Blacksburg, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town
located in Montgomery County, Virginia
, United States
, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg
, and Radford
are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford
Metropolitan Statistical Area
which encompasses those jurisdictions and all of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Giles counties for statistical purposes. The MSA has an estimated population of 159,587 and is currently one of the faster growing MSAs in Virginia. Blacksburg is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(better known as Virginia Tech), a Virginia land-grant
university
. Blacksburg is the largest town in Virginia by population. There are many larger municipalities, but they are incorporated as cities.
led by Abraham Wood
reached the present-day location of Blacksburg, Virginia in 1671, the American Indians
who lived in the area had fought eachother to extinction leaving the area a contested no man's land. Consequently, Wood's expeditions followed Stroubles Creek, through the current locations of the town and campus of Virginia Tech to what they named Wood's River. Because the area had no effected claim upon it by surrounding hostile tribes, the Virginia legislature authorized Wood to claim the area. Thus, on September 17, 1671, the Wood party claimed all the lands comprising the drainage basin
of the river, later renamed the New River, for King Charles II
.
During the following three generations, Wood, various Virginia organized expeditions, and large numbers of settlers fought, secured, and finally built a fledling if tenuous settlement in the area. By the 1740s, the Wood's River Land Company, which was represented by Col. James Patton, attained a large tract of land within present-day southwest Virginia
. Part of the tract became Montgomery County
and Pulaski County
and was sold to large numbers of Virginians as well as migrating Anglo-Irish, Scotts-Irish, and English settlers as a reward for services during the Spanish-Indian Wars and other European wars. The Draper and Ingles families were among those that built their homes somewhere between present locations of the campus and the subdivision of Hethwood. The settlement came to be called Draper's Meadow by 1748.
Because of its strategic location between various Indian nations which alternated their allegience between French and British interests as it suited them, as well as its location through gaps into the Alleghenies further west, the area's development as an American colony was viewed with increasing apprehension by the French and their Indian allies. Thus, seven years later, with the beginning of the final phas of the French and Indian War
, Indian nationals, equiped and supplied by French colonials, descendend upon the settlement. Caught by surprise, the frontier settlers fell back onto their block house fortified homes, fighting back until each was overwhelmed in turn. This gave others time to escape to Drapers Settlement and a larger fort from which they hoped to secure their lives. Sometime around July 30, 1755, the area's block houses and fort finally fell and the Indians murdered the surviving men, women, and children. Thousands of Americans were killed in the area and more along the frontier in the opening salvo of the war. The memory to Draper's Meadow massacre
was dedicated on a bridge located near Duck Pond. By the end of the war, Draper's Meadow was deserted.
, bought 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land in the Draper’s Meadow area for his sons John and William in 1772. Smithfield Plantation, built in approximately 1774 by Col. William Preston
, sits on the original Draper's Meadow site, which is near the Duck Pond on the Virginia Tech campus.
When Samuel Black died in 1792, the land was evenly divided into two sections by his sons. The road now known as Draper Road is the dividing line between the sections. John Black's property covered the majority of today's central campus and William Black's property became most of central downtown area of present-day Blacksburg.
In 1797, William laid out a small grid of streets and lots—16 blocks in all—on a portion of his land. The original town was limited to the area bounded by present-day Draper Road, Jackson Street, Wharton Street, and Clay Street. The town logo contains 16 small squares that create a larger square, representing the original 16 square blocks that were a part of Black's design.
s. The town was named after him in his honor.
In 1801, a log cabin was built, which went on to be the home of the future colonel of the 28th Virginia Infantry
, Robert Preston and two Virginia governors. The cabin, now known as "Solitude," is the oldest building on the Virginia Tech campus.
According to records of the Post Office Department of the National Archives and Records Administration
, the post office was established as "BLACKSBURGH" on April 8, 1827. The name was changed to the current spelling (without the "h") in 1893.
Even though the Methodists had built two cabins to worship in since the town's founding, they did not build a more permanent structure until 1830, when a brick church was constructed. The Presbyterians were the next Christian denomination to build a church within Blacksburg's limits. In 1848 they built their first brick building at 117 South Main Street. Though still standing, this building has not been used as a church for many years. It was once South Main Café, but is currently Cabo Fish Taco. It is also the oldest building on Main Street. The Baptists founded the third oldest church in the town in 1852.
