Luray, Virginia

Last updated

Luray, Virginia
DowntownLuray.jpg
Downtown Luray
Luray in Page County.svg
Location of Luray within the Page county
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Luray, Virginia
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Luray, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°39′51″N78°27′16″W / 38.66417°N 78.45444°W / 38.66417; -78.45444
Country United States
State Virginia
County Page
Named for Luray, France
Government
  MayorJerry Dofflemyer (I) [1]
Area
[2]
  Total4.86 sq mi (12.58 km2)
  Land4.83 sq mi (12.50 km2)
  Water0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation
797–1,010 ft (243 m)
Population
 (2010)
  Total4,895
  Estimate 
(2019) [3]
4,848
  Density1,004.14/sq mi (387.72/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
22835
Area code 540
FIPS code 51-47528 [4]
GNIS feature ID1498510 [5]
Website www.townofluray.com

Luray is the county seat of Page County, Virginia, United States, [6] in the Shenandoah Valley in the northern part of the Commonwealth. The population was 4,895 at the 2010 census. [4]

Contents

The town was founded by William Staige Marye in 1812, a descendant of a family native to Luray, France. [7] The mayor of the town is Jerry Dofflemyer. [1]

Geography

Luray is located at 38°39′51″N78°27′16″W / 38.66417°N 78.45444°W / 38.66417; -78.45444 (38.664097, −78.454531). [8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.3 km2), of which, 4.7 square miles (12.3 km2) of it is land and 0.21% is water.

Demographics

Main Street, Luray, in 1910 LurayVirginiain1910.jpg
Main Street, Luray, in 1910
Aerial view in 2021 Luray VA 2021.jpg
Aerial view in 2021
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1880 632
1890 1,386119.3%
1900 1,147−17.2%
1910 1,2186.2%
1920 1,38113.4%
1930 1,4595.6%
1940 1,5113.6%
1950 2,73180.7%
1960 3,01410.4%
1970 3,61219.8%
1980 3,584−0.8%
1990 4,58728.0%
2000 4,8716.2%
2010 4,8950.5%
2019 (est.)4,848 [3] −1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

As of the census [4] of 2000, there were 4,871 people, 2,037 households, and 1,332 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,026.8 people per square mile (396.8/km2). There were 2,191 housing units at an average density of 461.9 per square mile (178.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.45% White, 5.52% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.

There were 2,037 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 28 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,306, and the median income for a family was $39,972. Males had a median income of $30,039 versus $19,841 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,205. About 11.3% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable features

One of the dominant hills in the Town of Luray is the location of the Grand Old Mimslyn Inn, a 1931 classic Southern mansion style hotel. The hotel is a popular site for wedding receptions. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the Mimslyn during a short visit in the late 1930s and former Virginia Governor Mark Warner visited in January 2008. The site of the Mimslyn is on the former location of "Aventine Hall," the home of Peter Bouck Borst, a mid-19th century lawyer. Aventine was carefully removed to make way for the construction of the Mimslyn in the 1930s. "Aventine Hall" is now located on South Court Street (this is a private residence) in the Town of Luray, Virginia.

The Luray Singing Tower, [10] officially known as the Belle Brown Northcott Memorial, was erected in 1937 in memory of Colonel Theodore Clay Northcott's wife (Northcott was the owner of the Luray Caverns). At 117 feet (36 m) high the Luray Singing Tower contains a carillon of 47 bells from John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, Leicestershire, Great Britain. The largest bell weighs 7,640 pounds and is six feet in diameter. The smallest weighs a mere 12½ pounds. Recognized as one of the country's major carillons, regularly scheduled recitals are held, free of charge, through the spring, summer and fall. The carillon is situated in a park opposite Luray Caverns.

Education

The Massanutten School, a restored one-room schoolhouse in downtown Luray MassanuttenSchool.jpg
The Massanutten School, a restored one-room schoolhouse in downtown Luray

Public schools

Page County Public Schools serve Luray, as well as the rest of Page County. Luray Elementary, Luray Middle, and Luray High School serve the entire town and nearby surrounding areas. Luray Middle and High also serve northern Page County, from feeder elementary school, Springfield, located near Rileyville.

