Grundy, Virginia
Grundy, Virginia | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 51-33648[4] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1498485[5] | |
Website | townofgrundy.com |
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States, an area located within the Appalachian Mountains region. It is the county seat of Buchanan County.[6] The town is home to the Appalachian School of Law. The population was 875 as of the 2020 census.[2]
Legislation establishing Buchanan County in 1858 designated a plot of land at the confluence of the
Although originally developed along the
During the
History
The town, founded in 1858 upon the formation of Buchanan County, was named for Felix Grundy (1777–1840), United States Attorney General (1838–1839) and United States Senator from Tennessee (1839–1840). It was incorporated in 1876. The present courthouse dates from 1905 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. Since the late 19th century, this area depended on coal mining as the basis of its economy. The decline in mining resulted in a loss of jobs and population.
Civil War events
In October 1864, Union raiders under Brigadier General
Red Jacket Mine explosion
On April 25, 1938, a catastrophic mine explosion happened in the Keen Mountain Coal Mine.[7] 45 were killed and 3 injured. This is widely regarded as one of the worst mining disasters in Virginia's history. The disaster was reported in the Charleston Gazette.[8]
Grundy Flood-Control Project
Since 1929, Grundy has suffered nine major floods of the adjoining
A 21st-century project to relocate much of the town to higher ground has been completed. The project started in 2001. The mountain on the other side of the
Buildings backing on the river have been demolished, and a new flood wall protects the county courthouse.
Base of a regional grocery store chain
Grundy was the home of the predecessor to the
Education as a new sustaining industry
Grundy is home to the Appalachian School of Law, which opened in 1997, and the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, which opened in 2005. Buchanan County chose Grundy as the site for the ASL to revitalize the town, which had been in a steady economic decline since the Flood of 1977. The ASL has generated $12 million for the local economy. Its presence has increased demand for construction of rental homes and stimulated the opening of additional businesses in the area. Additionally, ASL has successfully demonstrated the concept of creating institutions of higher education as an economic development tool.[11][12]
This success contributed to the founding of the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, located in Oakwood.[13] Like the Appalachian School of Law, it was created as part of a continuing economic redevelopment effort in the region. ACP is forecast to add $20 million per year to the local economy.[12]
Appalachian School of Law shooting
On January 16, 2002, Dean Anthony Sutin, Professor Thomas Blackwell, and 1L student Angela Dales were shot and killed on the campus of the Appalachian School of Law by Peter Odighizuwa, 43, of Nigeria, a student. At his trial, Odighizuwa was found to be mentally competent. He pleaded guilty to the murders to avoid the death penalty, and was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison.[14]
Geography
Grundy is located at 37°16′36″N 82°5′42″W / 37.27667°N 82.09500°W (37.276760, −82.095038).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13.1 km2), all of which is land.
Grundy is located in the Cumberland Plateau Region.
Transportation
Grundy is served by the
Four County Transit maintains a local trolley system that services downtown locations. Stops include the Grundy courthouse, Grundy Church of Christ, the former Food City parking lot, the Grundy Community Center, the Appalachian School of Law, and the former downtown parking lot.[16]
The Norfolk Southern Railway maintains tracks and runs trains through the town. However, there are no passenger rail services or stops currently in Grundy.
Grundy is served by
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
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% | |
2021 (est.) | 822 | [3] | −6.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census[17] 2020 Census[2] |
As of the
There were 405 households, out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.2% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,411, and the median income for a family was $47,143. Males had a median income of $40,236 compared to $24,821 for females. The
Education
Grundy is the home of two public institutions. The town is also home to a private, Christian academy. Additionally, the town is home to a graduate-level college, granting law degrees.
Public schools
- Grundy Senior High School
- Riverview Elementary/Middle School
Private institutions
- Mountain Mission School
Post-secondary education
Notable people
- Heath Calhoun – U.S. Paralympian, spokesperson for Wounded Warrior Project
- Roger Keith Coleman – convicted of rape and murder of sister-in-law; attracted support due to his claims of innocence, before being executed in 1992. He was the second man in the US to have post-execution analysis of DNA; in 2006 this conclusively proved that he was guilty.[18]
- Jayma Mays – actress
- Ryan O'Quinn – actor, writer
- Bev Perdue – Former Governor of North Carolina
- Lee Smith – writer
- Mel Street – country music singer
- Grundy High School[19]
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. According to the
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: |
See also
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". United States Census Bureau. July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Development, PodBean. "April 22 - The Red Jacket Mine Explosion". laborhistoryin2.podbean.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ "Keen Mountain Mine Explosion". usminedisasters.miningquiz.com. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Mcintosh, Chris (September 14, 2011). "Unique new Wal-Mart Supercenter opens in Grundy, Va". HeraldCourier.com. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "Food City Founder Passes Away". WVLT Television. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
- ^ "Buchanan's 10-year-old $2.5 million debt forgiven". Bluefield (WV) Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
- ^ a b "Colleges bring coal country a fresh mine of resources". Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
- ^ "Open House". Virginia Mountaineer. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
- ^ Davis, W. Jeremy. ""Against All Sense and Reason or Change and the Art of Getting Lucky"". University of Toledo Law Review, vol. 36 No.1. University of Toledo. Retrieved April 4, 2007.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Trolley Bus Service Now Available". Virginia Mountaineer. Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ Maria Gold and Michael D. Shear, "DNA Tests Confirm Guilt of Executed Man", Washington Post, January 12, 2006; Quote: "The testing in Coleman's case marks only the second time nationwide that DNA tests have been performed after an execution. In 2000, tests ordered by a Georgia judge in the case of Ellis W. Felker, who was executed in 1996, were inconclusive."; accessed May 26, 2017
- ^ "Capt. Francis Gary Powers | National Air and Space Museum".
- ^ Climate Summary for Grundy, Virginia
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Grundy, VA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
External links
- City-Data.com
- Town of Grundy
- Grundy, Virginia at Curlie