In 1832, Westview Cemetery was established from a few acres of land that were deeded to trustees.
One of the first educational establishments started here was the Blacksburg Female Academy in 1840. The Olin and Preston Institute (re-charted as Preston and Olin Institute
in 1869) was a Methodist-sponsored academy established in 1851.
The first bank in Montgomery County, Blacksburg Savings Institution, was established in 1849.
The first newspaper published in Blacksburg was the Montgomery Messenger. Its first issue was released in 1869.
and Thomas W. Jones became the first mayor.
One year later, the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College opened its doors on October 2, 1872 with a faculty of three members. The college grew and became known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which shortly afterward became informally referred to as Virginia Tech.
A fire-fighting unit was organized within the university in 1899. The town bought its first fire truck 43 years later. The Blacksburg First Aid and Life Saving Crew was founded in 1951 and renamed Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad in as another addition to the growing amount of emergency services.
The first automobile came through the town in 1901. Three years later the train entered Blacksburg from Christiansburg using the Virginia Anthracite & Coal Railroad, which later became known as the "Huckleberry." Traffic in Blacksburg increased sufficiently enough that by January 1913 the town voted against allowing cows to continue to roam in town. The first filling station
was opened in 1919 and at the time was the only one between Roanoke, Virginia
and Bluefield, West Virginia
. The town's first landing strip was built in 1929 and was 1,800 feet (548.64 m) in length. The grass landing strip was given airport status in 1931 and later became Virginia Tech Airport. Local buses began to make their rounds for the first time in 1947.
The town's first theater was built in 1909. It was a precursor to the Lyric Theater on College Avenue.
In the spring of 1935, Main Street was strung with ten street lights from Roanoke Street northward to the top of the hill, where it now intersects the Alumni Mall. By October the town's second stoplight was installed on Main Street at Roanoke Street and was synchronized with the original one at Main and College.
The establishment of official law enforcement began in 1937 when Officer Dave "Highpockets" Sumner became the first Blacksburg police officer. The first police car was purchased nine years later.
during the second half of the 20th century. Even though there had been a place for secondary education
somewhere in town since 1906, it was not until 1952 when the first official location for Blacksburg High School
was built on South Main and Eheart Streets. That same year, all high schools in Montgomery County began operating on a twelve-grade basis which is still county policy to this day. Two years later, Blacksburg High School was relocated to a building on South Main Street which eventually became the site of Blacksburg Middle School. The Margaret J. Beeks Elementary School and the Gilbert F. Linkous Elementary School were both completed in 1963 and Harding Avenue Elementary School was built in 1972. Two years later, Blacksburg High School's current spot in town on Patrick Henry Drive was opened in 1974 after 20 years of issues with overcrowding in its previous location. In 2003, a new building for Blacksburg Middle School students was opened on Prices Fork Road adjacent to Kipps Elementary School, leaving the original Blacksburg High School
building vacant until it was demolished in the Summer of 2011. A new building for Blacksburg High School
students is currently under construction on Prices Fork Road adjacent to Blacksburg Middle School following a partial collapse of the school building located on Patrick Henry Drive due to heavy snow loads and improper construction by the original contractor. The new building is scheduled to open in August of 2013.
Jack Goodwin was appointed the first chief of police by the Blacksburg Town Council in 1954. Jan Olinger was made the first female police officer in 1976.
1958 marked the beginning of the end for the railroad that came to be known as the "Huckleberry." Passenger service came to an end on July 25. On June 30, 1966 the last freight train arrived at the Blacksburg depot. Within 24 hours, the depot was closed, the empty cars were picked up, and the tracks were immediately removed. After years of effort by the citizens of the town a trail was constructed on the former railroad right-of-way and, after years of construction, funding and planning issues the Huckleberry Trail
was opened to the public on December 1,1998.
190 years after its original construction, the newly renovated Smithfield Plantation house was re-opened in 1964.
The amount of commercialization
in the area began to increase in the mid-1960s. An important opening that occurred was the Corning Glass Works (now called Corning Incorporated) facility in 1964 which is located south of Blacksburg. The Blacksburg Municipal Building on South Main Street was constructed in 1969. Terrace View apartments, the first large student complex, was built in 1970. The Blacksburg Branch of the Montgomery County Library was opened the same year. Ten years later, it was moved into the facility that used to house the Blacksburg Lumber Company on Draper Road. In 1971, Blacksburg ratified a new charter and Montgomery Regional Hospital
was built. The University Mall shopping center opened that year as well. During 1981, the Blacksburg Community Center opened. It cost the town $1.2 million to build. By 1988, the New River Valley Mall was opened and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
had its first ground-breaking ceremony.
