Luray, Virginia

Luray, Virginia
Town

Downtown Luray in the early morning

Location of Luray, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°39′51″N 78°27′16″W / 38.66417°N 78.45444°W / 38.66417; -78.45444Coordinates: 38°39′51″N 78°27′16″W / 38.66417°N 78.45444°W / 38.66417; -78.45444
Country United States
State Virginia
County Page
Area
  Total 4.7 sq mi (12.3 km2)
  Land 4.7 sq mi (12.3 km2)
  Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 797-1,010 ft (243 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 4,895
  Density 1,026.8/sq mi (396.5/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 22835
Area code(s) 540
FIPS code 51-47528[1]
GNIS feature ID 1498510[2]
Website www.townofluray.com

Luray is a town in Page County, Virginia, United States,[3] in the Shenandoah Valley of the northern part of the state. It is also the county seat. The population was 4,895 at the 2010 census.[1]
The town was started by Willian Staige Marye in 1812, whose family was from Luray, France.[4]

Geography

Luray is located at 38°39′51″N 78°27′16″W / 38.66417°N 78.45444°W / 38.66417; -78.45444 (38.664097, -78.454531).[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.3 km²), of which, 4.7 square miles (12.3 km²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880632
18901,386119.3%
19001,147−17.2%
19101,2186.2%
19201,38113.4%
19301,4595.6%
19401,5113.6%
19502,73180.7%
19603,01410.4%
19703,61219.8%
19803,584−0.8%
19904,58728.0%
20004,8716.2%
20104,8950.5%
Est. 20144,850[6]−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
Main Street, Luray, in 1910

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,871 people, 2,037 households, and 1,332 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,026.8 people per square mile (396.8/km²). There were 2,191 housing units at an average density of 461.9 per square mile (178.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.45% White, 5.52% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.

There were 2,037 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,306, and the median income for a family was $39,972. Males had a median income of $30,039 versus $19,841 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,205. About 11.3% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable features

The Massanutten School, a restored one-room schoolhouse in downtown Luray

Education

Public schools

Page County Public Schools serve Luray, as well as the rest of Page County. Luray Elementary, Luray Middle, and Luray High School serve the entire town and nearby surrounding areas. Luray Middle and High also serve northern Page County, from feeder elementary school, Springfield, located near Rileyville.

Private schools

Mount Carmel Christian Academy is just south of town limits and is a private Christian school.

Higher education

Lord Fairfax Community College has a campus in Luray which provides students with nearly all necessary classes needed to graduate from the institution. Many students that attend the Luray Center of Lord Fairfax are from Page, southern Shenandoah, and southern Warren Counties.

Neighborhoods

Belle Brown Northcott Memorial -- also known as The Luray Singing Tower.

Well over three quarters of the town's population lives in one of the several planned neighborhoods of Luray. Each neighborhood serves as a landmark to the residents of Luray, often citing their neighborhoods as their residence.

Notable natives and residents

Downtown Luray at midday.

Civil War

View westward of Luray and New Market Gap from Skyline Drive on the Blue Ridge.

Luray is often cited as the location (as is Yager's Mill, on the north side of town, near Furnace Hill) of an engagement between Union and Confederate cavalry on September 24, 1864, though it actually took place approximately three miles north of the town, and even to the north of Yager's Mill.

Following his victory at the Battle of Fisher's Hill Union general Philip Sheridan sent approximately 6,000 troopers under Brigadier General Alfred Torbert into the Luray Valley. Trobert's men engaged approximately 1,200 Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General Williams Wickham. Despite victory in this affair, and moving toward New Market Gap following the engagement, Torbert halted his command that night on the Page County side of the Massanutten, thereby missing an opportunity to cut off Confederate General Jubal Early's retreat from Fisher's Hill. Private Philip Baybutt of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry received the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate flag during the engagement. This action was part of Sheridan's portion of the Valley Campaigns of 1864.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Luray has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. Hagemann, James A. (1988) The heritage of Virginia: The story of place names in the Old Dominion. The Donning Co., 297 p.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. The Luray Singing Tower http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=10325
  9. 1 2 Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  10. Climate Summary for Luray, Virginia

External links

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