Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 51-61832[2] | | |
GNIS ID | 1497087[3] | |
Website | www |
Petersburg is an
It is located at the
Petersburg grew as a transportation hub and also developed industry. It was the final destination on the
Petersburg has the oldest free black settlements in the state at Pocahontas Island. Two
Petersburg remains a transportation hub. Area highways include Interstate Highways 85, 95, and U.S. Route highways with 1, 301, and 460. Both CSX and Norfolk Southern rail systems maintain transportation centers at Petersburg. Amtrak serves the city with daily Northeast Regional passenger trains to Norfolk, Virginia, and long-distance routes from states to the South.[8]
In the early 21st century, Petersburg civic leaders promote the city's historical attractions for heritage tourism, as well as industrial sites reachable by the transportation infrastructure.[not verified in body] The federal government is also a major employer, with nearby Fort Gregg-Adams, as home of the United States Army's Sustainment Center of Excellence, and the Army's Logistics Branch, Ordnance, Quartermaster, and Transportation Corps.
History
Indigenous peoples
Archaeological excavations at
When the English arrived in Virginia in 1607, the region was occupied by the
Founding
Petersburg was founded at a strategic point at the
Around 1675, Wood's son-in-law, Peter Jones, who then commanded the fort and traded with the Indians, opened a trading post nearby, known as Peter's Point. The Kennon and Bolling families, prominent tobacco planters and traders, also lived in the area and engaged in local politics. In 1733, Col. William Byrd II (who founded Richmond at the same time) conceived plans for a city at Peter's Point, to be renamed Petersburgh. The Virginia General Assembly formally incorporated both Petersburg and adjacent Blandford on December 17, 1748. Wittontown, north of the river, was settled in 1749, and became incorporated as Pocahontas in 1752. Petersburg was enlarged slightly in 1762, adding 28 acres (110,000 m2) to "Old Town".[9]
Revolutionary War Period
During the
After the war, in 1784 Petersburg annexed the adjacent towns of Blandford (also called Blanford), Pocahontas and the outlying town of Ravenscroft, which became neighborhoods of the larger city. An area known as Gillfield was annexed in 1798.[10] Residents' devotion to the cause of America two decades later during the War of 1812 (1812–1815) led to the formation of the militia unit of the Petersburg Volunteers—who distinguished themselves in action at the Siege of Fort Meigs on the Great Lakes frontier on May 5, 1813. Fourth President James Madison called Petersburg "Cockade of the Union" (which later was applied to the town as a nickname "Cockade City"), in honor of the cockades which Volunteers wore on their caps.[11]
Petersburg's Free Black Community
Petersburg Blacks established the
Many free blacks in Virginia migrated to the growing urban community, despite increasing legislative restrictions. Until 1860 Petersburg was a majority black American city, although the enslaved population had few legal rights. Between 1850 and 1860, Petersburg's free black community increased 24%, although industrial growth fueled an even greater increase in the white population. Of the 18,366 people counted in Petersburg by federal census takers in 1860, 9,342 were white, 5,680 were slaves, and 3,244 free blacks. Thus in 1860, nearly 26% of all free persons were black, the highest proportion in any Southern city.[15] Free Black men worked as tobacco twisters, in iron foundries, and as draymen, boatmen and cabdrivers, or in the skilled trades of mason, wheelwright, coopers and blacksmiths. Free Black women worked in tobacco factories as stemmers, or as washerwomen or seamstresses or laborers. Plantation owners also brought slaves for hire into the city. As in many other upper South cities, many white households had slaves, but more than 40% were enslaving just one servant.[16]
Antebellum Period
During the
The city became an important industrial center in a mostly agricultural state with few major cities. Starting in 1813, the city paved its streets, which helped attract business. In 1816 the Upper Appomattox Canal Company completed the
In 1851 the city introduced gaslights and by 1857 installed a new municipal water system. All these civic improvements helped attract and hold a substantial business community, based on manufacture of tobacco products, cotton and flour and banking.
