Orange, Virginia
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Orange is a town and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Orange 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 4,880 at the 2020 census, representing a 3.4% increase since the 2010 census. Orange is northeast of
Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...
, southwest of
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, and east of Founding Father and fourth U.S. president
James Madison James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...
's plantation of Montpelier.


History

This area of the
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
was occupied by Siouan-speaking peoples at the time of European encounter. Tribes located in coastal areas generally spoke
Algonquian languages The Algonquian languages ( ; also Algonkian) are a family of Indigenous languages of the Americas and most of the languages in the Algic language family are included in the group. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from ...
.


Pre-Civil War

The present-day Town of Orange was known as the Town of Orange Court House prior to the late 19th century. Following the establishment of Culpeper County from a part of Orange County in 1749, the courthouse was relocated to Orange Court House from elsewhere in the county. The court convened in the house of a man named Timothy Crosthwait until 1752; after Crosthwait deeded the two acres to the county, a new courthouse was constructed on the property. The town at that time consisted of the courthouse and its related public buildings, a few houses and stores, a tavern and little else. The first U.S. Post Office was constructed in the town in 1796. From 1801 to 1804, the courthouse was replaced with a new building, clerk's office and, later, a new jail."Orange Commercial Historic District." National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. June 1998. Form prepared by Debra McClane of Gray & Pape, Inc. Retrieved August 19, 2013. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Orange/275-5001_Orange_Commercial_Historic_District_1999_Final_Nomination.pdf In 1799, Paul Verdier purchased the property of William Bell, an 18th-century farm that included much of the modern-day Town of Orange adjacent to Main Street, near present-day Bellevue and Peliso avenues. Verdier divided the land into lots, which helped shape the town's pattern of development. His house, which he named ''Montpeliso'', still stands on the land. Growth continued into the 19th century as new roadways were constructed through the town. Along with expanding agricultural markets, the roads helped transform Orange Court House into a regional center. In 1834, the
Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...
passed an act allowing the incorporation of the Town of Orange Court House, but the act did not have implementing legislation. Orange Court House continued growing, with several significant downtown buildings being constructed from this point up to the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, including the Sparks Building (1829) the Holladay House (1830), and the St. Thomas Episcopal Church (1833). These buildings still stand as part of the Orange Commercial Historic District. In 1847, 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, Virginia, Alexandria to Gordonsville, Virginia, Gordonsville, with another section from Charlottesville ...
chose to route their new railway from
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
to Gordonsville through Orange. The county court granted the railroad right-of-way through the courthouse property, which required the courthouse to be moved to another location. The fourth and current courthouse was completed in 1859 in the Italian Villa architectural style and stands today on the corner of Madison Road and Main Street. It was added to 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 1979. The General Assembly passed an act in 1855 which officially incorporated the Town of Orange Court House, but it did not take effect until a majority of citizens qualified to vote consented, which did not occur until after the Civil War.Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia: Passed in 1855–56, in the Eightieth Year of the Commonwealth. Chapter 256, pages 175-176. Printed by William Ritchie in 1856. Digitized November 30, 2007, by the University of Virginia. Retrieved August 19, 2013. Orange was a strategically important location during the American Civil War. Just north of town, the Rapidan River was effectively the northern border of the Confederacy from March 1862 to May 1864. Consequently, the area witnessed countless troop movements, patrols, skirmishes, and encampments. In addition, the Town of Orange served as General
Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
's headquarters during that time. General Lee worshipped at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church. This church is also significant as it served as a hospital for Confederate wounded after the
Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...
and the
Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...
. Lee passed by this church many times during his stay in Orange. Mort Künstler, an artist of American historical subjects, immortalized this scene in his painting ''Soldier of Faith.''Walker, Frank S.: "Remembering: A History of Orange County, Virginia." Orange County Historical Society, 2004.Miller, Ann L.: "Antebellum Orange." Moss Publications, 1988. County records dating back to its founding in 1734 were protected by a clerk of court removing them to "a place of safety" as Federal troops were moving through Orange and towards Richmond.