After construction of Virginia's portion of Interstate 81
began in 1957, it took about nine years until the segment that ran alongside the town was opened in November 1965. About half that amount of time passed before the U.S. Route 460
bypass opened in 1969.
In the 1970s, Virginia Tech was annexed into the town and other land area was also brought in. The population grew from 9,000 people to 30,000 during this decade.
Replacing the old public bus system, Blacksburg Transit
began running in 1983.
or BEV, conceived as a computer networking project of Virginia Tech in 1991 and officially born in 1993 as a way to link the town together using the Internet
. This project quickly ushered the town into what is being called the Information Age
.
In 1994, Kipps Elementary School was opened. By this time, Blacksburg had five elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.
A newly renovated Blacksburg branch library was opened in 1996.
After 24 years of abandonment and six years of planning and construction, the first phase of the Huckleberry Trail
opened in 1996. The second phase of construction was completed in 1998.
On July 8, 1997, ground was broken for the experimental "Smart Road
" project. The second phase of construction was completed in 2002. The road is currently closed to the public and used as a research test bed for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
A National Weather Service office is located in Blacksburg and serves most of southwestern Virginia, southeast West Virginia, and northwest North Carolina.
, the town has a total area of 19.89 square miles (51.5 km²) of which 19.89 square miles (51.5 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²), or 0.10%, is water. Blacksburg is 2,080 feet (634 m) above sea level. It is the 15th largest municipality
and the largest town
in the commonwealth of Virginia.
The Eastern Continental Divide
traverses the Virginia Tech/Montgomery Airport.
The tallest building in Blacksburg is Slusher Tower, a twelve story residence hall
on the Virginia Tech
campus. The building with the highest elevation is actually Lee Hall, another residence hall
, which until May 17, 2009 was home to the transmitter of campus radio station WUVT. The tower for WUVT now sits atop Price Mountain.
or humid continental (Köppen
Cfb or Dfb, respectively). Summers are warm and humid, although significantly cooler than low-elevation places within the state, and winters are generally cool to cold with warm periods. Monthly mean temperatures range from 30.9 °F (-.6 °C) in January to 71.1 °F (21.7 °C) in July.
, US-11
, and Route 8
provide the major highway infrastructure for the developing area. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is currently working with the Virginia Department of Transportation
to build the Virginia Smart Road
which will connect Blacksburg directly to I-81, thus significantly decreasing the travel time between Blacksburg and its larger metro neighbor, Roanoke
. The road, together with the current US-460, will create a loop around Blacksburg, thus alleviating current traffic congestion on US-460 and aiding further development of the area.
Blacksburg Transit
(BT) provides bus transportation primarily to and from the campus of Virginia Tech. Students and faculty ride the BT fare free with a flat payment included in the cost of tuition. Virginia Tech subsidizes BT for this service. Transportation is available to anyone for a fee, and during special events the service is often free. Blacksburg Transit
also offers shuttle service to non-students on Virginia Tech Football game days for a $5.00 fee to be transported from outlying parking areas to the stadium.
The Smart Way Bus, a regional commuter bus service operated by Valley Metro (Roanoke)
, provides connecting service between Virginia Tech, downtown Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Virginia
, the Roanoke Regional Airport
, Roanoke, Virginia
, and Lynchburg, Virginia
where riders can transfer to Amtrak
. Fare is $4.00 one way.
U Car Share
, a subsidiary of U-Haul
, offers a carsharing
service around the Virginia Tech campus.
The Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport
serves Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech campus for general aviation
.
of 2010, there were 42,620 people, 15,342 households, and 4,777 families residing in the town, of which 23,895, or 60%, were college students. The population density
was 2,044.2 people per square mile (789.2/km²). There were 13,732 housing units at an average density of 709.4 per square mile (273.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.39% White, 7.80% Asian, 4.39% African American, 0.11% Native American 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 2.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.32% of the population.
The Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes the town of Christiansburg
, the independent city of Radford
, and all of Montgomery
, Pulaski
, and Giles
counties has an estimated population of 157,614 and is currently one of the faster growing MSAs in Virginia.
There were 13,162 households out of which 16.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.7% were married couples
living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 63.7% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town the population was spread out with 9.7% under the age of 18, 57.4% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 9.2% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there are 127.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 129.7 males.
The median household income was $22,513 and the median income for a family was $51,810. Males had a median income of $37,129 versus $24,321 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,946. About 15.9% of families and 43.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.1% of those 65 and older.
About 87% of the town's residents have in-home Internet access with 65% using a broadband
connection.
Eighty-five percent of the community has a college education.
is home to several companies of varying sizes including VTLS
, Honeywell
, and the National Weather Service
which maintains its Southwestern Virginia
headquarters there. The town is also home to MOOG
, a major contractor for the defense department and the health care industry and Rackspace
's Email and Apps Division (formerly Mailtrust and Webmail.us). The town and county continue to recruit major industry to the area. Due to its close proximity to Virginia Tech and Radford University
, Blacksburg is an ideal location for developing high tech industry.
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
located in Montgomery County, Virginia
Montgomery County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 83,629 people, 30,997 households, and 17,203 families residing in the county. The population density was 215 people per square mile . There were 32,527 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg
Christiansburg, Virginia
Christiansburg is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, and Radford
Radford, Virginia
Radford is a city in Virginia, United States. The population was 16,408 in 2010. For statistical purposes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Radford with neighboring Montgomery County, including the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg, calling the combination the...
are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA MSA
The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget located in the New River Valley of Southwest Virginia...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
which encompasses those jurisdictions and all of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Giles counties for statistical purposes. The MSA has an estimated population of 159,587 and is currently one of the faster growing MSAs in Virginia. Blacksburg is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(better known as Virginia Tech), a Virginia land-grant
Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act
The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges, including the Morrill Act of 1862 and the Morrill Act of 1890 -Passage of original bill:...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. Blacksburg is the largest town in Virginia by population. There are many larger municipalities, but they are incorporated as cities.
European discovery and the founding of a settlement (1671–1771)
Hoping to find a gap in the Allegheny Mountains whose topography and violent Indian nation's had previously blocked settlement, the government of Virginia organized several expeditions to find a geo-political passage to reach further west. This opening was finally found when British American explorersExploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
led by Abraham Wood
Abraham Wood
Abraham Wood , sometimes referred to as "General" or "Colonel" Wood, was an English fur trader and explorer of 17th century colonial Virginia...
reached the present-day location of Blacksburg, Virginia in 1671, the American Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
who lived in the area had fought eachother to extinction leaving the area a contested no man's land. Consequently, Wood's expeditions followed Stroubles Creek, through the current locations of the town and campus of Virginia Tech to what they named Wood's River. Because the area had no effected claim upon it by surrounding hostile tribes, the Virginia legislature authorized Wood to claim the area. Thus, on September 17, 1671, the Wood party claimed all the lands comprising the drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the river, later renamed the New River, for King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
.
During the following three generations, Wood, various Virginia organized expeditions, and large numbers of settlers fought, secured, and finally built a fledling if tenuous settlement in the area. By the 1740s, the Wood's River Land Company, which was represented by Col. James Patton, attained a large tract of land within present-day southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
. Part of the tract became Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 83,629 people, 30,997 households, and 17,203 families residing in the county. The population density was 215 people per square mile . There were 32,527 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile...
and Pulaski County
Pulaski County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,127 people, 14,643 households, and 10,147 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 16,325 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile...
and was sold to large numbers of Virginians as well as migrating Anglo-Irish, Scotts-Irish, and English settlers as a reward for services during the Spanish-Indian Wars and other European wars. The Draper and Ingles families were among those that built their homes somewhere between present locations of the campus and the subdivision of Hethwood. The settlement came to be called Draper's Meadow by 1748.