American Civil War
At the time of the American Civil War, Petersburg was the second-largest city in Virginia after the capital, Richmond, and the seventh-largest city in the Confederacy. Petersburg's population had the highest percentage of free black Americans of any city in the Confederacy and the largest number of free blacks in the Mid-Atlantic region.[20]
When the Civil War began in 1861, Petersburg was strategic in supporting the Confederate effort. The city provided several infantry companies and artillery units to the Confederate Army, along with three troops of cavalry. In April 1861 more than 300 free black Americans of Petersburg volunteered to work on the fortifications of Norfolk, Virginia under their own leader. Slaveholders also contributed the labor of numerous black slaves.[21]
Siege of Petersburg
In 1864, Petersburg became a target during the
General Robert E. Lee arrived with his Army of Northern Virginia, and the 292-day Siege of Petersburg began. Due to botched Union leadership and arrival of Confederate General William Mahone, the Union forces suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of the Crater, suffering over 4,000 casualties. In early April 1865, Union troops finally managed to push their left flank to the railroad to Weldon, North Carolina and the Southside Railroad. With the loss of Petersburg's crucial railroad lines, the Confederate forces had to retreat, ending the siege in a victory for the Union Army. The fall of Petersburg meant that Richmond could no longer be defended. Lee attempted to lead his men south to join up with Confederate forces in North Carolina. Hopelessly outnumbered, he was surrounded and forced to surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865.
Reconstruction era
In the years after the Civil War, many freedmen migrated to Petersburg, founding numerous churches, businesses and institutions. The
In 1870 the General Assembly incorporated the Central Lunatic Asylum as an organized state institution, as part of an effort by the bi-racial
Readjuster era
During the 1880s, a coalition of black Republicans and white
In 1882, the state legislature also authorized moving the mental asylum facility to the Mayfield Farm and developing a new campus there. This is the site of the present-day Central State Hospital, which provides a variety of mental health services.
In 1894 a fireworks factory exploded killing eleven people.[25]
20th century to present
The limitations of Petersburg's small geographic area and proximity to Richmond are structural problems that have hampered it in adapting to major economic changes in the 20th century. Other forces in the mid-20th century, such as industrial and railroad restructuring, reduced the number of jobs in the city. In addition, suburban development attracted people to newer housing outside the city.
World wars led to major federal institutions being constructed near Petersburg, which created local jobs. Soon after
During WWII
Since that time, Petersburg has struggled in competition with nearby Richmond, as the capital has grown to dominate the region in a changing economy as industries restructured.
Jim Crow
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Virginia's
With many black Americans having served the nation and cause of freedom in WWII, in the postwar years they pressed for social justice, an end to segregation, and restoration of voting power.
In 1949 Petersburg businessman and politician,
Even after the Great Migration of many blacks to northern jobs and cities, Petersburg was 40 percent black in 1960. Under state segregation and Jim Crow laws, those citizens were barred from free use of public spaces and facilities.[27]
Civil Rights Movement
Major black churches, such as First Baptist and Gillfield Baptist, formed the moral center of the
Beginning in the 1950s black Americans in Petersburg struggled to desegregate public schools and facilities. In 1958 the City Council closed Wilcox Lake, a popular swimming hole in Petersburg to prevent the lake's public recreational area from being racially integrated. It never re-opened to swimming.[29] Through sit-ins in the bus terminal in 1960, the PIA gained agreement by the president of the Bus Terminal Restaurants to desegregate lunch counters in Petersburg and several other cities.[27]
Virginia officials strongly opposed school integration following the 1954 US Supreme Court ruling in
Late 20th-century economic decline
Retail and industry prospered until about the late 1980s. Petersburg was hit hard in 1985 when tobacco giant Brown & Williamson, the city's largest manufacturer, closed a cigarette factory in town. De-industrialization, restructuring of railroads, and related national structural economic changes cost many jobs in the city, as happened in numerous older industrial cities across the North and Midwest. The post-World War II national construction of highways encouraged development outside cities and suburbanization added to problems. In addition, reacting to racial integration of schools in the 1960s, many middle-class families moved to newer housing in the predominantly white suburbs. They also moved to the Richmond metro area, where the economy was expanding with jobs in new fields of financial and retail services. Some companies shifted industrial jobs to states further south, where wages were lower, or overseas.
