Woodstock is a town and the county seat of Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,212 according to the 2017 census. Woodstock comprises 3.2 square miles of incorporated area of the town, and is located along the "Seven Bends" of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. While some tourism references list Woodstock as the fourth oldest town in Virginia, the area was sparsely settled and perhaps platted in 1752 or shortly thereafter, but the town was actually established by charter in 1761. While there are a number of Virginia towns closer to the eastern seaboard that claim earlier founding dates, Woodstock was one of the first towns west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Massanutten Military Academy is located in Woodstock, as is it the former location of the national headquarters of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Woodstock is also home to the River Bandits of the Valley Baseball League, the Shenandoah County Public School's Central campus, and the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds.

History
Demographics
Geography
Climate
Recreation
- Viticultural attractions
Economy
Transportation
Notable people
See also

History

The town was established by charter in March 1761 as a part of what was then Frederick County. It was originally formed by a land grant from Lord Fairfax, and founded as Muellerstadt (Miller Town) in 1752 after founder Jacob Miller. The town's charter was sponsored by George Washington in Virginia's House of Burgesses. Woodstock has been the County Seat of Shenandoah County, since the County's formation in 1772.

Main Street in Woodstock

In the late 1770s, John Muhlenberg was pastor at a Lutheran church located in the heart of Woodstock. As a famous story of Muhlenberg has it, at conclusion of his farewell sermon on January 21, 1776, Muhlenberg threw off his clerical robes to reveal an officer's uniform beneath and shouted, "there is a time to pray and a time to fight..." With that declaration, the story says he then called for volunteers to join the 8th Virginia Regiment under his command.

In 1795, the courthouse, designed by Thomas Jefferson, was built using native limestone. The courthouse, located on Main Street, is the oldest courthouse still in use west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Lantz Hall and the Shenandoah County Courthouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	998	—
1870	859	−13.9%
1880	1,000	16.4%
1890	1,068	6.8%
1900	1,069	0.1%
1910	1,314	22.9%
1920	1,580	20.2%
1930	1,552	−1.8%
1940	1,546	−0.4%
1950	1,816	17.5%
1960	2,083	14.7%
1970	2,338	12.2%
1980	2,627	12.4%
1990	3,182	21.1%
2000	3,952	24.2%
2010	5,097	29.0%
2019 (est.)	5,258	3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,952 people, 1,685 households, and 1,029 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,216.9 people per square mile (469.5/km²). There were 1,840 housing units at an average density of 566.6 per square mile (218.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.62% White, 2.73% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.28% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.43% of the population.

Main Street in Woodstock

There were 1,685 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,288, and the median income for a family was $38,778. Males had a median income of $25,616 versus $22,115 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,373. About 10.4% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

Woodstock is located at 38°52′37″N 78°30′41″W / 38.87694°N 78.51139°W / 38.87694; -78.51139 (38.877075, -78.511521).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²), all of it land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Woodstock has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Recreation

Seven Bends State Park is located just outside of town limits with 1,066 acre area in total. The master plan for Seven Bends State Park was adopted on November 26, 2008 by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The park is in the geographically unique "Seven Bends" area of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River and provides access to the River's North Fork. The park's eastern border is shared with the George Washington- Jefferson National Forest, and the park's western boundary is the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, which includes a four-mile-long shoreline.

Seven Bends State Park, just outside of Woodstock, is one of the newest additions to the Virginia State Parks system and was formally opened in 2019.

The Woodstock Tower, built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, is located on a 2000 ft mountain that overlooks the town. The tower is a popular sightseeing attraction, providing panoramic views of the valleys on either side and of the seven bends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. In March 2019, a portion of the road leading to the tower crumbled due to erosion. The road received $350,000 worth of repairs by Virginia Department of Transportation. The road re-opened again in November 2019.

In the August to September time frame each year, Woodstock's Shenandoah County Fairgrounds plays host to the Shenandoah County Fair, which includes concerts, horse harness races, crafts, and farm exhibitions. The Shenandoah County Fair has been held on these premises since 1917. In addition, the Fairgrounds host a horse harness racing season in September and October called Shenandoah Downs.