Because of its strategic location between various Indian nations which alternated their allegience between French and British interests as it suited them, as well as its location through gaps into the Alleghenies further west, the area's development as an American colony was viewed with increasing apprehension by the French and their Indian allies. Thus, seven years later, with the beginning of the final phas of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, Indian nationals, equiped and supplied by French colonials, descendend upon the settlement. Caught by surprise, the frontier settlers fell back onto their block house fortified homes, fighting back until each was overwhelmed in turn. This gave others time to escape to Drapers Settlement and a larger fort from which they hoped to secure their lives. Sometime around July 30, 1755, the area's block houses and fort finally fell and the Indians murdered the surviving men, women, and children. Thousands of Americans were killed in the area and more along the frontier in the opening salvo of the war. The memory to Draper's Meadow massacre
Draper's Meadow massacre
On July 8, 1755, a small outpost among the rolling ridges of southwest Virginia, was raided by Shawnee Indians. Rising tensions between the natives and western settlers were exacerbated by fighting in the French and Indian War and the encroachment on tribal hunting grounds. Recent victories by the...
was dedicated on a bridge located near Duck Pond. By the end of the war, Draper's Meadow was deserted.
The Black family (1772–1797)
Samuel Black, whose family settled in Staunton, VirginiaStaunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
, bought 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land in the Draper’s Meadow area for his sons John and William in 1772. Smithfield Plantation, built in approximately 1774 by Col. William Preston
William Preston (Virginia)
Col. William Preston played a crucial role in surveying and developing the colonies going westward, exerted great influence in the colonial affairs of his time, ran a large plantation, and founded a dynasty whose progeny would supply leaders for the South for nearly a century...
, sits on the original Draper's Meadow site, which is near the Duck Pond on the Virginia Tech campus.
When Samuel Black died in 1792, the land was evenly divided into two sections by his sons. The road now known as Draper Road is the dividing line between the sections. John Black's property covered the majority of today's central campus and William Black's property became most of central downtown area of present-day Blacksburg.
In 1797, William laid out a small grid of streets and lots—16 blocks in all—on a portion of his land. The original town was limited to the area bounded by present-day Draper Road, Jackson Street, Wharton Street, and Clay Street. The town logo contains 16 small squares that create a larger square, representing the original 16 square blocks that were a part of Black's design.
Blacksburg's establishment (1798–1870)
After Black petitioned the state legislature to establish a town at the site, the official establishment and founding of Blacksburg, Virginia was January 13, 1798 on the thirty-eight and three-quarter acre tract that he laid out. The following August 4, he signed over the deed to the town trusteeTrustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s. The town was named after him in his honor.
In 1801, a log cabin was built, which went on to be the home of the future colonel of the 28th Virginia Infantry
28th Virginia Infantry
The 28th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....
, Robert Preston and two Virginia governors. The cabin, now known as "Solitude," is the oldest building on the Virginia Tech campus.
According to records of the Post Office Department of the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
, the post office was established as "BLACKSBURGH" on April 8, 1827. The name was changed to the current spelling (without the "h") in 1893.
Even though the Methodists had built two cabins to worship in since the town's founding, they did not build a more permanent structure until 1830, when a brick church was constructed. The Presbyterians were the next Christian denomination to build a church within Blacksburg's limits. In 1848 they built their first brick building at 117 South Main Street. Though still standing, this building has not been used as a church for many years. It was once South Main Café, but is currently Cabo Fish Taco. It is also the oldest building on Main Street. The Baptists founded the third oldest church in the town in 1852.
In 1832, Westview Cemetery was established from a few acres of land that were deeded to trustees.
One of the first educational establishments started here was the Blacksburg Female Academy in 1840. The Olin and Preston Institute (re-charted as Preston and Olin Institute
Preston and Olin Institute
The Preston and Olin Institute was a Methodist academy in Blacksburg, Virginia which operated 1851-1872. Until it was rechartered in 1869, it was named The Olin and Preston Institute...
in 1869) was a Methodist-sponsored academy established in 1851.
The first bank in Montgomery County, Blacksburg Savings Institution, was established in 1849.
The first newspaper published in Blacksburg was the Montgomery Messenger. Its first issue was released in 1869.
Incorporation and modernization (1871–1951)
In 1871, the village that became known as Blacksburg was incorporatedMunicipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
and Thomas W. Jones became the first mayor.
One year later, the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College opened its doors on October 2, 1872 with a faculty of three members. The college grew and became known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which shortly afterward became informally referred to as Virginia Tech.
A fire-fighting unit was organized within the university in 1899. The town bought its first fire truck 43 years later. The Blacksburg First Aid and Life Saving Crew was founded in 1951 and renamed Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad in as another addition to the growing amount of emergency services.
