and Auto Zone. Opened in 1987. Location: Edwin Miller Blvd.
  • Apple Harvest Drive: K-Mart, Food Lion, Lowes, and Advance Auto.
  • North Queen Street: Weis Markets, Tractor Supply, Big Lots, and Aarons.
  • Other shopping areas in the city are the Berkeley Plaza on Williamsport Pike and Martinsburg Plaza on Winchester Ave.

Education

High Schools

Colleges and universities

Transportation

B&O Roundhouse and Station Complex

Major highways

Mass transportation

See also: Martinsburg (Amtrak station)

Amtrak provides service to Martinsburg. The city's passenger rail station is located downtown at 229 East Martin Street. MARC, Maryland's commuter rail system, operates trains on weekdays on its Template:MARC lines which terminates in Martinsburg. Service is provided to Union Station in Washington, D.C.

Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority, known more popularly as "Pan Tran," operates bus routes in Martinsburg, surrounding Berkeley County, and neighboring Jefferson County, West Virginia.

Eastern WV Regional Airport, south of the city, handles general aviation. The closest airport with commercial air service is Hagerstown Regional Airport, that is about 25 miles (40 km) driving distance north. The closest international airport is Washington Dulles International Airport, which is about 60 miles (97 km) driving distance east.

Media

Print

  • Martinsburg has one daily community newspaper, The Journal.

Radio

Television

  • Martinsburg is home to W44AA Channel 44 (WV Educational Broadcasting) and (WWPX 60 (ION), all part of the Hagerstown sub-market that is further grouped under the Nielsen-designated Washington, D.C.-Hagerstown, Md. market, the ninth largest market in the nation.[4] The box below lists television stations available in the region.

Martinsburg, WV was the setting of the X-Files episode "Small Potatoes" (Season 4, episode 20). However, the filming did not take place in the vicinity.

Notable natives and residents

References

  1. ^ Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in West Virginia, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-07-01]
  2. ^ "Average Weather for Martinsburg, WV - Temperateure and Precipitation". Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  3. ^ The Norwalk: Martinsburg's Motor Car
  4. ^ Local Television Market Universe Estimates, Nielsen, 27 September 2008. Retrieved 02 November 2008.
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