HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Alderson is a town in Greenbrier and
Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...
counties in the U.S. state of
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, on both sides of the
Greenbrier River The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River (Kanawha River), New River, long,McNeel, William P. "Greenbrier River." ''The West Virginia Encyclopedia''. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. 2006. . in ...
. The population was 975 at the 2020 census.


History

Alderson is a community located along the
Greenbrier River The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River (Kanawha River), New River, long,McNeel, William P. "Greenbrier River." ''The West Virginia Encyclopedia''. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. 2006. . in ...
in Greenbrier County and Monroe County, incorporated in 1881. In 1763, the nearby Muddy Creek settlements were destroyed by
Shawnee Indians The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...
under Chief
Cornstalk "Corn stalk" or "Cornstalk" may refer to: * The stem of a maize plant * ''Dracaena fragrans'' or cornstalk dracaena, a flowering plant * Cornstalk (Shawnee leader), a Shawnee Indian chief during the American Revolution (1720–1777) * Cornstalk, We ...
. Alderson was originally settled in 1777 by "Elder" John Alderson, a frontier missionary for whom the town is named, who organized the first Baptist church in the
Greenbrier Valley Greenbrier or Green Brier may refer to: * ''Smilax'', a plant genus commonly called greenbrier Places in the United States * Greenbrier, Alabama * Greenbrier, Arkansas * Green Brier, Illinois * Greenbrier, Indiana (disambiguation) * Greenbr ...
. Alderson became an important livestock shipping point on the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis Potter Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Rich ...
. Alderson is the location of the Federal Reformatory for Women, which opened in 1927 as the first federal prison for women. During the early 1900s, Alderson became a hub of higher education in the state. It was home to three separate institutions of higher education, including the Alderson Academy and Junior College, which eventually was integrated into Alderson-Broaddus College in 1932. The Alexander McVeigh Miller House in Greenbrier County is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
, as is Sunset Hill in Monroe County. The Alderson Bridge and Alderson Historic District are located in both counties.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.


Climate


Demographics


2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,184 people, 518 households, and 315 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 602 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.0%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 5.0%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 3.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population. There were 518 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the town was 42.8 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,091 people, 481 households, and 305 families living in the town. The population density was 1,214.5 inhabitants per square mile (468.0/km2). There were 586 housing units at an average density of 652.3 per square mile (251.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.83%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 6.60%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.27% Native American, 0.18% Asian, and 2.11% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population. There were 481 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $23,043, and the median income for a family was $29,028. Males had a median income of $31,000 versus $20,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,474. About 17.8% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those aged 65 or over.


Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
, the national passenger rail service, provides
request stop In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a bus stop, stop or train station, station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or drop ...
service to Alderson. There is a only platform located at 1 C&O Plaza on Railroad Avenue. It is served by the
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
route.


Economy

The
Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for all List of United States federal prisons, federal prisons ...
facility Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, where media mogul
Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail business woman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety ...
was imprisoned, is the largest employer in Alderson. A portion of FPC Alderson is located in unincorporated Monroe County, while the other portion of the prison lies in unincorporated Summers County. The Alderson Federal Prison Camp is located on the spot on which the earliest settlers of the area chose to settle and called their settlement ''Baughman's Fort''. Baughman's Fort was built in the 1750s, and the settlement was supposedly destroyed by Native Americans shortly thereafter, though no factual evidence exists to support this theory. Few archaeological remains of the early fort remain after the building of the Federal Prison Camp in the early 20th century. Only notations in early journals refer to the location of the fort. Betty Alderson, who is married to a descendant of the founders of Alderson, stated, "Every business profited" when
Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail business woman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety ...
was incarcerated at Alderson, and media attention was focused on the community. Residents planted bulbs into a garden that was to be named "Martha's Garden."


Local events

"Alderson has gained fame for its elaborate Fourth of July festivities, as much a fitting celebration of small-town America as it is an observance of the nation's holiday." It is also one of the oldest celebrations in the state. It currently has one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations in West Virginia, attracting approximately 15,000 people during the parade. It is unique by offering many family activities. Over six days, events include a fireman's rodeo, band shows, a car show, a parade, various races on the Greenbrier River, as well as a parade and fireworks. The Alderson Strawberry Festival began in 2016 and occurs annually during Memorial Day weekend. This festival celebrates strawberries, and the local farmers provide the strawberries for the event.


Notable people

*
Mittie Frances Clarke Point Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller ( Point; after first marriage, Davis; after second marriage, Miller; April 30, 1850 – December 26, 1937) was the pen name of Mittie Frances Clarke Point, an American novelist. She wrote 80 dime novels during a 50-year ...
wrote many of her novels here at "The Cedars". * Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia Smith, better known as Bricktop (August 14, 1894 – February 1, 1984) was an American dancer, singer,
vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatre, theatrical genre of variety show, variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comic ...
, and self-described saloon-keeper who owned the
nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...
Chez Bricktop in Paris from 1924 to 1961, as well as clubs in
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
and Rome. She has been called "...one of the most legendary and enduring figures of 20th-century American cultural history.


References


External links


Alderson West Virginia – A History

Alderson High School
{{Authority control Towns in Greenbrier County, West Virginia Towns in Monroe County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia 1881 establishments in West Virginia Populated places established in 1881 Populated places on the Greenbrier River