Strasburg, Virginia facts for kids
Strasburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1761 by Peter Stover. It's the biggest town in the county by population. Strasburg is famous for its art, pottery, old items, and its history from the American Civil War. In 2020, about 7,083 people lived there.
Quick facts for kids
Strasburg, Virginia
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Town
|
|||
Front and western side of the former Strasburg Stone and Earthenware Manufacturing Company (now Strasburg Museum)
|
|||
|
|||
| Nickname(s):
Pot Town
|
|||
 Strasburg, Virginia
Location in Virginia
|
|||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Virginia | ||
| County | Shenandoah | ||
| Founded | 1761 | ||
| Incorporated | 1871 | ||
| Founded by | Peter Stover | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Mayor-Council | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 4.11 sq mi (10.65 km2) | ||
| • Land | 4.07 sq mi (10.54 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 578 ft (176 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
|
|||
| • Total | 7,083 | ||
| • Density | 1,739.9/sq mi (671.8/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 | ||
| ZIP Code |
22657
|
||
| Area code(s) | 540 | ||
| FIPS code | 51-76000 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1487663 | ||
Contents
History of Strasburg
Early Settlers
The first non-native people to settle in the northern Shenandoah Valley and Strasburg area were German-speaking families from Pennsylvania. They were looking for good farmland. On August 21, 1734, a land dealer named Henry Willis bought about 2,030 acres (8.2 km2) of this land. He bought it from William Gooch, who was Virginia's Lieutenant Governor. Gooch wanted people to settle the Valley to create a safe zone between Native American tribes and the rest of the Virginia colony.
In 1735, Henry Willis sold his land to Jacob Funk. Jacob then sold part of it to his brother John. Unlike English areas east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Strasburg had family farms and towns, not large plantations. There were also fewer enslaved people here. The culture was more German, with their language, religions, and building styles.
Strasburg became known as "Pot Town" because it was a center for making pottery. Later, many people worked for the railroad or in limestone quarries. After World War II, other factories came to Strasburg, making things like paper and car parts. Today, Strasburg has many services, museums, restaurants, and antique shops.
Town Founder: Peter Stover
Peter Stover (also known as Petrus Stauffer) is seen as the founder of Strasburg. He was born in 1715 in Germany. His German-Swiss father moved the family to America in 1718 for religious freedom. They settled in Pennsylvania.
Peter moved south to Virginia by 1730 and was in the Shenandoah Valley by 1739. In 1749, he bought 483 acres (1.95 km2) of land from Jacob Funk, who would become his father-in-law. Peter divided this land into smaller pieces to sell to other settlers, and a small village started to grow.
In November 1761, Peter Stover officially asked for the town to be recognized. He named it Strasburg, after the city of Strasbourg in France. Some people called the area Staufferstadt, which means Stoverstown in German. Ten leaders were chosen to help run the new town.
Peter married Frainey Funk and had eight children. He was a generous person. When he died in 1799, he left land and money to the community to start schools. There is a monument in Strasburg's Riverview Cemetery honoring Peter Stover, but no one knows exactly where he is buried.
Recent Growth
Strasburg has grown quite a bit recently, especially in its northern part. This is partly because Washington, D.C. is only about 80 miles away.
Geography and Climate
Strasburg is located in the northern part of the Shenandoah Valley. It's surrounded by natural features like Massanutten Mountain, the Allegheny Mountains, and the Shenandoah River. The Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is also in and around Strasburg.
The town covers about 4.1 square miles (10.6 km2) of land. Only a very small part is water. The elevation of Strasburg is about 578 feet (176 m) above sea level.
Climate
Strasburg has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has cool winters and hot, humid summers. In January, the coldest month, the average low temperature is 20°F (-6.7°C). In July, the hottest month, the average high is 85°F (29.4°C). The town gets about 26 inches (66 cm) of snow and 39.6 inches (100.6 cm) of rain each year.
Culture and Fun
_at_Holiday_Street_in_Strasburg,_Shenandoah_County,_Virginia.jpg)
Museums to Explore
The most well-known museum in Strasburg is the Strasburg Museum. This building used to be a pottery factory. Later, it became a train station for the Southern Railway. It stopped being a train station in the early 1960s and opened as a museum in 1970.
The Stonewall Jackson Museum at Hupp's Hill is now called the Hupp’s Hill Cedar Creek Museum. It was reopened in 2011. There was also a nearby cave called Crystal Caverns, which was open for visitors from 1922 to 2010.
