Fries (pronounced "freeze") is an incorporated town located on the New River in Grayson County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States, 15.5 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of the county seat of

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

— in Virginia's Blue Ridge Highlands and on Virginia's musical heritage trail, The Crooked Road. Named after prominent cotton mill owner, Francis Henry Fries, the town is noted as the former site of Washington Mill (1903-1989); as one of three end points of the New River Trail State Park and as the host of annual music festivals reflecting its strong bluegrass and country music traditions — with its August ''Old-Time Fiddlers' and Bluegrass Convention'' and its September ''Festival by the New River''.

History

Fries was named after North Carolina cotton mill owner Colonel Francis Henry Fries. Jim 'Pipe' Carico (of Stephens Creek, Virginia, the nearest incorporated town) contacted Fries in 1900 and proposed Bartlett Falls on New River as a site for a hydroelectric dam that could power a cotton mill. Fries purchased the surrounding rural farmland then hired a local labor force to build a dam, a cotton mill and a full-service company owned town. By 1901, the New River Train was extended to the mill site and Fries petitioned the Virginia State Legislature to incorporate the new town of Carico, VA in honor of Jim 'Pipe' Carico. For reasons that are not well documented, the town name was instead legislatively changed to Fries, Virginia and officially incorporated in 1902. Despite the heavy reliance on manual labor, mules and oxen, the town's construction progressed quickly and the open call for employment spurred migration to the town. Around 300 houses, a post office, a church and a company commissary were wedged into the surrounding hillside before the mill began operation in February 1903 — with "the most sophisticated technology in the world." After changing hands numerous times, the mill closed in 1989. At the time the mill closed, it employed 1,700 people. Fries High School also closed in 1989. The students from Fries, along with students from nearby Independence High School, were combined to form Grayson County High School, located in

. The Stephen G. Bourne House, Fries Boarding Houses, and Spring Valley Rural Historic District are 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 ...

Culture

Although the entire Appalachian region is known for its Bluegrass and traditional, or " old-timey" music and musicians, the region around Mount Airy,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

is one of the few areas of the United States where this music has remained prominent, even among young people. The Old Fiddler's Convention, one of the most prominent traditional music contests in the United States, has been held annually in the nearby city of Galax since 1935. It has long attracted the best up-and-coming bluegrass musicians. The Blue Ridge Music Center with its amphitheater and music museum of old-time music is just a short distance away on the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

at Milepost 213 (kilometer 342.8).

Geography

Fries is located at (36.715537, −80.975849). 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 0.8 square mile (2.1 km²), of which 0.6 square mile (1.7 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.4 km²) (19.75%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 484 people, 255 households, and 144 families residing in the town. The following data is from the

of 2000. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 947.8 people per square mile (364.7/km²). There were 337 housing units at an average density of 520.2 per square mile (200.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.70%

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 ...

, 0.65%

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, 0.16% Native American, 0.16% from other races, and 0.33% 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 0.98% of the population. There were 298 households, out of which 17.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.71. In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.8% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $21,250, and the median income for a family was $30,250. Males had a median income of $27,946 versus $18,472 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $13,107. About 14.1% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

New River Trail State Park, a

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

has a 5.5 spur from Fries Junction on the main trail to Fries, Virginia — giving Fries one of its three end points. The historic Fries Recreation Center is located in downtown Fries. In 1910 an increasing need was seen for a community center for the employees of the mill. A site was selected that would be central for the townspeople and construction was begun for the Fries Lyceum. The building provided reading rooms, and a skating rink became the gathering place for the young people of the town. In 1923, the Lyceum was renovated and reorganized as a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). The building now contained the only gymnasium in the Carroll-Grayson area, along with a movie theatre. The need to expand was seen again in the late 1940s, and in 1948, a new lobby, bowling alley, kitchen and dining area, library, and additional game rooms were added. The swimming pool built in the front, facing the New River, was the most popular addition. Through the years semi-professional baseball was sponsored by the "Y". It has housed meetings for the Fries Garden Club, organized in 1932, Fries Lions Club organized in 1938, and the Fries Women's Club organized in 1953. The Fries Recreation center hosts The

Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

and

Girl Scouts of the USA Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she ...

, Red Cross Training Courses, Hunter Safety Courses, visiting community minded college students, and many more groups and activities. The Fries Recreation Center also houses the Fries Town Hall and the Fries Police Department

References

Bibliography

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External links

Fries VA - Where the New River Trail Begins
{{authority control Towns in Grayson County, Virginia Towns in Virginia Virginia populated places on the New River