The first automobile came through the town in 1901. Three years later the train entered Blacksburg from Christiansburg using the Virginia Anthracite & Coal Railroad, which later became known as the "Huckleberry." Traffic in Blacksburg increased sufficiently enough that by January 1913 the town voted against allowing cows to continue to roam in town. The first filling station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
was opened in 1919 and at the time was the only one between Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
and Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
. The town's first landing strip was built in 1929 and was 1,800 feet (548.64 m) in length. The grass landing strip was given airport status in 1931 and later became Virginia Tech Airport. Local buses began to make their rounds for the first time in 1947.
The town's first theater was built in 1909. It was a precursor to the Lyric Theater on College Avenue.
In the spring of 1935, Main Street was strung with ten street lights from Roanoke Street northward to the top of the hill, where it now intersects the Alumni Mall. By October the town's second stoplight was installed on Main Street at Roanoke Street and was synchronized with the original one at Main and College.
The establishment of official law enforcement began in 1937 when Officer Dave "Highpockets" Sumner became the first Blacksburg police officer. The first police car was purchased nine years later.
Compulsory education and commercialization (1952–1992)
Blacksburg experienced a boost of compulsory educationCompulsory education
Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all persons.-Antiquity to Medieval Era:Although Plato's The Republic is credited with having popularized the concept of compulsory education in Western intellectual thought, every parent in Judea since Moses's Covenant with...
during the second half of the 20th century. Even though there had been a place for secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
somewhere in town since 1906, it was not until 1952 when the first official location for Blacksburg High School
Blacksburg High School
Blacksburg High School is a high school in the Montgomery County public school division. The school serves the town of Blacksburg, Virginia and surrounding areas of the county.-History:...
was built on South Main and Eheart Streets. That same year, all high schools in Montgomery County began operating on a twelve-grade basis which is still county policy to this day. Two years later, Blacksburg High School was relocated to a building on South Main Street which eventually became the site of Blacksburg Middle School. The Margaret J. Beeks Elementary School and the Gilbert F. Linkous Elementary School were both completed in 1963 and Harding Avenue Elementary School was built in 1972. Two years later, Blacksburg High School's current spot in town on Patrick Henry Drive was opened in 1974 after 20 years of issues with overcrowding in its previous location. In 2003, a new building for Blacksburg Middle School students was opened on Prices Fork Road adjacent to Kipps Elementary School, leaving the original Blacksburg High School
Blacksburg High School
Blacksburg High School is a high school in the Montgomery County public school division. The school serves the town of Blacksburg, Virginia and surrounding areas of the county.-History:...
building vacant until it was demolished in the Summer of 2011. A new building for Blacksburg High School
Blacksburg High School
Blacksburg High School is a high school in the Montgomery County public school division. The school serves the town of Blacksburg, Virginia and surrounding areas of the county.-History:...
students is currently under construction on Prices Fork Road adjacent to Blacksburg Middle School following a partial collapse of the school building located on Patrick Henry Drive due to heavy snow loads and improper construction by the original contractor. The new building is scheduled to open in August of 2013.
Jack Goodwin was appointed the first chief of police by the Blacksburg Town Council in 1954. Jan Olinger was made the first female police officer in 1976.
1958 marked the beginning of the end for the railroad that came to be known as the "Huckleberry." Passenger service came to an end on July 25. On June 30, 1966 the last freight train arrived at the Blacksburg depot. Within 24 hours, the depot was closed, the empty cars were picked up, and the tracks were immediately removed. After years of effort by the citizens of the town a trail was constructed on the former railroad right-of-way and, after years of construction, funding and planning issues the Huckleberry Trail
Huckleberry Trail
The Huckleberry Trail is a rail trail in Montgomery County, Virginia, connecting Blacksburg and Christiansburg. The trail features a wide trail with an asphalt surface at the middle, and unpaved shoulders....
was opened to the public on December 1,1998.
190 years after its original construction, the newly renovated Smithfield Plantation house was re-opened in 1964.
