Big Stone Gap, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Stone Gap, Virginia
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Central Big Stone Gap. Little Stone Mountain is visible in the background.
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Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Virginia | |
| County | Wise | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.03 sq mi (13.02 km2) | |
| • Land | 4.93 sq mi (12.78 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.24 km2) | |
| Elevation | 1,535 ft (468 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,254 | |
| • Density | 1,039.92/sq mi (401.48/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP Code |
24219
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| Area code(s) | 276 Exchange: 523 | |
| FIPS code | 51-07480 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1496805 | |
| Website | bigstonegap.org | |
Big Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia. It's a place with a rich history, especially linked to the coal industry. In 2020, about 5,254 people lived there.
Contents
History of Big Stone Gap
Before 1888, Big Stone Gap had other names like "Mineral City" and "Three Forks." The name "Big Stone Gap" comes from a valley between the town and Appalachia. In the late 1800s, people hoped it would become "the Pittsburgh of the South." This was because it had lots of coal and iron, which were important for industry.
The town's post office opened in 1856. Several historic buildings in Big Stone Gap are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Christ Episcopal Church, the John Fox, Jr. House, and the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park. Also on the list are the Terrace Park Girl Scout Cabin, the June Tolliver House, and the C. Bascom Slemp Federal Building.
In 1978, famous actress Elizabeth Taylor visited Big Stone Gap with her husband, John Warner. He was running for U.S. Senate. While at a local diner, Taylor had a choking incident. She was taken to a nearby hospital and recovered. She later sent a donation to the hospital to say thank you.
In 2014, a movie called Big Stone Gap was filmed in the town. The movie is a romantic comedy based on a book by Adriana Trigiani, who grew up in Big Stone Gap. Stars like Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, and Whoopi Goldberg were in the film. Many local people also got to be extras! The movie was first shown at the Virginia Film Festival in 2014.
Big Stone Gap made history in 2018. It was the first place in the country to support the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. This fund helps coal miners who have a serious lung disease called black lung. The town's leaders voted to ask Congress to keep supporting the fund.
Geography and Climate
Big Stone Gap is located at 36°52′02″N 82°46′28″W / 36.867165°N 82.774471°W. The town covers about 4.9 square miles (12.6 km2) of land. It is found where two important roads, U.S. Route 23 and U.S. Route 58 Alternate, meet.
Weather in Big Stone Gap
Big Stone Gap has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Big Stone Gap, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1990–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
76 (24) |
84 (29) |
88 (31) |
91 (33) |
100 (38) |
102 (39) |
96 (36) |
97 (36) |
91 (33) |
83 (28) |
75 (24) |
102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.9 (6.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
56.9 (13.8) |
67.3 (19.6) |
74.8 (23.8) |
81.4 (27.4) |
83.8 (28.8) |
83.4 (28.6) |
78.8 (26.0) |
68.7 (20.4) |
57.2 (14.0) |
47.5 (8.6) |
66.0 (18.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) |
37.3 (2.9) |
44.7 (7.1) |
54.0 (12.2) |
62.7 (17.1) |
70.2 (21.2) |
73.5 (23.1) |
72.6 (22.6) |
67.2 (19.6) |
55.7 (13.2) |
44.8 (7.1) |
37.3 (2.9) |
54.5 (12.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.9 (−4.5) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
32.6 (0.3) |
40.8 (4.9) |
50.6 (10.3) |
59.0 (15.0) |
63.2 (17.3) |
61.9 (16.6) |
55.5 (13.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
32.4 (0.2) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
43.0 (6.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) |
−17 (−27) |
−2 (−19) |
19 (−7) |
30 (−1) |
42 (6) |
42 (6) |
48 (9) |
36 (2) |
20 (−7) |
11 (−12) |
1 (−17) |
−17 (−27) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.87 (124) |
4.95 (126) |
5.38 (137) |
5.03 (128) |
5.08 (129) |
4.59 (117) |
5.49 (139) |
4.49 (114) |
3.80 (97) |
3.14 (80) |
3.66 (93) |
5.53 (140) |
56.01 (1,423) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.1 (7.9) |
2.9 (7.4) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.8 (4.6) |
9.2 (23) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.7 | 11.5 | 13.7 | 12.1 | 13.5 | 13.0 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 9.6 | 8.4 | 10.1 | 12.4 | 141.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 4.0 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Big Stone Gap
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 1,617 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,590 | 60.2% | |
| 1920 | 3,009 | 16.2% | |
| 1930 | 3,908 | 29.9% | |
| 1940 | 4,331 | 10.8% | |
| 1950 | 5,173 | 19.4% | |
| 1960 | 4,688 | −9.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,153 | −11.4% | |
| 1980 | 4,748 | 14.3% | |
| 1990 | 4,748 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 4,856 | 2.3% | |
| 2010 | 5,643 | 16.2% | |
| 2020 | 5,254 | −6.9% | |
| source: | |||
In 2010, Big Stone Gap had 5,643 people living in 2,034 homes. Most residents were White (93.68%), with African Americans making up 4.41%. About 29.6% of homes had children under 18. The average age in town was 40 years old.