The declining economy increased the pressure of competition and racial tensions in Petersburg. These flared from 1968 until 1980, when black members of the City Council accused the white Mayor of racism over a re-districting plan which they and the
In an attempt to stem its economic decline, in 1971 the city completed steps begun in 1966 to annex 14 square miles of land from adjacent and predominantly white counties of Prince George and Dinwiddie. The annexation had been generally supported by the citizens of Petersburg, black and white alike, since the mid-1960s, as a necessary measure to allow the city of expand its tax base and its potential for growth and development. The city argued to the counties that it was better prepared to provide municipal-type services than the predominantly
Following the annexation, blacks realized that the annexations had added 8,000 new white residents. City council members were then elected at-large, requiring majority approval for each seat. Black civil rights organizations challenged the annexations in court, saying these were motivated to illegally dilute the voting power of blacks. A federal judge, citing provisions of the
White flight from the annexed suburban neighborhoods began almost immediately. As residents of the city of Petersburg, their children would be required to attend the Petersburg City Schools, which had become predominantly black due to whites sending their children to private schools or moving to suburbs.
Projected industrial development of large tracts of farmland in the annexed areas failed to take place. In 1985 Petersburg again sought to annex more land from Prince George County. This time the nearby City of
The prolonged annexation fight contributed to decades of racially tinged hostility between the county and city governments that have had negative impact on regional cooperation. Prince George County is predominantly white while the city of Petersburg is roughly four-fifths black. These strained relationships have slowed regional progress and eroded business confidence, hampering economic development in the region to the present day.[33]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, numerous remaining retail merchants, including
In the late 20th century, Petersburg worked to restore historic buildings and attract different kinds of stores and businesses to its historic center. During the 1993 Virginia tornado outbreak, Petersburg was struck by an F4 tornado that swept through the downtown area, seriously damaging a number of restored historic buildings and businesses. The same tornado also touched down in Colonial Heights destroying a Walmart store.
21st century
As of 2007, Petersburg has continued to evolve as a small city, and its commercial activities have changed. Downtown Petersburg, known as Old Towne, has had new businesses established in the compact core: these include indie restaurants, bars and coffee shops. The long-abandoned Walnut Mall, which closed in the early 1990s, has been demolished. The Army has expanded activities at nearby Fort Gregg-Adams, home of the United States Army's Sustainment Center of Excellence. The Army's Logistics Branch, Ordnance, Quartermaster, and the Transportation Corps moved there from Fort Eustis following the round of Base Realignment and Closure actions in 2005.[34]
In 2016, Petersburg faced the prospect of large-scale cuts to public services after a state audit found a $12 million (~$14.9 million in 2023) budget shortfall and the prospect of insolvency by the end of the year.[35]
On August 22, 2022, the City of Petersburg and The Commonwealth of Virginia partners up to form "Partnership for Petersburg", which addresses to improve education, public safety, health, and transportation issues. Current governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, with current Mayor of Petersburg, Sam Parham, local businesses, law enforcement both local and state level, education partners of local schools and surrounding university and college. Within the partnership there will be 42 initiatives, 61 organizations participating.
Geography
Petersburg is located at 37°12′46″N 77°24′1″W / 37.21278°N 77.40028°W (37.21295, -77.400417).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.2 square miles (60.1 km2), of which 22.9 square miles (59.3 km2) of land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2) (1.1%) is water.[36]
Petersburg is located on the
Located along the
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Petersburg with the cities of Colonial Heights and Hopewell, and neighboring Dinwiddie and Prince George counties for statistical purposes. Petersburg is also a part of the Tri-Cities regional economy known as the "Appomattox Basin", which includes a portion of southeastern Chesterfield County.
Petersburg is located 21.69 miles south of Richmond, Virginia, 38.24 miles north of Emporia, Virginia, 66.83 miles northwest of Norfolk, Virginia, 91.68 miles north of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and 118.99 miles northeast of Durham, North Carolina.
