Rapidan is a small

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in the Virginia counties of Culpeper and

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

, approximately 5 miles (8 km) northeast of the Town of Orange. The community, located on both sides of the

Rapidan River The Rapidan River, flowing U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 through north-central Virginia in the United States, is the largest tributary of the Rappahannoc ...

, was established in the late eighteenth century around the Waugh's Ford

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * Factory * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Paper mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * Sugarcane mill * Textile mill * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic ...

. 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 ...

built a line through the town in 1854, a post office was built at the river crossing, and its name was changed to Rapid Ann Station. Milling remained a major industry in the area up through the mid-twentieth century. Its strategic location along both a railroad and a river brought about several destructive raids during 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 ...

. Willis’s mill (ca. 1772), which stood in the location of the current mill, was burned along with several homes and other structures, although the miller's house remained. The village of Rapid Ann Station resumed its prominence as a regional shipping point after the railroad was rebuilt following the Civil War, particularly for lumber and wood products. Its name was changed once again in 1886 to the present-day Rapidan. In 1987, the Rapidan Historic District, encompassing 35 contributing buildings and 3 noncontributing buildings within 182 acres (74 ha), was designated a National Historic District, added to both the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Contributing buildings include the

Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located near Rapidan, Orange County, Virginia. It was built in 1874, and is a Carpenter Gothic frame building covered with board-and-batten siding. It features a three-st ...

, listed separately on the VLR and NRHP. Although not within the Rapidan Historic District, the community of Rapidan is also home to an eighteenth-century middle-class farmhouse known as Locust Grove (also known as Goodwin Farm), which was listed on the VLR and NRHP in 1985. The community and surrounding counties are served by the Rapidan Volunteer Fire Department, officially formed in 1978. File:Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Rapidan, Virginia.jpg, Emmanuel Episcopal Church File:Lower Rapidan Baptist Church in Rapidan, Virginia.jpg, Lower Rapidan Baptist Church File:Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church in Rapidan, Virginia.jpg, Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church File:Rapidan Passenger Depot 3877.jpg, Rapidan Passenger Depot

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Rapidan has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Education

George Washington Carver Regional High School was opened in Rapidan in 1948 as a

segregated school Racial segregation is the separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, such as schools and hospitals by people ...

for the Black students of Culpeper, Orange, Madison, and Rappahannock Counties. In 1968, following

desegregation Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws ...

, it became Piedmont Technical Education Center, which was renamed in 1992 to the George Washington Carver-Piedmont Technical Education Center.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Virginia Unincorporated communities in Culpeper County, Virginia

Climate

Education

See also

References