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Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 40,468 at the 2000 census and 44,015 according to 2008 estimates. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County[10] and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area which has a 2008 estimated population of 118,409.[11] The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham county for statistical purposes, while the U.S. Census Bureau treats Harrisonburg as an independent city for census tabulation. Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University.
[edit] History The earliest documented English exploration of the area prior to settlement was the "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition", led by Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood, who reached Elkton, and whose rangers continued and likely passed through what is now Harrisonburg in 1716. Harrisonburg, previously known as Rocktown, was named for Thomas Harrison, a son of English settlers. In 1737, Harrison settled in the Shenandoah Valley, eventually laying claim to over 12,000 acres (49 km2). This was situated at the intersection of the Spotswood Trail and the main Native American road through the Valley.[13] In 1779, Harrison deeded two and a half acres of his land to the "public good" for the construction of a courthouse. In 1780, Harrison deeded an additional 50 acres (200,000 m2).[14] This is the area now known as "Historic Downtown Harrisonburg." In 1849, trustees chartered a mayor-council form of government, although Harrisonburg was not officially incorporated as an independent city until 1916. Today, a council-manager government administers Harrisonburg.[15] [edit] GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.6 square miles (45.6 km²), of which, 17.6 square miles (45.5 km²) is land, and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) (0.17%) is water. [edit] Demographics  As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 40,468 people, 13,133 households, and 6,448 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,304.4 people per square mile (889.8/km²). There were 13,689 housing units at an average density of 779.5/sq mi (301.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.84% White, 5.92% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 3.11% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.35% from other races, and 2.57% from two or more races. 8.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 13,133 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.9% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.00. The age distribution, which is strongly influenced by the city's two universities, is: 15.4% under the age of 18, 40.9% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,949, and the median income for a family was $45,159. Males had a median income of $29,951 versus $22,910 for women. The per capita income for the city was $14,898. About 11.5% of families and 30.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over. However, traditional poverty measures can be misleading when applied to a community with a relatively large student population, such as Harrisonburg. [edit] NewtownWhen the slaves of the Shenandoah Valley were freed in 1865, they set up a town near modern-day Harrisonburg called Newtown. This settlement was eventually annexed by the independent city of Harrisonburg some years later, probably around 1892. Today, the old city of Newtown is still the home of the majority of Harrisonburg's predominantly black churches such as First Baptist and Bethel AME. The modern Boys and Girls Club of Harrisonburg is located in the old Lucy Simms school house used for the black students in the days of segregation.[citation needed] A large portion of this black neighborhood was dismantled in the 1950s when the city government used federal redevelopment funds from the Housing Act of 1949 to force black families out of their homes and bulldozed the neighborhood in the name of urban renewal. This effort, called "Project R4," focused on the city blocks east of Main, north of Gay, west of Broad, and south of Johnson. The city later sold the land to commercial developers.[16] [edit] Downtown RenaissanceIn early 2002, the Harrisonburg community discussed the possibility of creating a pedestrian mall downtown. The trend for cities nationwide had been to close their downtowns to automobiles, creating a walker-friendly area. Public meetings were held to discuss the merits and drawbacks of a pedestrian mall in Harrisonburg. Ultimately, the community decided to keep its Main Street open to traffic. From these discussions, however, a strong voice emerged from the community in resounding support of downtown revitalization. On July 1, 2003, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit with the mission of rejuvenating the downtown district.[17] In 2004, downtown has been designated as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places and a designated Virginia Main Street Community[18], with the neighboring Old Town residential community gaining historic district status in 2007. Several vacant buildings have been renovated and re-purposed for new uses, like the Hardesty-Higgins House and City Exchange, used for the Harrisonburg Tourist Center and high-end loft apartments, respectively. In 2008, downtown Harrisonburg spent over $1 million in cosmetic and sidewalk infrastructure improvements (also called streetscaping and wayfinding projects). The City Council appropriated $500,000 for custom street signs to be used as "wayfinding signs" directing visitors to areas of interest around the city. Another $500,000 was used upgrade street lighting, sidewalks, and landscaping along Main Street and Court Square.[19] As of May 2009, Downtown 56 has closed its doors for business after less than three years in business. Economic pressures from the financial downturn/crisis were cited as the reason for the closure.[20] [edit] Education[edit] School systemsServing about 4,400 students (K-12,) Harrisonburg City Public Schools comprises 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and a high school. Eastern Mennonite School, a private school, serves grades K-12 with an enrollment of about 327 students. Also Redeemer Classical School serves grades k-8 with an enrollment of about 57 students [21][22] [edit] Higher education
[edit] Crime
Harrisonburg has been the center of major methamphetamine use and distribution since the 1990s. In 2003 former Attorney General Janet Reno deemed Harrisonburg the "methamphetamine capital of the east coast."[23] [edit] Points of interest
[edit] Presidential candidate visitSenator Barack Obama, 2008 Democratic presidential nominee, made a visit to Harrisonburg on October 28, 2008. He gave a rally at the James Madison University Convocation Center.[25] One week after the visit, the first made to Harrisonburg by a Democratic presidential candidate since Stephen Douglas campaigned there on September 3, 1860,[26] the city, which has a large contingent of students who are allowed to vote in local precincts, voted for Obama with a 57.4% majority.[27] It was the first time Harrisonburg had voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1944. [edit] Sports
[edit] Notable natives and residents
[edit] See also[edit] References and notes
[edit] External links
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