Grundy, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grundy, Virginia
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_just_east_of_U.S._Route_460_in_Grundy,_Buchanan_County,_Virginia.jpg)
U.S. Route 460 in Grundy
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Location of Grundy in Buchanan County, Virginia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Buchanan |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Incorporated | 1876 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.040 sq mi (13.053 km2) |
| • Land | 4.986 sq mi (12.913 km2) |
| • Water | 0.054 sq mi (0.139 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,060 ft (323 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 875 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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837 |
| • Density | 167.88/sq mi (64.82/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
24614
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| Area code(s) | 276 |
| FIPS code | 51-33648 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1498485 |
| Sales tax | 5.3% |
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia. It's located in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. Grundy is the main town, or "county seat," of Buchanan County. It's also home to the Appalachian School of Law. In 2020, about 875 people lived there.
Grundy started in 1858 when Buchanan County was created. A special law said that a piece of land where the Levisa Fork River and Slate Creek meet would be the county's government center. This is where the first courthouse was built, and that's how Grundy began.
The town grew along the Levisa Fork River. The river was important for travel and power. However, Grundy has had nine big floods since 1929. These floods caused a lot of damage. The last major flood happened in 1977. To prevent future damage, many businesses moved to higher ground in the 21st century. A mountain across from the old town was even blasted away. This created a flat area where much of the town was rebuilt. This big project included new bridges and a flood wall. Some roads were also moved.
During the American Civil War, Grundy was a stop for Union soldiers. They passed through on their way to the Battle of Saltville.
Contents
History of Grundy
Grundy was founded in 1858. It was named after Felix Grundy (1777–1840). He was a United States Attorney General and a Senator from Tennessee. The town officially became a town in 1876. The current courthouse was built in 1905. It has been a historic landmark since 1982. For a long time, the economy here depended on coal mining. When mining slowed down, many jobs were lost, and fewer people lived in the town.
Civil War Events in Grundy
In October 1864, Union soldiers led by Brigadier General Stephen G. Burbridge came through Grundy. They were going to destroy the saltworks near Saltville. At Saltville, they met Confederate troops. The Union soldiers lost that battle. But they came back later and successfully destroyed the saltworks.
Keen Mountain Mine Explosion
On April 25, 1938, a terrible mine explosion happened. It was at the Keen Mountain Coal Mine. Forty-five people died, and three were hurt. This was one of the worst mining accidents in Virginia's history. The news was reported in the Charleston Gazette newspaper.
Grundy Flood-Control Project
Since 1929, Grundy has had nine major floods. These floods came from the nearby Levisa Fork River. After a big flood on April 4, 1977, many businesses closed. Owners left their damaged buildings. In 1984, many businesses flooded again.
A large project in the 21st century moved much of the town to higher ground. This project began in 2001. A mountain across the Levisa Fork was blasted. This created a flat area of about 13 acres (5.3 hectares). After several years of blasting, new water pipes and power lines were put in. New bridges were also built across the river.
A new town center was built on the west bank. It includes a Walmart store with a parking garage underneath. This is very unusual! Old buildings along the river were taken down. A new flood wall now protects the county courthouse. U.S. Route 460 was moved to the top of this flood wall. More work is planned to move U.S. Route 460 further away from the river.
Home of a Grocery Store Chain
Grundy was the starting place for Food City Stores. Jack Smith opened his first Piggly Wiggly store here in 1955. This store grew into a chain of 150 stores. Most are in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The chain is famous for sponsoring the Food City 500 NASCAR race. The original Grundy store closed in 2005 after almost 50 years. A new store opened nearby in Vansant. The Grundy store reopened in 2011 as a Super Dollar Foods Center.
Education as a New Industry
Grundy is home to the Appalachian School of Law. It opened in 1997. The Appalachian College of Pharmacy opened in 2005. Buchanan County chose Grundy for the law school. This was to help the town's economy. The town had been struggling since the 1977 flood.
The law school has brought $12 million to the local economy. It has also led to more rental homes and new businesses. This shows that creating colleges can help a town grow. This success helped start the Appalachian College of Pharmacy. It is located in Oakwood. This college is expected to add $20 million per year to the local economy.
Geography of Grundy
Grundy is located at 37°16′40.40″N 82°05′56.48″W / 37.2778889°N 82.0990222°W. It sits where U.S. Route 460 and State Route 83 meet. The town is right on the banks of the Levisa Fork River. Grundy is in the coalfields of the Appalachian Mountains.
The town covers about 5.040 square miles (13.053 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Grundy is part of the Cumberland Plateau Region.
