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Alderson
Town
Historic section on the Monroe County side
Historic section on the Monroe County side
Location in Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Location in Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia is located in West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia is located in the United States
Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia
Location in the United States
Alderson, West Virginia is located in North America
Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, West Virginia
Location in 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
 (2010)
 • Total 1,184
 • Estimate 
(2019)
1,125
 • 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 1534854

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 1,184 at the 2010 census.

History

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 historic 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. Sunset Hill is listed 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

Climate data for Alderson, West Virginia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 45.3
(7.4)
47.6
(8.7)
56.7
(13.7)
69.6
(20.9)
77.0
(25.0)
83.5
(28.6)
86.4
(30.2)
85.2
(29.6)
79.3
(26.3)
70.8
(21.6)
57.9
(14.4)
45.3
(7.4)
67.1
(19.5)
Average low °F (°C) 23.8
(−4.6)
24.3
(−4.3)
30.3
(−0.9)
39.2
(4.0)
47.6
(8.7)
56.6
(13.7)
60.7
(15.9)
60.3
(15.7)
52.8
(11.6)
41.9
(5.5)
30.3
(−0.9)
24.1
(−4.4)
41.0
(5.0)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.0
(76)
2.8
(71)
3.5
(89)
3.2
(81)
3.8
(97)
3.4
(86)
3.9
(99)
3.1
(79)
3.1
(79)
2.5
(64)
2.6
(66)
3.0
(76)
37.9
(960)
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 478
1890 663 38.7%
1900 518 −21.9%
1910 1,252 141.7%
1920 1,401 11.9%
1930 1,458 4.1%
1940 1,493 2.4%
1950 1,489 −0.3%
1960 1,225 −17.7%
1970 1,278 4.3%
1980 1,375 7.6%
1990 1,152 −16.2%
2000 1,091 −5.3%
2010 1,184 8.5%
2019 (est.) 1,125 −5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

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

Alderson, WV train station
The Alderson, WV train station served by Amtrak.

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

Local Events

Alderson has the second largest Fourth of July Celebration in West Virginia (behind Ripley). Each year the events span an entire week, always ending with a "Rubber Ducky" race on the Greenbrier River. Each year, events include...a fireman's rodeo, an old-fashion gospel sing, a band each night, a car show, a grand parade, field events, talent show, pageant, fireworks and more.

Economy

Alderson Federal Prison Camp entrance
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."

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."

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alderson (Virginia Occidental) para niños

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