Climate
Climate data for PETERSBURG, VA, 1991-2020 normals | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49.1 (9.5) |
52.2 (11.2) |
60.1 (15.6) |
70.4 (21.3) |
78.2 (25.7) |
85.5 (29.7) |
89.3 (31.8) |
87.4 (30.8) |
81.5 (27.5) |
71.6 (22.0) |
61.5 (16.4) |
52.6 (11.4) |
70.0 (21.1) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 38.7 (3.7) |
40.7 (4.8) |
48.1 (8.9) |
58.0 (14.4) |
66.6 (19.2) |
74.8 (23.8) |
79.2 (26.2) |
77.4 (25.2) |
71.1 (21.7) |
59.8 (15.4) |
49.4 (9.7) |
41.6 (5.3) |
58.8 (14.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.3 (−2.1) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
36.1 (2.3) |
45.6 (7.6) |
55.0 (12.8) |
64.2 (17.9) |
69.0 (20.6) |
67.3 (19.6) |
60.8 (16.0) |
48.0 (8.9) |
37.3 (2.9) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
47.6 (8.7) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.02 (77) |
2.70 (69) |
4.37 (111) |
3.62 (92) |
4.37 (111) |
4.23 (107) |
4.70 (119) |
5.31 (135) |
4.63 (118) |
3.41 (87) |
3.16 (80) |
3.47 (88) |
46.99 (1,194) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.3 | 8.9 | 9.8 | 10.6 | 11.6 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 10.4 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 9.8 | 115.2 |
Source: NOAA[37][38] |
Adjacent counties/independent city
- Chesterfield County, Virginia—north
- Colonial Heights, Virginia—north
- Dinwiddie County, Virginia—west, south
- Prince George County, Virginia—east, southeast
National protected area
- Petersburg National Battlefield Park(part)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 2,828 | — | |
1800 | 3,521 | 24.5% | |
1810 | 5,668 | 61.0% | |
1820 | 6,690 | 18.0% | |
1830 | 8,322 | 24.4% | |
1840 | 11,136 | 33.8% | |
1850 | 13,950 | [39] | 25.3% |
1860 | 18,266 | 30.9% | |
1870 | 18,950 | 3.7% | |
1880 | 21,656 | 14.3% | |
1890 | 22,680 | 4.7% | |
1900 | 21,810 | −3.8% | |
1910 | 24,127 | 10.6% | |
1920 | 31,012 | 28.5% | |
1930 | 28,564 | −7.9% | |
1940 | 30,631 | 7.2% | |
1950 | 35,054 | 14.4% | |
1960 | 36,750 | 4.8% | |
1970 | 36,103 | −1.8% | |
1980 | 41,055 | 13.7% | |
1990 | 38,386 | −6.5% | |
2000 | 33,740 | −12.1% | |
2010 | 32,420 | −3.9% | |
2020 | 33,458 | 3.2% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[40] 1790–1960[41] 1900–1990[42] 1990–2000[43] 2010–2012 [44] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[45] | Pop 2020[46] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
4,902 | 5,178 | 15.12% | 15.48% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
25,419 | 24,530 | 78.41% | 73.32% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
87 | 105 | 0.27% | 0.31% |
Asian alone (NH) | 263 | 330 | 0.81% | 0.99% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 12 | 30 | 0.04% | 0.09% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 31 | 190 | 0.10% | 0.57% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 490 | 1,125 | 1.51% | 3.36% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,216 | 1,970 | 3.75% | 5.89% |
Total | 32,420 | 33,458 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the
As of the
There were 13,799 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.1% were married couples living together, 26.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.[citation needed]
The age distribution was 25.1% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.[citation needed]
The median income for a household in the city was $33,927, and the median income for a family was $40,300. Males had a median income of $30,295 versus $23,246 for females. The
Crime
In 2020, the city had 24 homicides, giving a homicide rate of 76.5 homicides per 100,000 people, the second highest in the United States.[48]
Economy
Arnold Pen Co., Seward Trunk Co., Titmus Optical, and Amsted Rail-Brenco bearings operate in Petersburg. The city has a long history as an industrial center for Virginia. It was home to many tobacco companies, including tobacco giant Brown & Williamson. The Southern Chemical Co., the original maker of Fleets Phoso-soda (used in hospitals worldwide), was a well-known brand associated with the town. In the early 1990s the retailer Walmart opened a large distribution center just west of town in neighboring Dinwiddie County. As of September 2012, the e-tailer Amazon.com also opened a fulfilment center in neighboring Dinwiddie County. This brought hundreds of new jobs to the area.
Media
Petersburg was home to The Daily Express and The Weekly Express newspaper from 1862 to 1869. It was succeeded by The Daily Courier.[49]
Transportation
As noted above, Petersburg is on the
Major highways
Culture
Architecture and arts
Petersburg Old Town Historic District | |
Location | U.S. 1 and VA 36, Petersburg, Virginia |
---|---|
Area | 190 acres (77 ha) |
Architect | Multiple |
NRHP reference No. | 80004314 [50] |
Added to NRHP | July 04, 1980 |
Since the departure of the tobacco company Brown & Williamson, Petersburg has invested heavily in
The Petersburg Old Town Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are other historic districts. People appreciate the preserved historic buildings and pedestrian scale of the downtown, as well as their architectural variety. The buildings are being adapted for new uses. Many restaurants, specialty shops, and up-scale apartments and condos have been developed, with more underway. Southern Living magazine featured this area, as did HGTV's What You Get For The Money.