Transportation in Grundy
Grundy has the Grundy Municipal Airport. It is located in Vansant. This airport is for small planes. For bigger flights, people use airports in West Virginia or Tennessee.
Four County Transit runs a local trolley system. It serves places in downtown Grundy. Stops include the courthouse and the Appalachian School of Law.
The Norfolk Southern Railway has tracks through town. However, there are no passenger trains or stops in Grundy.
U.S. Route 460 serves Grundy. The Coalfields Expressway will also be built nearby. State Route 83 is another important highway in the area.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 123 | — | |
| 1900 | 200 | — | |
| 1910 | 264 | 32.0% | |
| 1920 | 394 | 49.2% | |
| 1930 | 815 | 106.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,476 | 81.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,947 | 31.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,287 | 17.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,054 | −10.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,699 | −17.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,305 | −23.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,105 | −15.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,021 | −7.6% | |
| 2020 | 875 | −14.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 837 | −18.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
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In 2020, there were 875 people living in Grundy. There were 326 households and 186 families.
Education in Grundy
Grundy has public schools and a private Christian school. It also has a college where students can earn law degrees.
Public Schools
- Grundy Senior High School
- Riverview Elementary/Middle School
- Twin Valley Elementary Middle School
Private Schools
- Mountain Mission School
Colleges and Universities
- Appalachian School of Law
Notable People from Grundy
Many interesting people have connections to Grundy:
- Heath Calhoun – A U.S. Paralympian and speaker for the Wounded Warrior Project.
- Jayma Mays – An actress.
- Ryan O'Quinn – An actor and writer.
- Bev Perdue – A former Governor of North Carolina.
- Francis Gary Powers – Lived in Grundy and graduated from Grundy High School.
- Lee Smith – A writer.
- Steven C. Smith – President and CEO of Food City.
- Vernon C. Smith (1892–1963) – A member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
- Mel Street – A country music singer.
Climate in Grundy
The weather in Grundy has hot, humid summers. Winters are mild to cool. It has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets plenty of rain all year.
| Climate data for Grundy, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1960–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
83 (28) |
89 (32) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
100 (38) |
102 (39) |
93 (34) |
85 (29) |
80 (27) |
102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.9 (6.1) |
47.1 (8.4) |
55.8 (13.2) |
67.1 (19.5) |
73.8 (23.2) |
79.8 (26.6) |
82.6 (28.1) |
81.6 (27.6) |
77.1 (25.1) |
67.4 (19.7) |
56.2 (13.4) |
46.0 (7.8) |
64.8 (18.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.7 (0.9) |
36.9 (2.7) |
43.8 (6.6) |
53.6 (12.0) |
62.0 (16.7) |
69.3 (20.7) |
72.9 (22.7) |
72.1 (22.3) |
66.6 (19.2) |
55.5 (13.1) |
44.3 (6.8) |
36.9 (2.7) |
54.0 (12.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.4 (−4.2) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
40.1 (4.5) |
50.1 (10.1) |
58.8 (14.9) |
63.3 (17.4) |
62.5 (16.9) |
56.1 (13.4) |
43.6 (6.4) |
32.5 (0.3) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
43.1 (6.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −14 (−26) |
−17 (−27) |
−3 (−19) |
21 (−6) |
25 (−4) |
40 (4) |
40 (4) |
45 (7) |
30 (−1) |
19 (−7) |
9 (−13) |
−11 (−24) |
−17 (−27) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.31 (84) |
3.28 (83) |
4.03 (102) |
4.30 (109) |
4.81 (122) |
4.76 (121) |
5.69 (145) |
4.19 (106) |
3.16 (80) |
3.02 (77) |
2.61 (66) |
3.70 (94) |
46.86 (1,190) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.2 (16) |
4.2 (11) |
2.6 (6.6) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
2.4 (6.1) |
16.0 (41) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 13.1 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 12.8 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 11.3 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 9.6 | 13.1 | 145.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.0 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 14.9 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Images for kids
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Aerial view of flooding on the Levisa Fork River in Grundy, Virginia in 1984
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Buchanan County Courthouse in 2009
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Grundy Town Center was built as part of a $200 million redevelopment which included a Walmart store built on top of a two-story parking garage, the only one of its kind in the United States.
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Walmart in Grundy
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Grundy is located in the Cumberland Mountains portion of the Appalachian range, just east of the Cumberland Plateau. The town is located towards the center left portion of the map.
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The Appalachian School of Law is located in Grundy. The school opened its doors to students in 1997.
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Grundy Senior High School
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Age distribution of Buchanan County, Virginia
See also
In Spanish: Grundy (Virginia) para niños
