Montross, Virginia

Montross is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. The population was 384 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Westmoreland County.[5] Located in the historic Northern Neck of Virginia, Montross is near the George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Stratford Hall Plantation (birthplace of Robert E. Lee, Richard Henry Lee, and Francis Lightfoot Lee.)

Montross, Virginia
Town
Courthouse in Montross, with historic marker in foreground
Location of Montross, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°5′38″N 76°49′34″W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Westmoreland
Area [1]
• Total	1.03 sq mi (2.67 km^2)
• Land	1.03 sq mi (2.67 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	164 ft (50 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	384
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	390
• Density	378.27/sq mi (146.11/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	22520
Area code(s)	804
FIPS code	51-52952[3]
GNIS feature ID	1498518[4]

History

The Old Westmoreland Court House in Montross was the site of notable events in 1774–1775 connected with the Revolutionary War. According to an historic marker at the courthouse, a resolution was introduced by Richard Henry Lee and adopted at a meeting there on June 22, 1774, providing aid to Boston, Massachusetts, following a blockade of that beleaguered port city by Great Britain.[6] The seizure in 1775 of the Virginia Colony's gunpowder supply in Williamsburg on orders of the Royal Governor, in what became known as the Gunpowder Incident, prompted the Westmoreland Committee of Safety to convene at the Court House on May 23, 1775. The committee passed a resolution denouncing the governor, Lord Dunmore, for his actions.[6]

Washington and Lee High School is located in the town. Emmy Award-winning video engineer Walter Balderson, who attended Washington and Lee High School, is from Montross.

United States Congressman Rob Wittman lives in Montross. Virginia State Senator Richard H. Stuart was born and raised in Montross, as was current Brooklyn Nets forward Justin Anderson, who played collegiately at the University of Virginia.

The Armstead T. Johnson High School, Westmoreland State Park Historic District, and Panorama are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]

Geography

Montross is located at 38°5′38″N 76°49′34″W (38.093965, −76.826041).[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1950	331		—
1960	394		19.0%
1970	419		6.3%
1980	456		8.8%
1990	359		−21.3%
2000	315		−12.3%
2010	384		21.9%
2019 (est.)	390	[2]	1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 315 people, 151 households, and 94 families living in the town. The population density was 308.4 people per square mile (119.2/km²). There were 164 housing units at an average density of 160.6 per square mile (62.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.48% White, 7.94% African American, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

Westmoreland County Museum and water tower in downtown Montross

There were 151 households, out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.59.

View of downtown Montross

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 72.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,469, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,653. About 1.1% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Fall Festival

Once a year, Montross has a festival in celebration of the town. It includes parades and game stands. The event is usually held in October and is widely attended by town residents.

In popular culture

In 2002, Montross was on television's Late Show with David Letterman. In a segment called, "Biff Henderson's America", Biff Henderson visited the small town's museum, Bargain Shop, Sheriff's Department, the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, and the Potomac River. He also interviewed people during his visit, jokingly asking them if they would like Biff to be mayor.[10]

In 2012, Tevin Jones was killed in a motorcycle accident when he struck a utility pole outside of the town. He was the younger brother of NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith. Tevin was just 19 years of age.[11]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
6. Old Westmoreland Court House (historic marker J71), placed by the Conservation & Development Commission, 1929.
7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. Biff Henderson's America, from the Late Show with David Letterman, visits Montross, Virginia
11. Torrey Smith contributes to Ravens, while remembering his brother - baltimoresun.com