Post-Civil War

Numerous buildings constructed soon after the Civil War stand in the downtown historic district. Following Virginia's readmission to the Union in 1870, Orange Court House officially became a town in 1872 when the petition (required by the 1855 General Assembly act) for an election of town trustees was filed in the court. The first town council meeting was held on June 28, 1872. In 1890, the village changed its name officially to the current-day Town of Orange. The economy and population continued to grow up until the time of a fire in 1909, which destroyed most of the eastern portion of town. Like nearby Gordonsville, Orange's importance as a railroad hub began declining in the early 20th century. Because of its location at the confluence of two major roadways and the establishment of the Orange Automobile Club in 1910, the town became a regional center for automobile sales and services. Its accessibility allowed it to maintain a relatively healthy economy through the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. A notable company in Orange during that period was American Silk Mills, Inc., which was established in 1929 and processed raw
silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
into a finished material. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the mill was awarded a presidential citation for its production of
parachute A parachute is a device designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating Drag (physics), drag or aerodynamic Lift (force), lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves va ...
s for Allied troops. Although much of the mid-20th-century industry moved to other locations, the population of Orange has grown steadily up through the 2010 census. As of September 2013, Orange County contained 33 places listed on the National Register of Historic Places, seven of which are within the Town of Orange.


Geography

Orange is located at (38.245894, −78.109786). 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 , of which is land and , or 0.49%, is water.


Climate


Transportation

The primary roadways serving Orange are U.S. Route 15 and Virginia State Route 20. U.S. 15 extends north and south, connecting Orange to Culpeper to the north and Gordonsville to the south. SR 20 extends more east and west (though is also signed north/south), connecting to
Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...
to the west and heading towards Fredericksburg in the east. Virginia Regional Transit operates the Town of Orange Transit (TOOT), as well as a connecting service to Culpeper.


Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,721 people, 1,779 households, and 1,058 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 1,423 people per square mile (549/km). There were 1,991 housing units at an average density of 600 per square mile (231.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 72.1%
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 ...
, 22.9%
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 ...
, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 2.7% 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 3.5% of the population. Out of the 1,779 households, 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% 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, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.15 were non-families. Householders living alone accounted for 34.2% of the total households and 30.4% had a resident who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93. The age distribution of Orange's population was 21.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 97 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 96 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,191, and the median income for a family was $49,524. Males working full-time had a median income of $38,247 versus $30,012 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 $19,151. Approximately 12.7% of families and 21.2% 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 29.4% of those under age 18 and 24.6% of those age 65 or over. Of the population of 3,761 persons aged 16 and older, 57.2% were in the
labor force In macroeconomics, the workforce or labour force is the sum of people either working (i.e., the employed) or looking for work (i.e., the unemployed): \text = \text + \text Those neither working in the marketplace nor looking for work are out ...
; all worked in civilian occupations.


Government

The Town of Orange has a council-manager form of government, with 5 elected
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
council members. They collectively appoint a town manager to administer the town's daily operations. The town manager hires staff to run the Community Development, Finance, Police, Public Works, Town Attorney and Town Clerk offices. Orange operated on a budget of $8,034,744 for the 2013/2014 fiscal year, with revenue being composed of approximately 72% water/sewer utility payments, 8% real estate and personal
property taxes A property tax (whose rate is expressed as a percentage or per mille, also called ''millage'') is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net we ...
, 8% (on top of state sales tax) taxes on prepared foods (a "meals" tax), and the remaining 7% from various other sources.


Orange County School System

* Orange County High School * Prospect Heights Middle School * Locust Grove Middle School * Locust Grove Elementary School * Orange Elementary School * Unionville Elementary School * Gordon-Barbour Elementary School * Lightfoot Elementary School (grades 3–5) * Locust Grove Primary School * Taylor Educational Administration Complex (school administrative offices)


Notable people

* Norman C. Bailey (1890–1969), mayor of Orange, state delegate * Cathy Baker, co-star of ''Hee Haw'' * Nannie Helen Burroughs, black American educator, orator, religious leader and businesswoman * Chris Haney, Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher * Larry Haney, MLB catcher and coach *
Patrick Kilpatrick Patrick Donald Kilpatrick, Jr. (born August 20, 1949) is an American actor, film journalist and educator. He has appeared in over 200 films and television series. Early life Kilpatrick was born in Orange, Virginia, the son of Robert Donald Kilp ...
, actor *
Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...
,
western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
film actor * James Taliaferro, U.S. senator for Florida * Jeanette Walls, journalist and author of '' The Glass Castle'', '' Half Broke Horses'', and ''The Silver Star''


Media

''The Orange County Review'' is a weekly newspaper based in Orange and owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The newspaper focuses on local community news. Public notices from Orange County commissioners also appear in the newspaper.


References


External links


Town of Orange official website

Orange Downtown Alliance


Main Street program, National Park Service {{authority control Towns in Orange County, Virginia Towns in Virginia County seats in Virginia