The area has become a vibrant arts center. It has an Arts League and a performing arts center, Sycamore Rouge, "Petersburg's Professional Theatre for the Community". Sycamore Rouge produces a five-show mainstage theatre season and a "black box" theatre season, supplemented with live music and cabaret performances. The city celebrates a "Friday of the Arts" on the second Friday of each month, in which many locations feature local artwork and live music.
Numerous historic properties and districts are associated with the downtown area.
Sports
Petersburg was home to the
Petersburg was home to the
Education
Petersburg City Public Schools
History of Schools in Petersburg can be found in the History portion of the article.
High school
Middle school
- Vernon Johns Middle School (former Anderson Elementary building)
Elementary schools
- Cool Springs Elementary School (formerly A.P. Hill Elementary)[53]
- Lakemont Elementary School (formerly Robert E. Lee Elementary)[53]
- Walnut Hill Elementary School
- Blandford Academy K-5
- Pleasants Lane Elementary School (formerly J.E.B Stuart Elementary)[53]
- Westview Early Childhood Education Center
Schools closed, several buildings re-tasked[54]
- David Anderson Elementary School (converted to a middle school)
- Virginia Avenue Elementary School (closed in 2005)
- Westview Elementary (reduced to Head Startand early childhood education)
- Peabody Middle School (closed July 1, 2017)
Other schools
Charter/tech
- Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts and Technology
- Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies
Independent schools in the Petersburg area[55] currently include:
- Bermuda Run Educational Center
- Blandford Manor Education Center
- Grace Baptist School
- Restoration Military Academy
- Rock Church Academy
- Robert A. Lewis SDA School
- St. Joseph School [This private school is accredited by the Virginia Board of Education and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.]
Higher education
The area is served by three schools of higher education:
City government and politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 1,584 | 11.22% | 12,389 | 87.75% | 145 | 1.03% |
2016 | 1,451 | 10.53% | 12,021 | 87.20% | 314 | 2.28% |
2012 | 1,527 | 9.60% | 14,283 | 89.79% | 98 | 0.62% |
2008 | 1,583 | 10.19% | 13,774 | 88.64% | 183 | 1.18% |
2004 | 2,238 | 18.73% | 9,682 | 81.03% | 29 | 0.24% |
2000 | 2,109 | 19.07% | 8,751 | 79.11% | 202 | 1.83% |
1996 | 2,261 | 20.76% | 8,105 | 74.43% | 524 | 4.81% |
1992 | 3,125 | 24.57% | 8,671 | 68.18% | 921 | 7.24% |
1988 | 4,231 | 33.60% | 8,177 | 64.94% | 183 | 1.45% |
1984 | 5,753 | 38.17% | 9,248 | 61.35% | 73 | 0.48% |
1980 | 5,001 | 37.67% | 7,931 | 59.73% | 345 | 2.60% |
1976 | 5,041 | 38.53% | 7,852 | 60.02% | 189 | 1.44% |
1972 | 6,710 | 55.67% | 5,156 | 42.78% | 187 | 1.55% |
1968 | 3,478 | 31.14% | 5,519 | 49.41% | 2,172 | 19.45% |
1964 | 3,253 | 41.84% | 4,521 | 58.15% | 1 | 0.01% |
1960 | 2,820 | 48.60% | 2,950 | 50.84% | 33 | 0.57% |
1956 | 3,166 | 58.10% | 1,882 | 34.54% | 401 | 7.36% |
1952 | 2,822 | 54.49% | 2,342 | 45.22% | 15 | 0.29% |
1948 | 1,189 | 31.04% | 2,019 | 52.70% | 623 | 16.26% |
1944 | 719 | 24.12% | 2,256 | 75.68% | 6 | 0.20% |
1940 | 604 | 21.46% | 2,193 | 77.90% | 18 | 0.64% |
1936 | 444 | 16.75% | 2,192 | 82.69% | 15 | 0.57% |
1932 | 490 | 20.08% | 1,920 | 78.69% | 30 | 1.23% |
1928 | 909 | 39.73% | 1,379 | 60.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 228 | 14.29% | 1,331 | 83.45% | 36 | 2.26% |
1920 | 485 | 18.90% | 2,072 | 80.75% | 9 | 0.35% |
1916 | 161 | 12.13% | 1,155 | 87.04% | 11 | 0.83% |
1912 | 75 | 6.03% | 1,122 | 90.19% | 47 | 3.78% |
1908 | 205 | 18.39% | 905 | 81.17% | 5 | 0.45% |
1904 | 144 | 13.40% | 924 | 85.95% | 7 | 0.65% |
1900 | 688 | 30.02% | 1,589 | 69.33% | 15 | 0.65% |
1896 | 766 | 30.21% | 1,682 | 66.32% | 88 | 3.47% |
1892 | 1,046 | 29.01% | 2,558 | 70.94% | 2 | 0.06% |
1888 | 2,198 | 51.54% | 2,067 | 48.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
1884 | 2,765 | 63.17% | 1,612 | 36.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
1880 | 1,614 | 47.67% | 1,771 | 52.30% | 1 | 0.03% |
The city of Petersburg has a
The city council elects one of its members to serve as mayor and one member to serve as vice mayor, but generally those positions have the authority only of being chair and vice chair of the city council.
