Narrows, named for the narrowing of the New River that flows through the town, is a town in Giles 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 population was 2,029 at the 2010 census, a decline of 3.9% from the 2000 count of 2,111. It is part of the Blacksburg– Christiansburg

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

Geography

Narrows is located at (37.331818, −80.808477). The town is just north of the Mill Creek (conservation area), an area in the

Jefferson National Forest The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover of land in the Appalachian Mountai ...

designated by the Wilderness Society as a "Mountain Treasure". 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 1.3 square miles (3.5 km), of which 1.3 square miles (3.3 km) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km) (4.48%) is water.

Demographics

Detailed breakdowns of the 2010 census numbers are not yet available. At the 2000 census there were 2,111 people, 890 households, and 600 families in the town. The population density was 1,649.7 people per square mile (636.8/km). There were 971 housing units at an average density of 758.8 per square mile (292.9/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 98.86% White, 0.24% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43%. Of the 890 households 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 29.6% of households were one person and 16.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.90. The age distribution was 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males. The median household income was $31,875 and the median family income was $42,610. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $22,222 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,933. About 5.4% of families and 8.7% 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 11.4% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

Settled as early as 1778, a post office was opened in 1873 and the town was incorporated in 1904. From 1946–1950, the

New River Rebels The New River Rebels were a minor league baseball team representing Narrows, Virginia and Pearisburg, Virginia. From 1946 to 1950, the New River Rebels were a member of the Class D level Appalachian League, winning league championships in 1946 an ...

were a minor league baseball team representing Narrows and

Pearisburg, Virginia Pearisburg is a town in Giles County, Virginia. The population was 2,786 at the time of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Giles County. Pearisburg is part of the Blacksburg– Christiansburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Pea ...

. The New River Rebels were a member of the Class D

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...

from 1946–1950. The Rebels captured Appalachian League Championships in 1946 and 1947. The New River Rebels were an affiliate of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

in 1946 and played at Ragsdale Field. The

Narrows Commercial Historic District The Narrows Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic commercial heart of Narrows, Virginia. It is centered at the intersection of Main and Monroe Streets and MacArthur Lane, near the confluence of Wolf Creek and the New River. Th ...

was added to 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 2014. On December 22, 1996,

Airborne Express Flight 827 Airborne Express Flight 827 was a functional evaluation flight (FEF) of an Airborne Express Douglas DC-8-63F (registration N827AX) that had undergone a major modification. On December 22, 1996, during the test flight, the aircraft stalled and cr ...

crashed in Narrows, killing all six people on board.

References

{{authority control Towns in Giles County, Virginia Towns in Virginia Blacksburg–Christiansburg metropolitan area