Alderson, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alderson, West Virginia
Town
Historic section on the Monroe County side
Flag Seal Logo
Location within Greenbrier and Monroe Counties and West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia Location in West Virginia Show map of West Virginia Alderson, West Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States Alderson, West Virginia Location in North America Show map of North America
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Counties	Greenbrier, Monroe
Area
• Total	0.95 sq mi (2.47 km2)
• Land	0.89 sq mi (2.31 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2)
Elevation	1,549 ft (472 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	975
• Estimate  (2021)	966
• Density	1,258.39/sq mi (485.96/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	24910
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-00772
GNIS feature ID	2390700

Alderson is a town in Greenbrier and Monroe counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, on both sides of the Greenbrier River. The population was 975 at the 2020 census.

History

The historic 1914 Alderson Memorial Bridge

Alderson is a community located along the Greenbrier River in Greenbrier County and Monroe County, incorporated in 1881. Alderson was originally settled in 1777 by "Elder" John Alderson, a frontier missionary for whom the town is named, who organized the first Baptist church in the Greenbrier Valley. In 1763, the nearby Muddy Creek settlements were destroyed by Shawnee Indians under Chief Cornstalk. Alderson is the location of the Federal Reformatory for Women, opened in 1927, the first federal prison for women. During the early 1900s, Alderson became a hub of higher education in the state. It was home to three separate institutions of higher education, including the Alderson Academy and Junior College, which eventually was integrated into Alderson-Broaddus College in 1932.

The Alexander McVeigh Miller House in Greenbrier County is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is Sunset Hill in Monroe County. The Alderson Bridge and Alderson Historic District are located in both counties.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.95 square miles (2.46 km²), of which 0.89 square miles (2.31 km²) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km²) is water.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,184 people, 518 households, and 315 families living in the town. The population density was 1,330.3 inhabitants per square mile (513.6/km²). There were 602 housing units at an average density of 676.4 per square mile (261.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.0% White, 5.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 518 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the town was 42.8 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

Transportation

The Alderson, WV train station served by Amtrak.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides request stop service to Alderson under the Cardinal route.

Economy

Federal Prison Camp, Alderson is the largest employer in the Alderson area

The Federal Bureau of Prisons facility Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, where media mogul Martha Stewart was imprisoned, is the largest employer in Alderson. A portion of FPC Alderson is located in unincorporated Monroe County, while the other portion of the prison lies in unincorporated Summers County.

The Alderson Federal Prison Camp is located on the spot on which the earliest settlers of the area chose to settle and called their settlement Baughman's Fort. Baughman's Fort was built in the 1750s and the settlement was supposedly destroyed by Native Americans shortly thereafter, though no factual evidence exists to support this theory. Few archaeological remains of the early fort remain after the building of the Federal Prison Camp in the early 20th century. Only notations in early journals refer to the location of the fort.

Betty Alderson, who is married to a descendant of the original founders of Alderson, stated "every business profited" when Martha Stewart was incarcerated at Alderson and media attention was focused on the community. Residents planted bulbs into a garden that was to be named "Martha's Garden."

Local events

"Alderson has gained fame for its elaborate Fourth of July festivities, as much a fitting celebration of small-town America as it is an observance of the nation's holiday." It is also one of the oldest celebrations in the state. It currently has one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations in West Virginia, attracting approximately 15,000 people during the parade. It is unique by offering many family activities. Over six days, events include a fireman's rodeo, band shows, a car show, a parade, various races on the Greenbrier River, as well as a parade and fireworks.

The Alderson Strawberry Festival began in 2016, and occurs during Memorial Day weekend every year. This festival celebrates strawberries, and the local farmers provide the strawberries for the event.

Notable people

• Mittie Frances Clarke Point wrote many of her novels here at "The Cedars".
• Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia Smith, better known as Bricktop (August 14, 1894 – February 1, 1984) was an American dancer, singer, vaudevillian, and self-described saloon-keeper who owned the nightclub Chez Bricktop in Paris from 1924 to 1961, as well as clubs in Mexico City and Rome. She has been called "...one of the most legendary and enduring figures of 20th-century American cultural history.

See also

In Spanish: Alderson (Virginia Occidental) para niños