Elkton (formerly Conrad's Store) is an
incorporated town
An incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation.
Canada
Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.
United States
An incorporated town o ...
in
Rockingham 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. It is included in the
Harrisonburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,941 at the
2020 census and 2,762 at the
2010 census. Elkton was named for the Elk Run stream.
It is located along the south fork of the
Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is the principal tributary of the Potomac River, long with two River fork, forks approximately long each,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August ...
at the intersections of east-west
U.S. Route 33 and north-south
U.S. Route 340. The town celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008.
History
One of the first European-Americans to settle permanently in the area was
Adam Miller (Mueller), a native of Germany. In 1741, Miller purchased , including a large lithia spring, near Elkton and lived on this property for the remainder of his life. He sold of this property to his son-in-law, Jacob Baer, and the spring on Miller’s land is still known as Bear Lithia Spring.
Conrads Store was a
general store
A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...
built by George Conrad about 1812.
George Conrad was a son of Captain Stephen Conrad who served during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. In 1816, Conrads Store became a United States
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
with George Conrad as its first postmaster. During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
(1861–1865), Conrads Store operated as a
Confederate
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
post office. In September 1866, postal service was briefly
discontinued at Conrads Store, and intermittently resumed
and discontinued over the next decade until 1881 when the name,
Elkton, was adopted as the name of new passenger station of the
Shenandoah Valley Railroad. In January 1881, Elkton, Virginia was established as a post office. The Town of Elkton was officially incorporated on March 14, 1908.
An important building in the town's history is the Jennings House. Built in 1840 by Dr.
Samuel B. Jennings, the house was transformed into a hospital during the Civil War. The historic Jennings House was converted to house the local government. In the Summer of 2016, local government offices & the Elkton Police Department were moved out of the Jennings building in favor of the Elkton Area Community Center. On December 11, 2020, the Jennings House was opened as the Elkton Town Hall after a nearly 8 month restoration process to restore the home and add modern amenities like updated electric, plumbing, HVAC, ADA compliant restrooms, and a wheelchair lift. The town Christmas tree can be found across the street from the house.
Located on Rockingham Street, the
Miller-Kite House was the headquarters of General
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...
at the start of the
Shenandoah Valley Campaign during the Civil War. Now the house is a town landmark and museum, housing many items from the war and some of Jackson's personal belongings. In one of the second-story windows a cardboard cutout of the General watches the street. Many visitors report stories of ghosts or unusual behavior while in the house.
In addition to the Miller-Kite House,
Bon Air and the
Kite Mansion 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 ...
.
Geography

Elkton is located at (38.408298, −78.620321).
It is located on the northeast portion of
Rockingham County, Virginia
Rockingham County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 83,757. Its county seat is the Independent city (United States), independent city ...
. Elkton is bordered by Page County to the north, the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...
to the east, the
Massanutten Mountain
Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia. The original Native American name for the ridge is unknown.
Geography
The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just e ...
range to the west, and the
Merck manufacturing plant and
MillerCoors brewery and distribution center to the south. Norfolk Southern's Virginia Division's rail line, Route 33, and the South Fork of the
Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is the principal tributary of the Potomac River, long with two River fork, forks approximately long each,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August ...
all cut through the town. The general area is agricultural, filled with farm lands and rural scenes.
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 1.4 square miles (3.6 km
2), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.5 km
2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km
2) of it (1.43%) is water.
Transportation
The main roads providing access to Elkton are
U.S. Route 33 and
U.S. Route 340. US 33 was realigned, and the old alignment through downtown Elkton is now
US 33 Business.
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 2,762 people, 862 households, and 555 families residing in the town. 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 1,485.4 people per square mile (575.5/km
2). There were 919 housing units at an average density of 668.5 per square mile (259.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.49%
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 ...
, 2.74%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.15%
Native American, 0.24%
Asian, 0.05% from
other races, and 1.32% 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 1.81% of the population.
Major ancestry groups reported by Elkton residents include:
United States or American - 23.9%,
German - 15.3%,
English - 8.4%,
Irish - 6.9%,
Scotch-Irish - 4.6%,
Dutch - 2.3%,
Scottish - 2.2%,
Norwegian - 1.2%,
French - 1.6%,
Welsh - 1.1%,
Italian - 0.8%,
Polish - 0.9%,
French Canadian - 0.3%,
Hungarian - 0.2%,
Russian - 0.2%,
Slovak - 0.2%,
West Indian (excluding Hispanic groups) - 0.2%,
Other ancestries - 12.1%.
There were 862 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% 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, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,556, and the median income for a family was $41,500. Males had a median income of $30,032 versus $21,996 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 $17,192. About 4.7% of families and 6.8% 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 9.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Although incorporated towns may operate their own schools under Virginia law, Elkton area schools are operated by
Rockingham County Public Schools, a Virginia public
school division
{{Use mdy dates, date=July 2023
A school division is a geographic division over which a school board has jurisdiction.
Canada
In Canada the term is used for the area controlled by a school board and is used interchangeably with school district, i ...
.
Elkton houses three public schools: Elkton Elementary School, Elkton Middle School, and
East Rockingham High School. Elkton Elementary School was built in 1938 on West B Street to house Elkton High School, but its role changed when a new school was built. Elkton Middle School was originally Elkton High School, built in 1957 primarily for grades eight through twelve. Additions were built to the high school in 1967, building a ten-room annex for more classes; and the elementary school in 1972, replacing part of the original building. In 1980, a new high school, Spotswood Senior High School (now
Spotswood High School), was built for eastern
Rockingham County, Virginia
Rockingham County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 83,757. Its county seat is the Independent city (United States), independent city ...
, combining Montevideo and Elkton High Schools. The new school, located in
Penn Laird, Virginia and literally on the
Massanutten Mountain, housed grades 10-12. Ninth grade was added for the 1984-85 school year. Over the years, Elkton Elementary added programs such as Head Start for preschoolers. In the 1990s a baseball field, used for Elkton softball teams, was built next to the middle school. In the late 1990s, renovations were done to Elkton Elementary School, as well as the addition of a new playground was built specifically for the lower grades. In 2001, more construction took place as the old playground, with original wooden trucks and sharp metal edges, was replaced by softer and brighter rounded metallic structures. In 2005, more renovations were done to Elkton Middle School, such as changing the old band room into an addition to the cafeteria, building a new computer lab, and adding another gym separate from the main for public use, such as the Elkton Recreation League Basketball teams. In 2006 the fifth grade was moved from Elkton Elementary School to the middle school because of the extra space made by the renovations made in 2005. In 2010 the fifth grade was moved back to the elementary school.
In 2010, the County Board of Education opened a new high school for the eastern Rockingham area,
East Rockingham High School, located in Solsburg beside River Bend Elementary School. Its attendance district encompasses the Elkton, McGaheysville, River Bend, and South River elementary school districts.
Events

Since 1908, the town has held a carnival called Elkton Field Day. It is held in early July and features rides, good food, yard sales, live bluegrass music, fireworks, and a greased pole climbing contest in which contestants try to retrieve prize money at the top of the 25 foot pole covered in hand soap. The event is sponsored by the Junior Order of the United American Mechanics in Elkton. The group gives out scholarships and help for those in need.
Sports
The town has a team in the
Rockingham County Baseball League called the Elkton Blue Sox.
References
{{authority control
Towns in Rockingham County, Virginia
Towns in Virginia