The amount of commercialization
Commercialization
Commercialization is the process or cycle of introducing a new product or production method into the market. The actual launch of a new product is the final stage of new product development, and the one where the most money will have to be spent for advertising, sales promotion, and other marketing...
in the area began to increase in the mid-1960s. An important opening that occurred was the Corning Glass Works (now called Corning Incorporated) facility in 1964 which is located south of Blacksburg. The Blacksburg Municipal Building on South Main Street was constructed in 1969. Terrace View apartments, the first large student complex, was built in 1970. The Blacksburg Branch of the Montgomery County Library was opened the same year. Ten years later, it was moved into the facility that used to house the Blacksburg Lumber Company on Draper Road. In 1971, Blacksburg ratified a new charter and Montgomery Regional Hospital
Montgomery Regional Hospital
Montgomery Regional Hospital is a hospital in the town of Blacksburg, in Montgomery County, Virginia. The hospital is a subsidiary of Hospital Corporation of America.-2006 shooting:...
was built. The University Mall shopping center opened that year as well. During 1981, the Blacksburg Community Center opened. It cost the town $1.2 million to build. By 1988, the New River Valley Mall was opened and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, known locally as the Corporate Research Center or the CRC, is a science park on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia comprising 27 completed buildings totaling on of land...
had its first ground-breaking ceremony.
After construction of Virginia's portion of Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
began in 1957, it took about nine years until the segment that ran alongside the town was opened in November 1965. About half that amount of time passed before the U.S. Route 460
U.S. Route 460
U.S. Route 460 is a spur of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles from Norfolk, Virginia at U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky at U.S. Route 60. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky...
bypass opened in 1969.
In the 1970s, Virginia Tech was annexed into the town and other land area was also brought in. The population grew from 9,000 people to 30,000 during this decade.
Replacing the old public bus system, Blacksburg Transit
Blacksburg Transit
Blacksburg Transit, or simply the BT, is a local government-owned urban-suburban bus line based in Blacksburg, Virginia. The system originated in 1983 with six buses, but has since expanded its operation to 50 buses and 11 vans in making 3.0 million trips per year...
began running in 1983.
Information Age (1993–Present)
Blacksburg is the site of the Blacksburg Electronic VillageBlacksburg Electronic Village
The Blacksburg Electronic Village or BEV was conceived as a project of Virginia Tech in 1991 and officially born in 1993. The goal of the project was to develop an online community linking the entire town. Extensive outside research had been done by sociologists and computer scientists on this...
or BEV, conceived as a computer networking project of Virginia Tech in 1991 and officially born in 1993 as a way to link the town together using the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. This project quickly ushered the town into what is being called the Information Age
Information Age
The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
.
In 1994, Kipps Elementary School was opened. By this time, Blacksburg had five elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.
A newly renovated Blacksburg branch library was opened in 1996.
After 24 years of abandonment and six years of planning and construction, the first phase of the Huckleberry Trail
Huckleberry Trail
The Huckleberry Trail is a rail trail in Montgomery County, Virginia, connecting Blacksburg and Christiansburg. The trail features a wide trail with an asphalt surface at the middle, and unpaved shoulders....
opened in 1996. The second phase of construction was completed in 1998.
On July 8, 1997, ground was broken for the experimental "Smart Road
Virginia Smart Road
The Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway, is a short, limited access road in Montgomery County, Virginia used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies. The Smart Road is currently a stretch of road...
" project. The second phase of construction was completed in 2002. The road is currently closed to the public and used as a research test bed for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
A National Weather Service office is located in Blacksburg and serves most of southwestern Virginia, southeast West Virginia, and northwest North Carolina.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 19.89 square miles (51.5 km²) of which 19.89 square miles (51.5 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²), or 0.10%, is water. Blacksburg is 2,080 feet (634 m) above sea level. It is the 15th largest municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and the largest town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the commonwealth of Virginia.
The Eastern Continental Divide
Eastern Continental Divide
The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the divide represented the boundary between British and French colonial...
traverses the Virginia Tech/Montgomery Airport.
The tallest building in Blacksburg is Slusher Tower, a twelve story residence hall
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
on the Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
campus. The building with the highest elevation is actually Lee Hall, another residence hall
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
, which until May 17, 2009 was home to the transmitter of campus radio station WUVT. The tower for WUVT now sits atop Price Mountain.
Climate
Due to its elevation, the climate of Blacksburg is either classified as mountain temperateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
or humid continental (Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb or Dfb, respectively). Summers are warm and humid, although significantly cooler than low-elevation places within the state, and winters are generally cool to cold with warm periods. Monthly mean temperatures range from 30.9 °F (-.6 °C) in January to 71.1 °F (21.7 °C) in July.