The members of city council:[57]
- Ward One: Treska Wilson-Smith
- Ward Two: Darrin Hill
- Ward Three: Samuel Parham (Mayor)
- Ward Four: Charles H. Cuthburt
- Ward Five: W. Howard Myers
- Ward Six: Annette Smith-Lee (Vice Mayor)
- Ward Seven: John Hart
The majority-black population has continued to support primarily Democratic Party candidates since the national party's support for the civil rights movement and federal legislation in the mid-1960s. The independent city is represented by Joseph Preston in the state House of Delegates (63rd District) and Rosalyn R. Dance in the State Senate (16th District). Both Preston and Dance are Democrats. Six of the City Council representatives are confirmed Democrats, including the mayor and vice-mayor. All the local constitutional officers are also Democrats.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Notable people
- Victoria Gray Adams, first black woman to run for U. S. Senate from Mississippi, as well as co-chair with Fannie Lou Hamer in founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, lived here near the end of her life.
- Louis B. Anderson Chicago City Council member, was born here
- Jacob M. Appel, author (Einstein's Beach House), bioethicist.
- Bishop of Alabama, was born here.
- Tyra Bolling, R&B singer, was born here.
- Joseph Cotten, actor, was born and raised here.
- Harold Cruse (1916–2005), social critic and teacher of black American studies, was born here.
- Edith Luckett Davis, actress and mother of future First Lady Nancy Reagan, was born here.
- Eliza Ann Dupuy(c. 1814 – 1880), author
- William Henry Evans, Wisconsin lawyer and legislator, was born here.
- Delores Ann Richburg Greene, college dean in Virginia
- Otelia Shields Howard (1900–1945), English professor at Virginia State College
- Ricky Hunley, NFL defensive player, was born here.
- Vernon Johns, civil rights leader.
- Rudi Johnson, former NFL running back.
- abolitionist, activist, educator and politician: first dean of Howard University law school, first president of Virginia State University, in 1888 the first black elected United States Congress from Virginia; lived here.
- Kendall Langford, NFL defensive player, Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams, born and raised here
- Francis Rives Lassiter, U.S. congressman[59]
- William Lassiter, U.S. Army major general[59]
- Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie (c. 1840s-c. 1920s), black American musician, teacher and composer, was born here into slavery. (Note: Another source says that she was born in Amelia County, Virginia.)[60]
- William Mahone, 19th-century railroad builder, Confederate General (hero of the Battle of the Crater), and politician; the mayor of Petersburg, where he and his wife Otelia Butler Mahone made their home for many years.
- Frank Mason III, former Naismith college basketball player of the year and NBA point guard for the Sacramento Kings
- Moses Malone, NBA Hall of Fame player, born here and won state basketball championships at Petersburg High School.
- Jennifer McClellan, U.S. congresswoman.
- Jerome Myers, writer and artist of the Ashcan school of painting.
- Afemo Omilami, actor in the films Drumline, Forrest Gump, and Glory, born and raised here.
- DJ Pryor, stand-up comedian and actor
- Dee Dee Ramone, punk rocker, born at Ft. Lee Army base.
- Joseph Jenkins Roberts, first President of Liberia, lived for a time in Petersburg.
- Dinwiddie Countyand spent much time in Petersburg in his youth.