Private schools

Mount Carmel Christian Academy is just south of town limits and is a private Christian school.

Higher education

Laurel Ridge Community College (formerly Lord Fairfax Community College) has a campus in Luray which provides students with nearly all necessary classes needed to graduate from the institution. Many students that attend the Luray Center of Laurel Ridge are from Page, southern Shenandoah, and southern Warren Counties.

Neighborhoods

Main Street in Luray 2016-07-19 15 06 15 View east along U.S. Route 211 Business (Main Street) at Bank Street in Luray, Page County, Virginia.jpg
Main Street in Luray
Belle Brown Northcott Memorial - also known as The Luray Singing Tower. Belle Brown Northcott Memorial - Luray, Virginia - Stierch.jpg
Belle Brown Northcott Memorial – also known as The Luray Singing Tower.

Well over three quarters of the town's population lives in one of the several planned neighborhoods of Luray. Each neighborhood serves as a landmark to the residents of Luray, often citing their neighborhoods as their residence.

Notable people

Civil War

View westward of Luray and New Market Gap from Skyline Drive on the Blue Ridge Luray and New Market Gap 060312.jpg
View westward of Luray and New Market Gap from Skyline Drive on the Blue Ridge

Luray is often cited as the location (as is Yager's Mill, on the north side of town, near Furnace Hill) of an engagement between Union and Confederate cavalry on September 24, 1864, though it actually took place approximately three miles north of the town, and even to the north of Yager's Mill.

Following his victory at the Battle of Fisher's Hill Union general Philip Sheridan sent approximately 6,000 troopers under Brigadier General Alfred Torbert into the Luray Valley. Torbert's men engaged approximately 1,200 Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General Williams Wickham. Despite victory in this affair and moving toward New Market Gap following the engagement, Torbert halted his command that night on the Page County side of the Massanutten, thereby missing an opportunity to cut off Confederate General Jubal Early's retreat from Fisher's Hill. Private Philip Baybutt of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry received the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate flag during the engagement. This action was part of Sheridan's portion of the Valley Campaigns of 1864.

Aunt Betty's Story: The Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman [12] (the book's cover reads merely "Aunt Betty's Story") is the 1889 autobiography of Bethany Veney's life in Luray.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Luray has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa).

Climate data for Luray 5 E, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–present)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)80
(27)
80
(27)
90
(32)
94
(34)
97
(36)
100
(38)
105
(41)
101
(38)
102
(39)
97
(36)
85
(29)
79
(26)
105
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)65.6
(18.7)
68.2
(20.1)
76.7
(24.8)
85.8
(29.9)
89.5
(31.9)
93.0
(33.9)
95.1
(35.1)
93.3
(34.1)
90.6
(32.6)
83.9
(28.8)
76.0
(24.4)
67.6
(19.8)
96.1
(35.6)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)43.3
(6.3)
47.4
(8.6)
54.9
(12.7)
66.5
(19.2)
74.0
(23.3)
81.4
(27.4)
85.4
(29.7)
83.4
(28.6)
77.9
(25.5)
67.4
(19.7)
56.7
(13.7)
47.2
(8.4)
65.5
(18.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)33.1
(0.6)
36.5
(2.5)
43.2
(6.2)
53.8
(12.1)
62.0
(16.7)
69.7
(20.9)
73.7
(23.2)
72.1
(22.3)
66.1
(18.9)
55.4
(13.0)
45.3
(7.4)
37.4
(3.0)
54.0
(12.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)23.0
(−5.0)
25.6
(−3.6)
31.5
(−0.3)
41.0
(5.0)
50.1
(10.1)
57.9
(14.4)
62.0
(16.7)
60.9
(16.1)
54.3
(12.4)
43.4
(6.3)
34.0
(1.1)
27.6
(−2.4)
42.6
(5.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)3.6
(−15.8)
7.0
(−13.9)
13.2
(−10.4)
25.9
(−3.4)
34.1
(1.2)
44.7
(7.1)
51.5
(10.8)
50.7
(10.4)
40.7
(4.8)
28.0
(−2.2)
18.7
(−7.4)
11.4
(−11.4)
1.3
(−17.1)
Record low °F (°C)−10
(−23)
−14
(−26)
−2
(−19)
15
(−9)
23
(−5)
31
(−1)
34
(1)
37
(3)
28
(−2)
17
(−8)
6
(−14)
−7
(−22)
−14
(−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm)2.85
(72)
2.45
(62)
3.58
(91)
3.51
(89)
4.21
(107)
4.76
(121)
4.12
(105)
3.77
(96)
5.42
(138)
3.17
(81)
3.21
(82)
3.10
(79)
44.15
(1,121)
Average snowfall inches (cm)6.1
(15)
2.7
(6.9)
6.2
(16)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.4
(1.0)
3.0
(7.6)
18.6
(47)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)9.57.811.212.012.411.111.110.59.78.78.99.6122.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)1.71.61.10.10.00.00.00.00.00.10.20.95.7
Source: NOAA [13] [14]

