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Renting an Apartment in Fredericksburg
What You Should Know
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia,
50 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 55 miles north of Richmond, Virginia. As
of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 19,279. The Bureau of Economic
Analysis combines the city of Fredericksburg with neighboring Spotsylvania
County for statistical purposes. This city is a part of the Washington
Metropolitan Area and, because of the vast abundance of commuters who travel by
car, bus, and rail to Fairfax, Prince William, and Arlington Counties as well as
Washington, D.C., is considered by many to be a part of Northern Virginia.
History
Located on the Rappahannock River near the head of navigation at the fall line,
Fredericksburg developed as the frontier of colonial Virginia shifted west out
of the coastal plain. The land on which the city was founded was part of a tract
patented in 1671. The Virginia General Assembly established a fort on the
Rappahannock in 1676, just below the present-day city. In 1714, Lt. Gov.
Alexander Spotswood sponsored a German settlement called Germanna on the Rapidan
River, a tributary of the Rappahannock upstream from the future site of the
city, and led an expedition westward over the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1716.
As interest in the frontier grew, the colonial assembly responded by forming a
new county named Spotsylvania (after the governor) in 1720 and establishing
Fredericksburg in 1728 as a port for the county, of which it was then a part.
Named for Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of King George II and father of King
George III, the colonial town's streets bore the names of members of the royal
family. The county court was moved to Fredericksburg in 1732 and the town served
as county seat until 1780 when the courthouse was moved closer to the county
center. Fredericksburg was incorporated as a town, with its own court, council,
and mayor, in 1781, and received its charter as an independent city in 1879. The
city adopted the city manager/council form of government in 1911.
The city has close associations with George Washington, whose family moved to
Ferry Farm in Stafford County just off the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg
in 1738. Washington's mother Mary later moved to the city, and his sister Betty
lived at Kenmore, a plantation house then outside the city. Other significant
early residents include the Revolutionary War generals Hugh Mercer and George
Weedon, naval war hero John Paul Jones, and future U.S. president James Monroe.
During the 19th century Fredericksburg sought to maintain its sphere of trade
but with limited success, promoting the development of a canal on the
Rappahannock and construction of a turnpike and plank road to bind the interior
country to the market town. By 1837, a north-south railroad, which became the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, linked the town to Richmond, the
state capital, but a much-needed railroad joining the town to the farming region
to the west remained unfinished until after the Civil War.
During the American Civil War, Fredericksburg gained strategic importance due to
its location midway between Washington and Richmond, the opposing capitals of
the Union and the Confederacy. During the battle of Fredericksburg, December
11-15, 1862, the town sustained significant damage due to bombardment and
looting at the hands of Union forces. A second battle was fought in and around
the town on May 3, 1863, in connection with the Chancellorsville campaign (April
27 - May 6, 1863). The battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House
were fought nearby in May 1864.
After the war, Fredericksburg recovered its former position as a center of local
trade and slowly grew beyond its prewar boundaries. The University of Mary
Washington was founded here in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School
for Women. Adopting the name of Mary Washington College in 1938, the college was
for many years associated with the University of Virginia as a women’s liberal
arts college. The college became coeducational in 1970 and is now independent of
UVa. Recently the College changed names from Mary Washington College to The
University of Mary Washington. A separate campus for graduate and professional
studies is located in suburban Stafford County.
Today Fredericksburg is the commercial hub of a rapidly growing region in north
central Virginia. Despite recent decades of suburban growth, reminders of the
area’s past abound. A 40-block national historic district embraces the city’s
downtown area and contains more than 350 buildings dating to the 18th and 19th
centuries. Notable homes include Kenmore, home of Washington’s sister Betty, and
the Mary Washington House, where his mother spent her final years. The historic
district draws crowds of tourists to Fredericksburg during the summer months.
Other historic buildings and museums include the late 18th century Rising Sun
Tavern, Hugh Mercer apothecary shop, and the James Monroe law office museum.
Significant public buildings include the 1852 courthouse designed by James
Renwick, whose works include the Smithsonian Institution’s castle building in
Washington and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, and the 1816 town hall
and market house. The latter building now houses a local history museum and
cultural center.
Nearby points of interest include George Washington Birthplace National
Monument, located 38 miles to the east in Westmoreland County, and the Ferry
Farm historic site in Stafford County where Washington spent his boyhood across
the river from Fredericksburg. The historic community of Falmouth lies across
the Rappahannock to the north and includes the historic house Belmont, home of
American artist Gari Melchers.
The area’s Civil War battles are commemorated in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania
County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park. Formed by an act of
Congress in 1927, the national military park preserves portions of the
battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and
Spotsylvania Court House. The Fredericksburg National Cemetery, also part of the
park, is located on Marye’s Heights on the Fredericksburg battlefield and
contains more than 15,000 Union burials from the area’s battlefields.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.2
km� (10.5 mi�). None of the area is covered with water.
It is bounded on the north and east by the Rappahannock River; across the river
is Stafford County; and is bounded on the south and west by Spotsylvania County.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 19,279 people, 8,102 households, and
3,925 families residing in the city. The population density was 707.6/km�
(1,833.0/mi�). There were 8,888 housing units at an average density of 326.2/km�
(845.0/mi�). The racial makeup of the city was 73.18% White, 20.41% Black or
African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander,
2.56% from other races, and 1.95% from two or more races. 4.9% of the population
were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,102 households out of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 31.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 39.2% of all
households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the
average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 23.8%
from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there
were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,585, and the median income
for a family was $47,148. Males had a median income of $33,641 versus $25,037
for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,527. 15.5% of the
population and 10.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total
population, 19.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those 65 and older
were living below the poverty line.