Mineral is a town in Louisa 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 population was 474 at the 2020 census, with a pop. density of 588.96, and a 15.1% poverty rate. The town has a very deep history of mining, which gave it the name "Mineral" in 1902 - originally, the town's name was Tolersville.

History

Mineral was originally known as Tolersville, but adopted its current name when it incorporated in 1902 due to the mining industry that supported the community. It was the center of gold mining activity in Louisa County; during its heyday, there were fifteen gold mines located within two miles (3 km) of the town. A zinc and lead mine also operated in the area into the 1970s. Cuckoo, Harris-Poindexter House and Store, and the Mineral Historic District 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 ...

. At 1:51 p.m. on August 23, 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake was centered 5 miles (8 kilometers) south-southwest of Mineral, at a depth of 3.7 miles (6 kilometers). According to Associated Press, it "forced evacuations of all the monuments on the National Mall in Washington and rattled nerves from Florida to Canada." The roof of Mineral's town hall collapsed, and three of the six schools in the county's school system suffered heavy damage. There were no fatalities, and only minor injuries.

Geography

Mineral is located at (38.006117, −77.909553). 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 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²), all land.

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 2000, there were 424 people, 172 households and 115 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 474.7 per square mile (183.9/km²). There were 196 housing units at an average density of 219.5/sq mi (85.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.8%

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 ...

, 9.9%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, and 7.3% from two or more races. There were 172 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.09. In the town the population was spread out, with 24.3% of the population under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $49,000. Males had a median income of $34,375 versus $24,063 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 ...

was $19,397. About 4.5% of families and 6.4% 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 5.2% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Towns in Virginia Towns in Louisa County, Virginia Populated places established in 1890 1890 establishments in Virginia