Rural Retreat is a town in
Wythe County,
Virginia, United States. The population was 1,483 at the 2010 census.
History
The
Kimberling Lutheran Cemetery was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1980; the
Rural Retreat Depot
The Rural Retreat Depot is a historic railroad station at 105 Railroad Avenue in Rural Retreat, Virginia. Built c. 1870, it is one of the oldest railroad stations in Southwest Virginia, and one of only two to survive from the Reconstruction Era. ...
was listed in 2014.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km
2), all land.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,350 people, 570 households, and 399 families living in the town. The
population density was 600.6 people per square mile (231.7/km
2). There were 629 housing units at an average density of 279.8 per square mile (107.9/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.52%
White, 0.37%
African American, 0.30%
Native American, 0.15%
Asian, 0.37% from
other races, and 0.30% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 570 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% 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, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,141, and the median income for a family was $41,776. Males had a median income of $27,198 versus $21,128 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $15,993. About 7.7% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
Doris Crouse-Mays
Doris Crouse-Mays (born 1958) is an American labor leader.
A native of Rural Retreat, Virginia, Crouse-Mays began her career as a telephone operator; as a shop steward she soon because involved in the organized labor movement. She first joined ...
, labor leader
*
William N. Doak
William Nuckles Doak (December 12, 1882October 23, 1933) was an American labor leader. He was the Vice-President of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and served as Secretary of Labor. He died of cardiovascular disease in McLean, Virginia si ...
, third
United States Secretary of Labor
*Dr.
Charles T. Pepper
Charles Taylor Pepper (December 2, 1830 – May 28, 1903) was an American physician and surgeon, who is often cited as the namesake for the soft drink brand Dr Pepper. Many stories on the origins of the drink's name exist, of which the Dr Pepper ...
, claimed as namesake of the drink "
Dr Pepper"
*
Deacon Phillippe,
major league baseball pitcher
*
Pamela Stafford, model, fashion designer and artist
References
External links
{{Wythe County, Virginia
Towns in Wythe County, Virginia