Irvington is a town on the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the enti ...

in Lancaster 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 The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The population was 474 at the 2020 census. Located on a peninsula known as the Northern Neck, it has been designated a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

History

From 1871 until 1893, the town was called "Carter's Creek Wharf" or simply "Carter's Creek", since steamboats docked at the relatively deep water confluence of a tributary that had much earlier been called "Cossotomen Creek" and later "Carter's Creek" after early settler John Carter, Sr., the father of the powerful colonial era politician King Carter, who was the Virginia agent for the Northern Neck Proprietary. The town formally adopted the name "Irvington" to honor Baltimore native Captain Levin Irvington following a 1891 referendum, since mail had been often confused between this town and that of Center Cross in relatively nearby Essex County. The original Chesapeake Academy, 1889–1907, was located in Irvington.

Historic district

The historic district, Irvington, also known as Carters Creek, is a area that was 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 ...

in 2000. In 2000, it included 149

contributing buildings In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

, 3 contributing sites and one other contributing structure.

Geography

Irvington is located at (37.6615, −76.4191). 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 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), of which, 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (18.13%) is water.

Demographics

According to the 2020 census, there were 474 people, 368 total housing units with 248 occupied, and 260 families in the town. Of the total residents, 454 were white, 10 were mixed race, 10 were Hispanic or Latino, 6 were black, 2 were Native American, 1 was Asian, and 1 was some other race. 89.2% of residents owned a house instead of renting. The median age in Irvington was 58.6 years. 35.5% of the population was 65 of older. 10.4% of the population was a veteran, with 91.7% of those being male. 56.7% of the residents had a bachelor's degree or other form of higher education. The median household income was $118,750. The median income for families was $157,500. For married-couple families it was $174,375, and $57,632 for non-family households. 4.6% 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 ...

, 13% of which were age 65 and older. According to the 2000 census, 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 449.0 people per square mile (173.2/km²). There were 325 housing units at an average density of 216.8 per square mile (83.7/km²).

Features and amenities

Irvington is the home of the marine resort The Tides Inn. On King Carter Drive is the Steamboat Museum, which details the history of the steamboats that traveled the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

and stopped in Irvington. Lancaster National Bank (later Chesapeake National Bank and currently Chesapeake Bank) was formed in Irvington in 1900 to cater to the growing town. Irvington was also a stop for Chesapeake National Bank's Boat 'n Bank, a houseboat with bank tellers that cruised the

wharves, canneries and oyster houses. The town has a club, Rappahannock River Yacht Club, and a marina, Irvington Marina. Children of the town attend Lancaster County Public Schools and there is one independent school located in Irvington. Reopened in 1965, Chesapeake Academy serves children from 3 years old through eighth grade. Chesapeake Academy's original 1890

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

house is located on King Carter Drive; it is now the Hope & Glory Inn. Next door to the schoolhouse is the Irvington Methodist Church; its parsonage is now a women's clothing store, The Dandelion. Since the 1970s

winemaking Winemaking, wine-making, or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its Ethanol fermentation, fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over ...

has become a growing vocation in the region, with a number of wineries located nearby. Irvington is located within the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

winemaking

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...

References

External links

*
Official travel/tourism website LoveIrvington''Rappahannock Record'' – Local newspaper
* Irvington, Virginia is at coordinates . {{Authority control National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster County, Virginia Towns in Lancaster County, Virginia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia