The Plains, Virginia

Last updated

The Plains, Virginia
2016-10-03 16 30 32 View north along Virginia State Route 245 (Fauquier Avenue) at Virginia State Route 55 (Main Street) in The Plains, Fauquier County, Virginia.jpg
The center of town
Seal of The Plains, Virginia.png
VAMap-doton-ThePlains.PNG
Location of The Plains in Virginia
Coordinates: 38°51′46″N77°46′32″W / 38.86278°N 77.77556°W / 38.86278; -77.77556
Country United States
State Virginia
County Fauquier
Founded1910
Government
  MayorLori Sisson [1]
Area
[2]
  Total0.28 sq mi (0.71 km2)
  Land0.28 sq mi (0.71 km2)
  Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
610 ft (190 m)
Population
 (2020) [3]
  Total245
  Estimate 
(2022) [4]
239
  Density880/sq mi (350/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
20198
Area code 540
FIPS code 51-78192 [5]
GNIS feature ID1496309 [6]
Website www.theplainsvirginia.org

The Plains is a small incorporated town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 245 as of the 2020 census, [7] up from 217 at the 2010 census. [8] It is centered on the intersection of VA 55 (John Marshall Highway) and VA 245 (Old Tavern Road). The town of The Plains is situated off I-66. As of 2022, the mayor of The Plains is Lori Sisson. [9]

Contents

History

In the 18th century, the Colony of Virginia progressively expanded westward and allowed Europeans to begin to construct settlements in the area. Before and during the Civil War, the area was called "White Plains" on maps and a Post Office was named "The Plains" in 1831. A two-story house, with a blacksmith's shop above, was built in 1852. During the Civil War, John S. Mosby and his Mosby's Raiders used The Plains as part of their raiding area they controlled. [10] The Plains was incorporated as a town in 1910. [11]

Geography

The Plains is located in northeastern Fauquier County at 38°51′46″N77°46′32″W / 38.86278°N 77.77556°W / 38.86278; -77.77556 (38.862698, -77.775464). [12] VA 55 leads southeast 10 miles (16 km) to Gainesville and west 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to Marshall. VA 245 leads southwest 1 mile (1.6 km) to I-66 at Exit 31. I-66 leads east 45 miles (72 km) to Washington, D.C., and west 24 miles (39 km) to Front Royal.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.7 km2), all of it land. [8]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, The Plains has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. [13]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1920 275
1930 41450.5%
1940 372−10.1%
1950 4058.9%
1960 48419.5%
1970 418−13.6%
1980 382−8.6%
1990 219−42.7%
2000 26621.5%
2010 217−18.4%
2020 24512.9%
2022 (est.)239 [14] −2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [15]

As of the census [5] of 2000, there were 266 people, 110 households, and 70 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,035.1 people per square mile (395.0/km2). There were 118 housing units at an average density of 459.2 per square mile (175.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 89.85% White and 10.15% African American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population.

There were 110 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,750, and the median income for a family was $45,313. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $33,542 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,909. About 13.7% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 14.8% of those 65 or over.

Attractions

The Plains is home to Great Meadow, a large open-air and open-field facility that hosts several large events throughout the year, such as the Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase horse race, which attracts over 50,000 guests on the first Saturday of each May, as well as being the home of the Team America Rocketry Challenge held in the same month. [16]

Archwood Green Barns Farmer's Market features fresh, homemade and local products. Hours are Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. beginning the last Sunday in April through the 2nd Sunday in November. It is open the first two Sundays in December for the "Christmas on the Farm" show.

A museum exhibit, "Footprint to Change", is located at 4243 Loudoun Avenue near the train tracks that go through town. The building houses the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County offices, library and archives as well as the museum. [17]

Long Branch Baptist Church (est. 1786), the third oldest Baptist church in Virginia, lies 4 miles (6 km) north of The Plains in the unincorporated area called Halfway. The evangelist William Broaddus, founder of Southwestern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, was pastor there in the 1830s. His nephew John Broadus is often called "the father of homiletics" (preaching).

Wakefield School, a pre-school through Grade 12 independent school, is located just south of the town limits.

Actor Robert Duvall once owned a restaurant in The Plains called "The Rail Stop", named after the Norfolk Southern B-Line, which runs through the town. He still makes his residence north of town at his 360-acre (1.5 km2) Byrnley Farm. [18] The town is also home to a seasonal corn maze owned and operated by a family in Charlottesville.

