Harrisonburg

Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 51,814. The city has become a bastion of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. As of 2014, Hispanics or Latinos of any race make up 19% of the city's population. Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students speak 55 languages in addition to English, with Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish being the most common languages spoken. On October 17, 2020, the city was the scene of a massive explosion and fire at a small shopping center at Miller Circle in the South Main St. area. The old city of Newtown is in the Northeast section of Harrisonburg and which is referred to as Downtown Harrisonburg. It remains the home of the majority of the predominantly black churches, such as the First Baptist and Bethel AME. The modern Boys and Girls Club is located in the old Lucy Simms schoolhouse used for the black students in the days of segregation. A large portion of this black neighborhood was dismantled in the 1960s when the city government used federal redevelopment funds from the Housing Act of 1949 to force black families out of their homes. This area makes up 32.5 acres, north of Gay, west of Broad, and south of Johnson. This is the area that is focused on the "Project R-4-16" project, which focused on 75 acres south of Gay.

History

Harrisonburg is the primary city name, but also Rockingham are acceptable city names or spellings, Harrisburg on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Harrisonburg. 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 (4,900 ha) In the 1960s, the city government used federal redevelopment funds from the Housing Act of 1949 to force black families out of their homes and then bulldozed the neighborhood. The city was the scene of a massive explosion and fire at a small shopping center at Miller Circle in the South Main St. area on October 17, 2020. In 1849, trustees chartered a mayorcouncil form of government, although Harrisonburg was not officially incorporated as an independent city until 1916. Today, a councilmanager government administers Harrisonburg. The old city of Newtown is in the Northeast section of Harrisonburg and which is referred to as Downtown Harrisonburg; it remains the home of the majority of the predominantly black churches, such as the First Baptist and Bethel AME. It appears no Burials were paved, however the western boundary was also impacted by the Burials, however it appears no paved American Cemetery, Burials was also destroyed, however no Burial was paved, though it appears to be on the western edge of the city. It is estimated between 93 and 200 families were displaced. Many of the businesses of Newtown that were bought out could not afford to reestablish themselves. Locals say many prominent black businesses like the Colonnade which served as a pool hall, dance hall, community center, and tearoom were unable to reopen.

Culture

Harrisonburg holds the title of "Virginia's first Culinary District" The "Taste of Downtown" (TOD) week-long event takes place annually to showcase local breweries and restaurants. The Virginia Quilt Museum, established in 1995, is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and nurturing Virginia's quilting heritage. The Harrison House (formerly the Thomas Harrison House) was thought to have been erected for Thomas Harrison ca. 1750, but new research and a dendrochronology study completed by James Madison University in 2018 has determined that it was built in 1790. The house served as an inn after the Civil War and was home to the Virginia Craftsman, makers of handcrafted furniture, from the 1920s to the 1980s. It is also associated with Bishop Francis Asbury, a pioneer leader of the Methodist Episcopal church, who often visited Harrison and conducted some of the county's first Methodist services. It was also home to Harrisonburg's first mayor Isaac Hardesty, the house bears his name and the name of the physician, Henry Higgins, who began construction in 1848. The Historic District embraces the historic and institutional core of the city. The principal axis of the historic district is approximately north through the Main Street district, which runs through the Union Street district. The historic district also includes the Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District, which is about 100 acres in size and is located in the heart of the downtown area. The city's historic district includes the Hardesty-Higgins House, which dates back to the 1750s, and the Strayer-Banks House, built in 1855.

Geography

The City of Harrisonburg comprises six watersheds. Blacks Run is the primary watershed with 8.67 miles of stream and a drainage area of over 9000 acres. The city also drains into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Harrisonburg is in the western part of the Shenandoah Valley, a portion of the Valley and Ridge physiographic province. Generally, the area is a rolling upland with local relief between 100 and 300 feet. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city has a total area of 17.4 square miles (45.1 km²) of which 17.3 square miles is land and 0.3 km² (0.3%) is water. It is located in the Eastern Seaboard region of the United States, in the eastern half of the state of Virginia, and in the southern half of Maryland. It has a population of 2,856. The City ofarrisonburg is located at the intersection of the Rappahannock River and the James River, and is located near the border with Virginia's Eastern Shore and the westernmost point of Maryland, at the junction of the D.C. and West Virginia Turnpike. It was the site of the Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1864. The town was founded in the early 19th century and is now known as the birthplace of the American Civil War. The Harrisonburg Post Office was established in 1858 and is one of the oldest post offices in the country.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, 48,914 people, 15,988 households, and 7,515 families resided in the city. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 15.7% of the population, up from 8.85% in the 2000 census. The median income for a household in theCity was $37,850, and for a family was $53,642. The per capita income for the city was $16,992. About 11.5% of families and 31.8% of residents were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 9.5%) of those age 65 or over. The city's population was distributed as 15.0% under the age of 18, 48.9% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 13. 2% from 45 to 64, and9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The population density was 2,811.1/mi2 (1087.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 78.4% White, 6.4%. Black or African American, 0.3%. Native American, 3.5%. Asian, 0,1% Pacific Islander, 8.2%. Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of anyrace.

Politics

Harrisonburg has traditionally been a Republican stronghold. The city went Republican at every presidential election from 1944 to 2004. In 2008, Barack Obama carried the city by a margin of 16 percentexceeding the margin by which George W. Bush carried it four years earlier. It has become one of the few Democratic mainstays in the more conservative parts of Virginia. It was one of first areas of Virginia where old-line Southern Democrats began splitting their tickets in the '60s and '70s. It is one of only a handful of cities in the state that has voted Democratic in every presidential race since 1980s and early '90s, according to a recent study by the Center for American Experiment in Washington, D.C. The study found that voters in Harrisonburg were more likely to vote Democratic than in other parts of the state in the mid-'70s, mid-'80s and late-'90s than in the early '80s or early '00s, the study found. It also found that the city had a higher percentage of female voters than other areas in the Shenandoah Valley, which is home to the majority of Virginia's colleges and universities. It found that women were more active in politics and government than men were in the late '50s and mid-'60s, and the city was more Democratic than most of the rest of Virginia in the 1990s and 2000s, though it has since become a more conservative part of the country.

