Gordonsville, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Gordonsville is a town in Louisa
and Orange
counties in the U.S. state
of Virginia
. The population was 1,496 at the 2010 census.
of Thomas Jefferson
's day followed the "Fredericksburgh
Great road" northward which, at the site of the present traffic circle in Gordonsville, crossed the road from Richmond
leading west over the Blue Ridge Mountains
into the Shenandoah Valley
. President Jefferson described Gordon's in 1802 as a "good house" when recommending the best route south to Charlottesville from the recently established national capital
on the Potomac
.
The building was known as Gordon's Tavern, Gordon Tavern or later as Gordon Inn. Stagecoach passengers found a well-furnished public house where they could refresh themselves with apple brandy – "the common drink of the country", a visiting Englishman noted – or other spirits. The commemorative marker at the site lists these prominent Americans as guests at the tavern: George Washington
, Thomas Jefferson
, James Monroe
, James
& Philip Pendleton Barbour
, James Waddel
, William Wirt
and Henry Clay
. Another famous visitor was Major General the Marquis de Lafayette.
In 1839, the General Assembly
authorized the Louisa Rail Road Company to extend its line from Louisa Court House to Gordonsville. Thus was ushered in a time of growth and prosperity for Gordonsville. It became a center of trade for the plantations and farms in the surrounding countryside. The Orange & Alexandria Railroad completed its line into Gordonsville in 1854. The wood-burning locomotives traveled at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (8.9 m/s).
When Richard Omohundro's tavern near the depot burned in 1859 it was replaced by the Exchange Hotel
, which still stands. The hotel was an elegant stopping place which became a military hospital.
Gordonsville and the railroads which intersected there were of vital importance to the Confederacy. Troops from Richmond on the way to the First Battle of Bull Run
on July 21, 1861, came through town. During the war years, Robert E. Lee
, James Longstreet
, Stonewall Jackson
, Richard S. Ewell
and A. P. Hill
spent time in Gordonsville. Major Gen. Philip Sheridan
led a raid in the direction of Gordonsville and Charlottesville but was stopped by Wade Hampton
's Confederate cavalry
in the vicinity of Trevilian Station. Gordonsville was threatened many times but was always successfully defended by the Confederates.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 1,498 people, 628 households, and 401 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,646.1 people per square mile (635.6/km²). There were 688 housing units at an average density of 756.0 per square mile (291.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 72.16% White, 24.83% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.67% from other races
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population.
There were 628 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples
living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 80.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,655, and the median income for a family was $40,268. Males had a median income of $29,464 versus $23,102 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,881. About 7.9% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
and Orange
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The population was 1,496 at the 2010 census.
History
Nathaniel Gordon purchased 1350 acres (5.5 km²) in 1787 and in 1794, or possibly earlier, applied for and was granted a license to operate a tavern. Travelers leaving the CharlottesvilleCharlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's day followed the "Fredericksburgh
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
Great road" northward which, at the site of the present traffic circle in Gordonsville, crossed the road from Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
leading west over the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
into the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. President Jefferson described Gordon's in 1802 as a "good house" when recommending the best route south to Charlottesville from the recently established national capital
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on the Potomac
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
.
The building was known as Gordon's Tavern, Gordon Tavern or later as Gordon Inn. Stagecoach passengers found a well-furnished public house where they could refresh themselves with apple brandy – "the common drink of the country", a visiting Englishman noted – or other spirits. The commemorative marker at the site lists these prominent Americans as guests at the tavern: George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
, James
James Barbour
James Barbour was an American lawyer, amember and speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, the 18th Governor of Virginia, the first Governor to reside in the current Virginia Governor's Mansion, a U.S. Senator from 1814–1825, and the United States Secretary of War from 1825-1828.Barbour was a...
& Philip Pendleton Barbour
Philip Pendleton Barbour
Philip Pendleton Barbour was a U.S. Congressman from Virginia and an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was also the brother of Virginia governor and U.S. Secretary of War James Barbour as well as the first cousin of John S. Barbour and first cousin, once removed of John S...
, James Waddel
James Waddel
James Waddel was an Irish American Presbyterian preacher from Virginia noted for his eloquence.-Biography:...
, William Wirt
William Wirt (Attorney General)
William Wirt was an American author and statesman who is credited with turning the position of United States Attorney General into one of influence.-History:...
and Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
. Another famous visitor was Major General the Marquis de Lafayette.
In 1839, the General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
authorized the Louisa Rail Road Company to extend its line from Louisa Court House to Gordonsville. Thus was ushered in a time of growth and prosperity for Gordonsville. It became a center of trade for the plantations and farms in the surrounding countryside. The Orange & Alexandria Railroad completed its line into Gordonsville in 1854. The wood-burning locomotives traveled at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (8.9 m/s).
When Richard Omohundro's tavern near the depot burned in 1859 it was replaced by the Exchange Hotel
Exchange Hotel (Gordonsville, Virginia)
The Exchange Hotel in Gordonsville, Virginia, was built in 1860 for Richard F. Omohundro next to an important railroad junction, when the Exchange Hotel offered a welcome stopping place for weary passengers on the Virginia Central Railroad.-Civil War:...
, which still stands. The hotel was an elegant stopping place which became a military hospital.
Gordonsville and the railroads which intersected there were of vital importance to the Confederacy. Troops from Richmond on the way to the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
on July 21, 1861, came through town. During the war years, Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
, Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
, Richard S. Ewell
Richard S. Ewell
Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E...
and A. P. Hill
A. P. Hill
Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr. , was a career U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...
spent time in Gordonsville. Major Gen. Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
led a raid in the direction of Gordonsville and Charlottesville but was stopped by Wade Hampton
Wade Hampton III
Wade Hampton III was a Confederate cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterward a politician from South Carolina, serving as its 77th Governor and as a U.S...
's Confederate cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
in the vicinity of Trevilian Station. Gordonsville was threatened many times but was always successfully defended by the Confederates.
Geography
Gordonsville is located at 38°8′5"N 78°11′13"W (38.134628, -78.187068).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,498 people, 628 households, and 401 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,646.1 people per square mile (635.6/km²). There were 688 housing units at an average density of 756.0 per square mile (291.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 72.16% White, 24.83% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.67% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population.
There were 628 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 80.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,655, and the median income for a family was $40,268. Males had a median income of $29,464 versus $23,102 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $17,881. About 7.9% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Further reading
- Feeney, William R. "Gordonsville During the Civil War." Encyclopedia Virginia. Ed. Brendan Wolfe. 23 Oct. 2010. Virginia Foundation for the HumanitiesVirginia Foundation for the HumanitiesThe Virginia Foundation for the Humanities aims to develop the civic, cultural, and intellectual life of the Commonwealth of Virginia by creating learning opportunities for all Virginians....
. 13 Sep. 2010.