The National Association of Rocketry held NARAM-50 there in the summer of 2008.

The Masonic lodge was organized on a site near the present post office. The Plains Lodge U.D. held its first meeting on December 29, 1898, and continued to work "Under Dispensation" until the Grand Lodge of Virginia met in Alexandria on December 15, 1899, and issued the lodge a charter under the name of Cochran Lodge No. 271.

Beverley Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, [19] and most of the town was listed as The Plains Historic District in 2014. [20] [21]

Transportation

Highways directly serving The Plains include Virginia State Route 55 and Virginia State Route 245. SR 55 extends east and west, serving as a local service road to nearby I-66, while SR 245 provides the most direct connection to I-66 from The Plains.

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Fauquier County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,972. The county seat is Warrenton.

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

Cumberland County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,675. Its county seat is Cumberland.

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

Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Culpeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peach Springs, Arizona</span> CDP in Mohave County, Arizona

Peach Springs is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,098 at the 2020 census. Peach Springs serves as the administrative headquarters of the Hualapai people and is located on the Hualapai Reservation.

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

Berryville is an incorporated town in and the county seat of Clarke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,574 at the 2020 census, up from 4,185 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centreville, Virginia</span> Census-designated Place in Virginia, United States

Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. It had a population of 73,518, making it the most-populous community in Fairfax County as of the 2020 U.S. census

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

Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In 2020, the population at the census was 24,655, which makes it the largest of three incorporated towns in the county.

<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">Glen Lyn, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

Glen Lyn is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the East and New rivers. The population was 115 at the 2010 census, down from 151 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

Louisa is a town in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,555 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Louisa County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodbridge, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Woodbridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States, located 20 miles (32 km) south of Washington, D.C. Bounded by the Occoquan and Potomac rivers, Woodbridge had 44,668 residents at the 2020 census.

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

Dayton is a town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population is 1,530 as of the 2010 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

Toms Brook is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. The population was 258 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falmouth, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Falmouth is a census-designated place (CDP) in Stafford County, Virginia, United States. Situated on the north bank of the Rappahannock River at the falls, the community is north of and opposite the city of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP), Falmouth's population was 4,956 as of the 2020 census.

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

Wise is a town in Wise County, Virginia. The population was 3,286 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wise County. It was originally incorporated as the town of Gladeville in 1874. The town's name was changed to Wise in 1924, after Henry A. Wise, the last Virginia governor before the American Civil War and the first governor to hail from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

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

Gassaway is a town in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 769 at the 2020 census. Gassaway was incorporated in 1905 and named for Henry Gassaway Davis, the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904. The center of population of West Virginia is located approximately 7 miles (11 km) north of Gassaway.

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

Clay is a town in and the county seat of Clay County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 399 at the 2020 census. It is the only incorporated town in Clay County.

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

Marlinton is a town in and the county seat of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 998 at the 2020 census. Located along the Greenbrier River, it is known for its scenery.

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

Beverly is a town in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1787, it is the oldest settlement in the Tygart River Valley. It had a population of 628 at the 2020 census. Beverly was the county seat of Randolph County for over a century—from 1790 until 1899—after which the nearby settlement of Elkins assumed that role following an intense local political "war".

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

Gordonsville is a town in Orange County in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Located about 19 miles northeast of Charlottesville and 65 miles northwest of Richmond, the population was 1,402 at the 2020 census.

References

  1. "The Plains, Virginia - Town Council".
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. "Explore Census Data".
  4. "The Plains, Virginia Population 2022 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)".
  5. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): The Plains town, Virginia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 18, 2016.[ dead link ]
  9. "The Plains, Virginia - Town Council". theplainsvirginia.org. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  10. "About Us - Our History". theplainsvirginia.org. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  11. Audrey Hoffer (November 21, 2014). "Where We Live: The Plains, Va., is a historic rural enclave works to stay that way". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  12. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  13. Climate Summary for The Plains, Virginia
  14. "The Plains, Virginia Population 2022 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)".
  15. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. Ridgway-Khalifa, Daisy (March 21, 2012). "A Day in the Country". Virginia Living . Cape Fear Publishing. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  17. "Virtual Museum". Footsteps to Change. Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  18. "Robert Duvall at home in rural Virginia".
  19. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  20. "NRHP nomination for The Plains Historic District" (PDF). Virginia DHR. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  21. "NRHP actions taken, 5/26/14 through 5/30/14". National Park Service. Retrieved June 6, 2014.