Transportation

US 211 in Luray 2019-08-16 15 01 36 View west along U.S. Route 211 (Lee Highway-Luray Bypass) from the overpass for Virginia State Route 731 (Collins Avenue) in Luray, Page County, Virginia.jpg
US 211 in Luray

US 211 and US 340 intersect in Luray and are the main roadways into and out of the area. US 211 Bus and US 340 Bus provide local access to downtown Luray.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waynesboro, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Waynesboro is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a principal city of the Staunton-Waynesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area. Waynesboro is located in the Shenandoah Valley and is surrounded by Augusta County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,196.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Page County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Page County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,709. Its county seat is Luray. Page County was formed in 1831 from Shenandoah and Rockingham counties and was named for John Page, Governor of Virginia from 1802 to 1805.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrenton, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, of which it is the seat of government. The population was 10,057 as of the 2020 census, an increase from 9,611 at the 2010 census and 6,670 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in July 2021 was 10,109. It is at the junction of U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 29, and U.S. Route 211. The town is in the Piedmont region of Virginia just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The well-known Airlie Conference Center is 3 miles (5 km) north of Warrenton, and the historic Vint Hill Farms military facility is 9 miles (14 km) east. Fauquier Hospital is located in the town. Surrounded by Virginia wine and horse country, Warrenton is a popular destination outside Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Hill, Loudoun County, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia

Round Hill is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. Its population was 539 at the 2010 census and an estimated 656 in 2019. The town is located at the crossroads of Virginia Routes 7 and 719, approximately 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Washington, D.C. The town's name refers a hill two miles northeast of a 910-foot (280 m) hill used during the American Civil War as a signal post by both Confederate and Union troops. House of Round Hill was built in 2004. Patsy Cline went to Round Hill Elementary School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shenandoah, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

Shenandoah is a town in Page County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,373 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

Stanley is a town in Page County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,689 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Jackson, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

Mount Jackson is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,994 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Market, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

New Market is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. Founded as a small crossroads trading town in the Shenandoah Valley, it has a population of 2,146 as of the most recent 2010 U.S. census. The north–south U.S. 11 and the east–west U.S. 211 pass near it and cross Massanutten Mountain at the town's titular gap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shenandoah Valley</span> Region of Virginia and West Virginia

The Shenandoah Valley is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, to the north by the Potomac River, to the south by the James River, and to the Southwest by the New River Valley. The cultural region covers a larger area that includes all of the Valley plus the Virginia Highlands to the west and the Roanoke Valley to the south. It is physiographically located within the Ridge and Valley Province and is a portion of the Great Appalachian Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luray Caverns</span> Cave in Virginia, United States

Luray Caverns, previously Luray Cave, is a cave just west of Luray, Virginia, United States, which has drawn many visitors since its discovery in 1878. The cavern system is adorned with speleothems such as columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and mirrored pools. The caverns host the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made from solenoid-fired strikers that tap stalactites of varied sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 211</span>

U.S. Route 211 is a spur of US 11 in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Lee Highway, the U.S. Highway runs 59.09 miles (95.10 km) from Interstate 81 (I-81) and Virginia State Route 211 in New Market east to US 15 Business, US 29 Business, and US 211 Business in Warrenton. US 211 connects the Shenandoah Valley with the Piedmont town of Warrenton via Luray and Sperryville, where the highway runs concurrently with US 340 and US 522, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 340</span> US Numbered Highway in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, United States

