Ravenswood, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ravenswood, West Virginia
City
Intersection of Washington and Walnut Streets
Seal
Location of Ravenswood in Jackson County, West Virginia.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Jackson
Area
• Total	1.89 sq mi (4.89 km2)
• Land	1.82 sq mi (4.71 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation	607 ft (185 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,865
• Estimate  (2021)	3,847
• Density	2,004.95/sq mi (774.00/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	26164
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-67108
GNIS feature ID	1555445
Website	,

Ravenswood is a small city located in Jackson County, West Virginia, in the United States. It sits right next to the big Ohio River. In 2020, about 3,865 people lived here.

How Ravenswood Got Its Name

There are two interesting stories about how Ravenswood got its name.

• One story says the town was first called Ravensworth. This name came from the English relatives of a family who helped start the town. But somehow, the name changed to Ravenswood on the maps.
• The second story says that Henrietta Fitzhugh, whose husband was one of the town's founders, named it. She named it after a hero from a book called The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott.

History of Ravenswood

Ravenswood is built on land that once belonged to George Washington, a very important person in American history.

• Washington bought this land, which was about 2,448 acres (9.9 km2), in 1770.
• He asked Colonel William Crawford to survey, or map out, the land in 1771.
• People started living here permanently in 1810.
• The town's streets and lots were planned in their current layout by Washington's descendants in 1835.
• The first town election was held in 1840.
• Ravenswood officially became a city in 1852.

During the American Civil War, a battle called the Battle of Buffington Island happened about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Ravenswood in 1863. In 1886, a railroad line, the Ohio River Rail Road, reached Ravenswood, which helped the town grow.

The Story of the Devil’s Baby

In the local cemetery, there is a gravestone for a two-year-old boy named George Elwood Sharp, who died in 1917. A picture on his gravestone was said to look like a "demonic baby" with hollow eyes, fangs, and horns. People also claimed that the picture would glow at night and that you could hear the child's cries.

However, a researcher named Daniel Reed explained these claims.

• The "demonic" look of the baby in the picture is just from the photo wearing out over many years.
• The eerie glow is simply the sun setting or a security light reflecting off the stone.
• The cries are likely just sounds from nearby homes, or people might imagine them because they expect to hear something spooky.

Industry and Development

In 1931, a company called Ravenswood Glass Novelty Company, also known as "The Marble Factory," opened. Later, in 1957, Henry J. Kaiser opened what was then the world's largest aluminum factory near Ravenswood. This factory is now owned by Constellium and Century Aluminum.

John F. Kennedy visited Ravenswood in 1960 when he was running for president. In 1964, the exit for Interstate 77 opened in Ravenswood, making it easier to travel to and from the city.

Geography and Climate

Aerial view of the city

Ravenswood is located at 38°57′11″N 81°45′41″W / 38.95306°N 81.76139°W / 38.95306; -81.76139. It is right on the Ohio River, where a smaller stream called Sandy Creek flows into it.

The city covers about 1.90 square miles (4.92 km2) in total. Most of this area, about 1.83 square miles (4.74 km2), is land, and a small part, 0.07 square miles (0.18 km2), is water.

Weather in Ravenswood

Ravenswood has a Humid subtropical climate. This means it has fairly warm temperatures and rain spread out evenly throughout the year.

Population Information

What the 2010 Census Showed

In 2010, the census counted 3,876 people living in Ravenswood.

• Most people, 97.4%, were White.
• A small number were African American (0.2%), Native American (0.1%), or Asian (0.7%).
• About 1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

There were 1,657 households in the city.

• About 29.3% of these households had children under 18 living with them.
• Many households (45.7%) were married couples.
• About 17.8% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The average age of people in Ravenswood was 42.4 years.

• About 23% of residents were under 18.
• About 23.1% were 65 years old or older.
• The city had slightly more females (53.4%) than males (46.6%).

Education in Ravenswood

Schools in Ravenswood are part of the Jackson County Schools system.

• Henry J. Kaiser Elementary School teaches students from Kindergarten to 2nd grade.
• Ravenswood Grade School is for grades 3 to 5. It is located just outside the town limits.
• Ravenswood Middle School serves grades 6 to 8.
• Ravenswood High School is for grades 9 to 12. The high school's mascot is the Red Devil. The mascots for the younger schools are called Demons.

There is also a private school called Heritage Christian Academy, which teaches students from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

See also

In Spanish: Ravenswood (Virginia Occidental) para niños