Education in Big Stone Gap
Local Schools
In 2012, some schools in Wise County, including those in Big Stone Gap, joined together. This happened because of money problems and fewer students.
- Union Primary School was created from Powell Valley Primary and Appalachia Elementary.
- Union Middle School was formed from parts of Appalachia Elementary and Powell Valley Middle School.
- Union High School was formed by combining Appalachia High School and Powell Valley High School.
All these schools are run by Wise County Public Schools.
Colleges and Universities
Mountain Empire Community College is a public college for students in the surrounding counties. It opened in 1972 and had 3,560 students in 2017-18.
King University, based in Tennessee, also has a campus in Big Stone Gap. It's located on the Mountain Empire Community College campus.
Museums and Attractions
Big Stone Gap has several interesting museums.
- The June Tolliver House on Jerome Street is home to the "Trail of the Lonesome Pine." This is Virginia's official outdoor drama.
- The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is in the downtown area. It's in the old home of C. Bascom Slemp, a famous local figure. The building was finished in 1895. Slemp wanted his home to become a museum after he died. In 1946, Virginia bought the house, and Slemp's family donated his personal items to start the museum's collection.
- The Meador Coal Museum is dedicated to Henry Meador. He collected many items from his time working in the coal industry. The museum opened in 1982 after his death.
Wallens Ridge State Prison
Big Stone Gap is home to Wallens Ridge State Prison. This state prison has been part of Virginia's Department of Corrections since 1999. Building and maintaining the prison has brought a lot of money to the local economy.
Notable People from Big Stone Gap
Many interesting people have come from Big Stone Gap:
- Rufus A. Ayers - A former Attorney General for Virginia.
- Leanza Cornett - She was crowned Miss America in 1993.
- John Fox, Jr. - A well-known author.
- Abner Linwood Holton Jr. - A former Virginia governor.
- Julius Jones and Thomas Jones - Both were professional football players.
- Adriana Trigiani - An author who wrote the book and movie Big Stone Gap.
- James Mitchell - A tight end for the Detroit Lions football team.
Big Stone Gap Film Locations
Adriana Trigiani, the writer of the movie Big Stone Gap, worked hard to have the film shot right in her hometown. You can still see some of the places used in the movie. For example, the old gas station that became Carmine's restaurant still has the soda fountain and old posters from filming. Next to it is the empty Mutual's Pharmacy, where the main character, Ave Marie Mulligan, worked.
2008 Tornado
On March 4, 2008, a strong tornado hit Big Stone Gap. It caused damage along a one-mile path through downtown. Six homes were destroyed, 15 homes had major damage, and 25 others had minor damage. The tornado especially hit an area of town called Poplar Hill.
Images for kids
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Henry Meador Coal Museum
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Southwest Virginia Museum
See also
In Spanish: Big Stone Gap para niños