U.S. Route 340 is a spur route of US 40, and runs from Greenville, Virginia, to Frederick, Maryland. In Virginia, it runs north–south, parallel and east of US 11, from US 11 north of Greenville via Waynesboro, Grottoes, Elkton, Luray, Front Royal, and Berryville to the West Virginia state line. A short separate piece crosses northern Loudoun County on its way from West Virginia to Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Page Valley</span> Valley in Virginia, US

The Page Valley is a small valley geographically and culturally associated with the Shenandoah Valley. The valley is located between the Massanutten and Blue Ridge mountain ranges in western Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornton Gap</span>

Thornton Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia separating the Shenandoah Valley from the Piedmont region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Randolph Barbee</span> American sculptor (1818–1868)

William Randolph Barbee was an American sculptor recognized for creating idealized, sentimental classical figures. Barbee's most notable works were the marble sculptures entitled Coquette and Fisher Girl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethany Veney</span>

Bethany Veney, was an American writer whose autobiography and slave narrative, Aunt Betty's Story: The Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman, was published in 1889. Born into slavery on a farm near Luray, Virginia, as Bethany Johnson, married twice, first to an enslaved man, Jerry Fickland, with whom she had a daughter, Charlotte. He was sold away from her and she later married Frank Veney, a free black man. She was sold on an auction block to her enslaver, George J. Adams, who brought her to Providence, Rhode Island, and later to Worcester, Massachusetts. After the American Civil War, Veney made four trips to Virginia to move her daughter and her family and 16 additional family members north to New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert Barbee</span> American sculptor (1848–1936)

Herbert Barbee was an American sculptor from Luray, Virginia. He was the son of William Randolph Barbee (1818–1868), also a renowned sculptor, with whom he studied in Florence, Italy for some time. He lived for much of his life in his home county, where he had something of a reputation as an eccentric, and where he was not respected by many of the locals due to his propensity for carving nude figures. At one time he also kept a studio in New York, and in 1887 and 1888 he was active in Cincinnati. During his career he also worked in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and St. Louis. Eventually he opened a studio in Hamburg, Virginia, not far from his birthplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milford Battlefield</span> United States historic place

Milford Battlefield is situated in Overall, Virginia in Warren County and Page County, Virginia. It was the site of a battle on September 22–24 during the Valley campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. The site is located on property now privately owned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Calvary Lutheran Church</span> Historic church in Virginia, United States

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, also known as Hawksbill Church, Hacksbill Church, Hoxbiehl Church, and Gomer's Church, is an historic Lutheran church with adjacent cemetery located near the town of Luray in Page County, Virginia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luray Downtown Historic District</span> Historic district in Virginia, United States

Luray Downtown Historic District is a national historic district located at Luray, Page County, Virginia. The district includes 75 contributing buildings, 1 contributing structure, and 3 contributing objects in the central business district of the town of Luray. They include residential, commercial, governmental, and institutional buildings in a variety of popular 19th and 20th century architectural styles. Notable buildings include the Skyline Building, Luray Motor Company (1935), Luray United Methodist Church (1899-1900), Luray Post Office (1938), Page County Record Building (1912), Bridge Theatre, Casey Jones Overall Factory (1922), Mansion Inn, Jordan-McKim Building, Hotel Laurance, and Mimslyn Inn (1930-1931). The contributing objects include the Confederate Monument (1918) and clock. Located in the district are the separately listed Luray Norfolk and Western Passenger Station and Page County Courthouse.

References

  1. 1 2 "Directory". Town of Luray. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. Hagemann, James A. (1988) The heritage of Virginia: The story of place names in the Old Dominion. The Donning Co., 297 p.
  8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. The Luray Singing Tower http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=10325 Archived 2010-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
  11. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  12. Veney, Bethany (1889). The Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman. Worcester, Mass. Retrieved August 17, 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  14. "Station: Lurary 5 E, VA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 3, 2021.