- Norman Sisisky, U.S. Representative from Virginia's 4th Congressional district from 1983 to 2001.
- Ricky Smith, general manager of the Houston Texans football team, was born here.
- Trey Songz, R&B singer, was born here.
- Harry Sydney, former USFL & NFL running back was born here.
- Morton Traylor, artist, was born here.
- Blair Underwood, actor, spent his teenage years living here.[61]
- Gillfield Baptist Church here, executive director of SCLC.
- Tico Wells, actor, The Cosby Show and "Five Heart Beats" (choir boy), family is from here.
- Mark West, NBA player, was raised here.[62]
- Shalita Grant, Tony Award-nominated actress and actress on shows such as NCIS: New Orleans, You, and Search Party
See also
- Petersburg (Amtrak station)
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Petersburg, Virginia
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Petersburg city, Petersburg city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ A. Wilson Greene, Civil War Petersburg: Confederate city in the crucible of war (University of Virginia Press 2006) pp. 3-4
- ISBN 978-0-307-77342-5.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-517413-7.
- ^ "Northeast Regional Boston – Norfolk effective June 9, 2018" (PDF). Amtrak. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ James H. Bailey, Old Petersburg, p. 16.
- ^ James H. Bailey, Old Petersburg, p. 17.
- ^ James H. Bailey, Old Petersburg, pp. 18–19.
- ^ "Gillfield Baptist Church Minutes". VCU Libraries. July 28, 2008. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "First Baptist Church, Petersburg". AfroVirginia. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ Greene p. 9
- ^ Greene p. 8
- ^ Greene pp. 8-9
- ^ Greene pp. 4, 6
- ^ Greene pp. 6-7
- ^ Greene pp. 4-5
- ^ a b "Proud, free and black: Petersburg – visiting the Virginia location of the largest number of 19th century free slaves". American Visions. 1994. Archived from the original on March 5, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Petersburg Black Confederates". Petersburg Battlefield. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1900. pp. 75–84.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-9306-7.
- ^ Shorr, Kathy (March 9, 2005). "Civil War history lesson Petersburg, Va., embraces and expands its past". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "landford, VA Fireworks Factory Explosion". Atlanta Constitution. April 7, 1894. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-8262-1102-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-975581-3.
- ^ "Wyatt Tee Walker papers". archives.nypl.org. 1987. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "Petersburg moving to reopen lake closed by segregation". The Progress-Index. August 7, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "City of Petersburg, Virginia v. United States, 354 F. Supp. 1021 – Dist. Court, Dist. of Columbia 1972". Google Scholar. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "Chairman's Statement To Commission On Local Government". Prince George County, VA. September 13, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "Appendix K: Department of Defense Proposed 2005 Realignment and Closure List" (PDF). 2005 Base Realignment and Closure. 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ Schneider, Gregory S. "City on the brink: Petersburg can't pay its bills and time is running out". The Washington Post. No. 5 September 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ DeBow, J.D.B. (1853). The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850 (PDF). Washington: Robert Armstrong. p. 1018. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2022. The appendix to the 1850 Census report indicates that the initially provided value of 14,010 found on page 258 was based on an incorrect summation of the population of free African Americans in the city.
- US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Petersburg city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Petersburg city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ "Rochester, NY Reported One of the Highest Murder Rates in the US".
- ^ "The Daily Express (Petersburg [Va.]) 1852-1869". Library of Congress.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Battersea: A Hidden Treasure". Battersea Foundation. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "Sam Rice | Society for American Baseball Research". sabr.org.
- ^ a b c "Petersburg votes to rename Confederate schools". Richmond Free Press. February 16, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "ProQuest Archiver: Titles". Retrieved July 3, 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "PETERSBURG VA Private Schools". Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
- ^ "City Council | Petersburg, VA – Official Website". www.petersburgva.gov.
- ^ "Petersburg, Virginia Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8063-1552-2 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-1-315-40832-3.
- ^ Tupponce, Joan (October 25, 2018). "A Man for All Seasons". VirginiaLiving.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "45 Mark West". ODUSports.com.
Further reading
- Luther Porter Jackson. A Short History of the Gillfield Baptist Church of Petersburg, VA, Petersburg, VA: Virginia Print Co., 1937
- James Scott and Edward Wyatt, Petersburg's Story: A History (1960)
- Lee Stith and Akin Smith, "Watch Ov'em Gene" Historical Fiction (2005)