Viticultural attractions

The Shenandoah Valley's relatively dry climate, warm days and cool nights are conducive to producing good wine. The climate allows grapes to attain higher acidity, which is generally positive for wine. Limestone soil, which is common to the Valley, has been long associated with great wine growing regions in Europe. The region is a designated American Viticultural Area (AVA), Virginia's first AVA, identified in 1982. The Shenandoah Valley is a relatively dry "rain shadow," as storms soak the mountains on either side of the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies. The growing season in the Valley is distinctly warmer and drier than in neighboring Virginia regions, which don't have the natural rain barrier from the nearby mountains, and where, east of the Blue Ridge, vineyard soils are primarily clay and loam. The annual rainfall in the Valley is one half that of the Virginia average. These conditions are thus more favorable for Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lemberger, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. The area around Woodstock has several wineries. Muse Vineyards is located in Woodstock within the "Seven Bends" area of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Other nearby wineries include Cave Ridge Vineyard, about 14 miles southwest of Woodstock in the rural hills of Shenandoah County, and Shenandoah Vineyards, about 4.5 miles from Woodstock in Edinburg, VA (Shenandoah Vineyards is reportedly the second oldest active winery in Virginia and was founded in 1976). In addition to wineries, Woodstock has a brewpub, the Woodstock Brewhouse, founded in 2015, housed in a restored industrial-age facility that was formerly a Woodstock denim factory.

Economy

The largest employers in Woodstock, as of 2016, were Shenandoah County School Board, Shenandoah County, Valley Health Care System, Walmart, Food Lion, and Lowe's.

Transportation

View north along Interstate 81 from SR 42 in Woodstock

Interstate 81 is the main highway providing access to Woodstock. I-81 extends south to Tennessee and north to West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York. Virginia State Route 42 extends southwest from Woodstock into rural southwestern Shenandoah County. SR 42 also connects I-81 to U.S. Route 11, which serves as a local service road for I-81 and is known as Main Street within Woodstock. Route 11 follows the historical route through the Shenandoah Valley, and was once known as the Indian Road and later the Great Wagon Road and the Valley Pike. Route 11 is now the principal local through road connecting towns in the Valley and is dotted with historical markers and scenic points.

The Norfolk Southern railroad has a rail line that runs through town for which service has been discontinued, but Norfolk Southern has been unclear as to whether they will fully abandon the line. It is part of a roughly 17 mile stretch of discontinued railroad line from Edinburg, VA to Strasburg, VA. Norfolk Southern announced in 2016 it was planning on no longer servicing the line. The rail bed is now increasingly overgrown with weeds and has not been maintained and putting it back into service would be costly and especially unlikely since there is no prospect of industry that needs rail service in volume that would be profitable for Norfolk Southern. There is discussion and ideas surrounding making 2.5 miles of the discontinued line in Woodstock into a rail trail, but the program's funding has not been determined, and neither have the intentions of Norfolk Southern regarding the rail line. As part of its fiscal 2018 budget, the Woodstock Town Council approved $40,000 in capital improvement funds to hire a designer to develop blueprints of the trail system, but no designer has been hired yet, as the program is still in the "exploratory phase."

Shenandoah Valley Commuter Bus Service offers weekday commuter bus service from Northern Shenandoah Valley including Shenandoah County and Warren County to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. including Arlington County and Fairfax County. Origination points in Shenandoah County include Woodstock. Origination points in Warren County include Front Royal and Linden.

Notable people

Robert Allen, United States Congressman from Virginia.
Charles B. Gatewood, United States Army officer
John Magruder, Brigadier general in the U.S. Army, Deputy Director for Intelligence for the OSS
Jim Moran, publicist
Sandie Pendleton, lieutenant colonel in the C.S. Army, adjutant to Stonewall Jackson and other Confederate generals, died in Woodstock.
Alfred C. Richmond, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard
Jason F. Wright, author
Benjamin C. Freakley, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army.

Woodstock, Virginia facts for kids

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