Rapidan is a small unincorporated community in the Virginia counties of Culpeper and Orange, approximately 5 miles (8 km) northeast of the Town of Orange. The community, located on both sides of the Rapidan River, was established in the late eighteenth century around the Waugh's Ford mill. The

Orange and Alexandria Railroad The Orange and Alexandria Railroad (O&A) was a railroad in Virginia, United States. Chartered in 1848, it eventually extended from Alexandria to Gordonsville, with another section from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. The road played a crucial rol ...

built a line through the town in 1854, a post office was built at the river crossing, and its name was changed to Rapid Ann Station. Milling remained a major industry in the area up through the mid-twentieth century."Rapidan Historic District." National Register of Historic Places registration form. February 1986. Form prepared by David Edwards and staff, Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks. Retrieved 15 November 2013. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Culpeper/023-0052_Rapidan_Historic_District_1987_Final_Nomination.pdf Its strategic location along both a railroad and a river brought about several destructive raids during the Civil War. Willis’s mill (ca. 1772), which stood in the location of the current mill, was burned along with several homes and other structures, although the miller's house remained. The village of Rapid Ann Station resumed its prominence as a regional shipping point after the railroad was rebuilt following the Civil War, particularly for lumber and wood products. Its name was changed once again in 1886 to the present-day Rapidan. In 1987, the

Rapidan Historic District Rapidan Historic District is a national historic district located at Rapidan, in Culpeper County and Orange County, Virginia. It encompasses 34 contributing buildings in the crossroads village of Rapidan. They include three churches, a post of ...

, encompassing 35 contributing buildings and 3 noncontributing buildings within 182 acres (74 ha), was designated a National Historic District, added to both the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Contributing buildings include the

Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located near Rapidan, Orange County, Virginia. It was built in 1874, and is a Carpenter Gothic frame building covered with board-and-batten siding. It features a three-stag ...

, listed separately on the VLR and NRHP. Although not within the Rapidan Historic District, the community of Rapidan is also home to an eighteenth-century middle-class farmhouse known as Locust Grove (also known as Goodwin Farm), which was listed on the VLR and NRHP in 1985. The community and surrounding counties are served by the Rapidan Volunteer Fire Department, officially formed in 1978. File:Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Rapidan, Virginia.jpg, Emmanuel Episcopal Church File:Lower Rapidan Baptist Church in Rapidan, Virginia.jpg, Lower Rapidan Baptist Church File:Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church in Rapidan, Virginia.jpg, Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church File:Rapidan Passenger Depot 3877.jpg, Rapidan Passenger Depot

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, Rapidan 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° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Rapidan, Virginia
/ref>

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Virginia Unincorporated communities in Culpeper County, Virginia

Climate

See also

References