Luray is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Page County,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
in the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...
in the northern part of the Commonwealth. The population was 4,895 at the
2010 census.
The town was started by William Staige Marye in 1812, a descendant of a family native to
Luray, France. The mayor of the town is Jerry Dofflemyer.
[
]
Geography
Luray is located at (38.664097, −78.454531).
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, 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
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 4,871 people, 2,037 households, and 1,332 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
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
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 5.52% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.25% Native American, 0.33% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.45% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
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
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
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
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $16,205. About 11.3% of families and 13.1% 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 t ...
, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable features
* Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns, originally called 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 generously adorned with speleothems such as columns, mud flows, s ...
is located in the western part of Luray.
* Luray is the nearest town to the Thornton Gap
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.
History
Thornton Gap was named for Francis Thornton (1711–April 14, 1749), owner of the land ...
entrance to Skyline Drive
Skyline Drive is a National Parkway that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The drive's northern terminus is a ...
(to the east), as well as serving as the headquarters for Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park (often ) is an American national park that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the ...
.
* Murder Mountain, located off Old Wagon Road in Luray, has become a destination for ghost hunters.
* The Luray Downtown Historic District
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 o ...
is a Virginia Main Street Community and a registered National Historic District.
* It is also home to the 2010 Valley Baseball League
The Valley Baseball League is an NCAA and MLB-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.
The league was started in 1923 and sanctioned by the NCAA in 1961. It has been a wooden bat league since 199 ...
Champion Luray Wranglers.
* 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
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
visited the Mimslyn during a short visit in the late 1930s and former Virginia Governor Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Virginia, a seat he has held since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Warner served as the 69th governo ...
visited in January 2008. The site of the Mimslyn is on the former location of "Aventine Hall
Aventine Hall is a historic home located at Luray, Page County, Virginia. It was built in 1852 by Peter Bouck Borst, and is a two-story, Greek Revival style frame dwelling. It is topped by a hipped roof with cupola and has four interior end chi ...
," 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 only high school in Luray is Luray High School
Luray High School is a public secondary school located in Luray, Virginia, United States. Luray High School is home to approximately 500 students, ranging from grades 9-12. Before construction of the new Luray High School building, it was one of ...
, home of the Bulldogs.
* The town is also home to ''The Page News and Courier
''The Page News and Courier'' is Page County, Virginia’s largest general circulation newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
History
The newspaper was founded in Luray, Virginia in ...
'', the major newspaper for the county.
*In 1893 the Blue Ridge Bank was founded, one of the oldest still functioning banks in Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
.
* The community's proximity to the South Fork of the Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is the principal tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 in t ...
provides recreational opportunities connected with boating, white water rafting, and fishing as well as hunting in the fall.
* The Luray Singing Tower, 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 high the Luray Singing Tower contains a carillon of 47 bells from John Taylor & Co
John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell foundry. It is located in Loughborough, ...
of Loughborough
Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second larg ...
, Leicestershire, Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
. 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.
* Archeological Site No. AU-154, Blackrock Springs Site, Jeremey's Run Site, and Paine Run Rockshelter are archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
s listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
* In addition to the Luray Downtown Historic District, Aventine Hall, and archaeological sites, the Heiston-Strickler House, Kanawha, Luray Norfolk and Western Passenger Station
The Luray Norfolk and Western Passenger Station is a historic train station located in Luray, Virginia, United States. The Shenandoah Valley Railroad reached Luray in 1881 and constructed a station near where the present station is located. Sho ...
, Massanutton Heights, Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Page County Courthouse, Abram and Sallie Printz Farm, Redwell-Isabella Furnace Historic District, Ruffner House, Skyline Drive Historic District, Isaac Spitler House, Stover House, and Wall Brook Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Education
Public schools
Page County Public Schools serve Luray, as well as the rest of Page County. Luray Elementary, Luray Middle, and Luray High School
Luray High School is a public secondary school located in Luray, Virginia, United States. Luray High School is home to approximately 500 students, ranging from grades 9-12. Before construction of the new Luray High School building, it was one of ...
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
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 Lord Fairfax are from Page, southern Shenandoah, and southern Warren Counties.
Neighborhoods
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.
* Boomfield—Located along in the southeastern part of Luray, namely the numbered streets.
* Cedar Knolls—An affluent neighborhood, located above Hilldale, but not a part of it.
* Court Street—A neighborhood of houses and streets branching off of Court Street and South Court Street Extended.
* Downtown—The downtown district along Main Street.
* Fairview—Far eastern portions of Luray, from East Luray Shopping Center eastward toward Fairview Grocery and the town line.
* Forest Hills—An affluent neighborhood located in the southwestern portion of the town. The roads within the neighborhood have medians with trees planted in them.
* Golf Course/Oh Shenandoah!—An affluent neighborhood located along the Luray Caverns Country Club golf course. Homes are often overly extravagant and some are not lived in full-time.
* Hawksbill Heights—A neighborhood above the Hawksbill Creek, very near Luray Middle School.
* Hilldale—An affluent neighborhood in the east-central portion of the town.
* Husdon—The subdivision between Forest Hills and the Hawksbill Creek in the southwestern portion of the town.
* Old Farms—A subdivision just outside the town limits, yet still referred to as within town limits.