Education

Serving about 4,400 students (K12), Harrisonburg City Public Schools comprises six elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. Eastern Mennonite School, a private school, serves grades K12 with an enrollment of about 386 students. James Madison University (public) is a public university. American National University (private, for-profit) is also a private university. Harrisonburg is home to the National Museum of American History, which was founded in 1881. The museum is located in the historic district of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and has a collection of more than 1,000 historical buildings. It is also home to a museum of American history, which dates back to the 17th century. The city is also the home of the American Museum of Art, which opened in 1883. It has a gallery of historic buildings, including the National Gallery of Art and the National Library of Music, which were both built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also has a National Register of Historic Places, which is listed as a contributing member of the National Park Service. The town's main street, Harrisonburg Avenue, is a main street and is known as the "Main Street" of the city. The main street has a population of about 3,000. It was the site of the U.S. Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, which took place between 1861 and 1863. The Battle of the Bulge was fought in 1864 and 1864.

Points of interest

Virginia Quilt Museum is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and nurturing Virginia's quilting heritage. The museum features a permanent collection of nearly 300 quilts, a Civil War Gallery, antique and toy sewing machines, and rotating exhibits from across the United States. The Old Post Office Mural (Now US Bankruptcy Court) is located in downtown Harrisonburg. The city is also home to the Heritage Oaks Golf Course and the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum. The Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center is located at the center of the city's downtown area. The town is home to a number of historic buildings, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also the home of the American Legion, which dates back to 18th century and was established in 17th century. It was the first U.S. post office in Harrisonburg, and is located on the town's eastern edge. The Harrisonburg River runs through the city, and the town has a population of around 2,000 people. It also has a small golf course, which was built in the early 1900s. It's also the site of the first golf course in the state, which opened in 1828. The City's historic downtown area is also known as the "Old Post Office" and was built on the former site of a former post office, which is now part of the City of Harrisonburg and is on the eastern edge of the town. The downtown area has a variety of historical buildings, including the Old Post office Mural.

Events

The Alpine Loop Gran Fondo road-cycling event starts and finishes in downtown Harrisonburg. The annual Harrisonburg International Festival celebrates international foods, dance, music, and folk art. Downtown Harrisonburg's Fourth of July celebrations bring in over 12,000 people. The festival includes a morning run, food trucks, beer and music garden, kids' area, art market, craft and clothing vendors, and fireworks. This event blends aspects of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos in a big, community celebration. It features kid, dog, and adult costume contests; face painting; fire dancing; food trucks; live music; a community ofrenda; video art; "trunk or treating"; wacky shacks, goober blobs and whisker biscuits. It is held in the downtown area of Harrisonburg, Virginia the first weekend of April annually since 1997. The event is very well attended each Spring and features over 75 different beers and ciders. The band lineup changes each year and food is supplied by some of the local downtown restaurants. There is a Christmas/Holiday Parade- dates vary. The Taste of Downtown - food event, yearly in March. The Rocktown Beer & Music Festival- This event isvery well attended every Spring. There are a number of festivals that take place each year in Harrisonburg and are held in different parts of the city, including the downtown core. The Halloween/Dia de losMuertos festival is held every year in the same downtown area.

Sports

The Eastern Mennonite Royals are a member of the NCAA Division III, Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Harrisonburg Turks play in the Valley Baseball League. James Madison Dukes play in NCAA Division I, Football Championship Subdivision, Colonial Athletic Association. The Dukes are also members of the National Collegiate Lacrosse Association and the National Women's Lacrosse Hall of Fame. The Royals have won the National Championship in both men's and women's field hockey and lacrosse. They have also won the Division III Men's Basketball Elite 8 and Women's Basketball Sweet 16 titles in men's basketball. The Turks have won two National Lacrosse Championships in women's lacrosse, in 1994 and 2004. They were also the National Champions in the Division I Field Hockey Championship in 1994, 2004, and 2018. The team has won the NCAA's Division I Football Championship National Champions title in both 1994 and 2016. They are also the defending NCAA Division II Football Championship Champions in both football and women’s lacrosse in both of those years. They won the national championship in the women's Division II Field Hockey title in 2004 and the Division II Women's Football Championship in 2016. The Teton Grizzlies have won three NCAA Division IV titles in the men’S Lacrosse Championship and one in the Women's Division III Football Championship. They also won a national title in the Men's Division IV Lacrosse title in 2010. The Tigers have won a total of seven national titles in all three sports in the past five seasons.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg City, Virginia = 75.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 56. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Harrisonburg = 4.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 51,814 individuals with a median age of 24.7 age the population grows by 11.60% in Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg City, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,000 residents per square mile of area (1,200/km²). There are average 2.61 people per household in the 14,476 households with an average household income of $34,820 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.00% of the available work force and has dropped -2.17% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 29.66%. The number of physicians in Harrisonburg per 100,000 population = 401.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Harrisonburg = 35.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 24.6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 118. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 169. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 22.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 46, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg City, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 36.23%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 27 years with median home cost = $218,890 and home appreciation of -2.22%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,010 per student. There are 12 students for each teacher in the school, 320 students for each Librarian and 370 students for each Counselor. 4.96% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 19.35% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 11.50% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).