The newest museum is the Shenandoah Museum of Contemporary Art (ShenMOCA). It is located across from the Strasburg Museum.
Public Art and Murals
Strasburg has a group called Staufferstadt Arts. They help put up cool murals in downtown Strasburg. So far, eight murals have been painted by famous street artists like Gilf!, Alice Mizrachi, NDA, and Over Under. ShenMOCA, the contemporary art museum, is also in Strasburg.
The historic post office in Strasburg has a special mural inside called Apple Orchard. It was painted in 1938 by Sarah Jane Blakeslee. She won a competition to create this artwork.
Sports Teams
In 2011, Strasburg got its own baseball team, the Strasburg Express, which plays in the Valley Baseball League.
The sports teams at Strasburg High School are called the "Rams." The school has many teams, including:
- Fall: Football, Boys Golf, Girls Volleyball, Boys and Girls Cross Country.
- Winter: Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls Swim team, Wrestling.
- Spring: Boys and Girls Track and Field, Boys and Girls Soccer, Boys Baseball, Girls Softball.
- Cheerleading is a sport that goes on all year.
Strasburg High School teams have won many state championships:
- Boys Cross Country: 1982, 1986, 1992
- Girls Cross Country: 1990, 1992, 1993
- Wrestling: 1980, 1987, 1997, 2000, 2022, 2023
- Girls Volleyball: 2007
- Girls Track & Field: 1992, 1993
- Boys Baseball: 2007
- Cheerleading: 2001, 2008, 2010
Fun Things to Do
Several important places in Strasburg are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove, the Hupp House, and the Strasburg Museum.
Strasburg has been working hard to create fun events for its community and for visitors. The town hosts over 30 events each year, including a 12-week music series in the summer. Some popular events are:
- The Grilled Cheese + Tomato Soup Festival (sells out quickly!).
- The Fish Fry Float for Father's Day (a free event with river kayaking).
- The Vintage in the Valley Festival (in April, with over 200 artists, a fashion show, and live music).
Other events include the Strasburg Film Festival, Cupid's Market, and the Harvest Festival. The Strasburg Chamber of Commerce also holds two more festivals: Mayfest and Oktoberfest.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 624 | — | |
| 1870 | 580 | −7.1% | |
| 1880 | 647 | 11.6% | |
| 1890 | 646 | −0.2% | |
| 1900 | 690 | 6.8% | |
| 1910 | 762 | 10.4% | |
| 1920 | 650 | −14.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,901 | 192.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,968 | 3.5% | |
| 1950 | 2,022 | 2.7% | |
| 1960 | 2,428 | 20.1% | |
| 1970 | 2,431 | 0.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,311 | −4.9% | |
| 1990 | 3,762 | 62.8% | |
| 2000 | 4,017 | 6.8% | |
| 2010 | 6,398 | 59.3% | |
| 2020 | 7,083 | 10.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 4,017 people living in Strasburg. Most people (about 93.6%) were White, and about 4.5% were African American. About 1.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age in Strasburg was 37 years old. About 24.7% of the people were under 18.
Education for Kids
Students in the northern part of Shenandoah County go to one of three public schools near Strasburg.
- Kids from kindergarten to fifth grade attend Sandy Hook Elementary School.
- Sixth to eighth graders go to Signal Knob Middle School.
- Strasburg High School, located in town, serves students from ninth to twelfth grade.
These schools are managed by the Shenandoah County Public School system.
_just_north_of_North_Street_in_Strasburg,_Shenandoah_County,_Virginia.jpg)
Getting Around Strasburg
Strasburg is served by two main highways: U.S. Route 11 and Virginia State Route 55.
- US 11 runs north and south and is mostly used for local travel.
- SR 55 runs east and west. East of Strasburg, it's a local road for Interstate 66. West of Strasburg, SR 55 joins with U.S. Route 48, which goes into West Virginia.
Both US 11 and SR 55 connect to Interstate 81 on the edges of town. I-81 goes north to states like Maryland and Pennsylvania, and south to Tennessee. I-81 also connects to the start of I-66 just northeast of Strasburg, which goes east to Washington, D.C..
A train line called the B-Line also runs through Strasburg. However, this part of the line usually only has one short local train a day, or even just once a week. It stops at the R.R. Donnelley factory in town.
Famous People from Strasburg
- Danni Leigh, a musician
- Jay Neal, a football player for Virginia Tech
- Joe Bauserman, a quarterback for Ohio State
Images for kids
-
Strasburg Town Flag
-
Strasburg Town Seal
See also
In Spanish: Strasburg (Virginia) para niños