* Springview—A neighborhood in the far northeastern reaches of the town limits, just across Route 211 from Old Farms. The roads within the neighborhood have medians with trees planted in them.
* West Lu—A housing development located in western Luray. It is near the Luray Airport and Luray Caverns.
* West Main Street / Bixler's Ferry-Known as "The Hill" to locals. It is the group of neighborhoods located between Downtown and Luray Caverns.
* Woodland Park—A neighborhood in the northernmost reaches of the town limits and includes both sides of Route 211. Named for the park that was once in the middle of the loop of Rosser Dr. and Stover St., which included a public pool. A small park remains. Across 211, there are duplexes as well as homes, and are considered to be in Woodland Park.
Notable natives and residents
* Edward Mallory "Ned" Almond (12 December 1892 – 11 June 1979) was a controversial United States Army general best known as the commander of the Army's X Corps during the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
.
* Floyd Baker
Floyd Wilson Baker (October 10, 1916 – November 17, 2004) was an American professional baseball third baseman, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Browns (1943–1944), Chicago White Sox (1945–1951), Washington Senators ...
(10 October 1916 - 17 November 2004) was a Major League Baseball infielder from 1943 to 1955.
* William Randolph Barbee (17 January 1818 – 16 June 1868) was a sculptor recognized for creating idealized, sentimental classical figures.
* Andrew Russell Barbee, Jr. (9 December 1827 – 5 August 1903), brother of William Randolph Barbee, noted surgeon during the American Civil War.
* Herbert Barbee (October 8, 1848 – March 22, 1936), son of William Randolph Barbee, was noted for his neoclassical sculpture; he created a monument in Luray.
* Peter Bouck Borst (23 June 1826 – 24 April 1882) was an active participant in the mid-19th century development of Page County, Virginia, serving as a lawyer, county delegate to Virginia's Secession Convention of 1861, and president of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad.
* Charles Frederick Crisp
Charles Frederick Crisp (January 29, 1845 – October 23, 1896) was a United States political figure. A Democrat, he was elected as a congressman from Georgia in 1882, and served until his death in 1896. From 1890 until his death, he led the Demo ...
(29 January 1845 – 23 October 1896) was a United States political figure; a Democrat, he was elected as a Congressman from Georgia in 1882, and served until his death in 1896. From 1890 until his death, he was leader of the Democratic Party in the House, as either the House Minority Leader or the Speaker of the House. He was the father of Charles R. Crisp, who also served in Congress.
* Carolyn Ellis
Carolyn Ellis is an American communication scholar known for her research of autoethnography, a reflexive approach to research, writing, and storytelling that connects the autobiographical and personal to the cultural, social, and political. Her re ...
is an academic known for her innovations in autoethnography Autoethnography is a form of ethnographic research in which a researcher connects personal experiences to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings. It is considered a form of qualitative and/or arts-based research.
Autoe ...
.
* Thomas Jordan (30 September 1819 – 27 November 1895) was a Confederate general and major operative in the network of Confederate spies during the American Civil War. A West Point graduate and career soldier in the armies of three nations, he fought in numerous wars and rebellions in the United States, Mexico, and Cuba. Jordan was also a newspaper editor and author.
* Donald Edward Keyhoe (20 June 1897 – 29 November 1988) was a Marine Corps naval aviator, writer of many aviation articles and stories in a variety of leading publications, and manager of the promotional tours of aviation pioneers, especially of Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...
.
* Robert Franklin Leedy
Robert Franklin Leedy (28 July 1863 – 12 January 1924) was a lawyer, soldier, and Virginia state legislator.
Early life and education
Robert Franklin Leedy was born at Leedy's Pump, Rockingham County, Virginia, a son of John (1826–18 ...
(28 July 1863 – 12 January 1924) was a lawyer, soldier, and Virginia state legislator.
* Keith McHenry
Keith McHenry is a co-founder of Food Not Bombs. He also co-founded Homes Not Jails and contributed to the founding of the Independent Media Center.
Early life
McHenry was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, in 1957, where his father was
statione ...
(born 6 May 1957) co-founded the global movement Food Not Bombs and wrote ''Hungry For Peace.''
Civil War
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
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
and Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
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
The Battle of Fisher's Hill was fought September 21–22, 1864, near Strasburg, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Despite its strong defensive position, the Confederate States Army, Confederate ...
Union general Philip Sheridan
General of the Army Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close as ...
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
New Market Gap is a wind gap in the Massanutten Mountain in Virginia. The gap is located approximately in the middle of the range, dividing it into north and south sections.
U.S. Route 211 runs through the gap, connecting New Market in the S ...
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
Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was a Virginia lawyer and politician who became a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his U.S. Army commissio ...
's retreat from Fisher's Hill. Private Philip Baybutt of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry received the Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for capturing a Confederate flag
The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...
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'' (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
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Luray has a humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa'').
Transportation
US 211
U.S. Route 211 (US 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 from Interstate 81 (I-81) and Virginia State Route 211 (SR 211) in New Market east to US 15 Business, ...
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.
References
External links
Town website
shenandoahvalleyweb.org
Military Times Hall of Valor
{{authority control
Towns in Page County, Virginia
Towns in Virginia
County seats in Virginia
Populated places established in 1812
1812 establishments in Virginia