Transportation
Blacksburg is served primarily by US-460 and I-81, both major arteries for travel in the region. The two roads, together with Route 114Virginia State Route 114
Virginia State Route 114 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Peppers Ferry Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 11 in Fairlawn east to US 460 in Christiansburg. SR 114 is the northernmost of three east–west highways between Radford and Christiansburg...
, US-11
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
, and Route 8
Virginia State Route 8
Virginia State Route 8 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Palmetto, where the highway continues south as North Carolina Highway 8 , north to U.S. Route 11 in Christiansburg...
provide the major highway infrastructure for the developing area. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is currently working with the Virginia Department of Transportation
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
to build the Virginia Smart Road
Virginia Smart Road
The Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway, is a short, limited access road in Montgomery County, Virginia used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies. The Smart Road is currently a stretch of road...
which will connect Blacksburg directly to I-81, thus significantly decreasing the travel time between Blacksburg and its larger metro neighbor, Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
. The road, together with the current US-460, will create a loop around Blacksburg, thus alleviating current traffic congestion on US-460 and aiding further development of the area.
Blacksburg Transit
Blacksburg Transit
Blacksburg Transit, or simply the BT, is a local government-owned urban-suburban bus line based in Blacksburg, Virginia. The system originated in 1983 with six buses, but has since expanded its operation to 50 buses and 11 vans in making 3.0 million trips per year...
(BT) provides bus transportation primarily to and from the campus of Virginia Tech. Students and faculty ride the BT fare free with a flat payment included in the cost of tuition. Virginia Tech subsidizes BT for this service. Transportation is available to anyone for a fee, and during special events the service is often free. Blacksburg Transit
Blacksburg Transit
Blacksburg Transit, or simply the BT, is a local government-owned urban-suburban bus line based in Blacksburg, Virginia. The system originated in 1983 with six buses, but has since expanded its operation to 50 buses and 11 vans in making 3.0 million trips per year...
also offers shuttle service to non-students on Virginia Tech Football game days for a $5.00 fee to be transported from outlying parking areas to the stadium.
The Smart Way Bus, a regional commuter bus service operated by Valley Metro (Roanoke)
Valley Metro (Roanoke)
Valley Metro, the operational name for the Greater Roanoke Transit Company, is a local government-owned urban-suburban bus line based in Roanoke, Virginia with First Transit providing the general and assistant general managers. The staff is employed by Southwest Virginia Transit Management Company...
, provides connecting service between Virginia Tech, downtown Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Virginia
Christiansburg, Virginia
Christiansburg is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, the Roanoke Regional Airport
Roanoke Regional Airport
Roanoke Regional Airport , also known as Woodrum Field, is a public airport located approximately north of downtown Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It has two runways and over 60 scheduled flights each day...
, Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
, and Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
where riders can transfer to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
. Fare is $4.00 one way.
U Car Share
U Car Share
UhaulCarShare is a for-profit carsharing service offered by U-Haul in selected cities across the United States, billable hourly or by the day.-Schools Served:* University of Utah* Lynn University* Kenyon College* Northwood University...
, a subsidiary of U-Haul
U-Haul
U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation since 1945. The company was founded by Leonard Shoen U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation...
, offers a carsharing
Carsharing
Car sharing or Carsharing is a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. They are attractive to customers who make only occasional use of a vehicle, as well as others who would like occasional access to a vehicle of a different type than they use...
service around the Virginia Tech campus.
The Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport
Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport
Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport is a public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Blacksburg, a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
serves Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech campus for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 42,620 people, 15,342 households, and 4,777 families residing in the town, of which 23,895, or 60%, were college students. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,044.2 people per square mile (789.2/km²). There were 13,732 housing units at an average density of 709.4 per square mile (273.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.39% White, 7.80% Asian, 4.39% African American, 0.11% Native American 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 2.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.32% of the population.
The Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes the town of Christiansburg
Christiansburg, Virginia
Christiansburg is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, the independent city of Radford
Radford, Virginia
Radford is a city in Virginia, United States. The population was 16,408 in 2010. For statistical purposes, the Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Radford with neighboring Montgomery County, including the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg, calling the combination the...
, and all of Montgomery
Montgomery County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 83,629 people, 30,997 households, and 17,203 families residing in the county. The population density was 215 people per square mile . There were 32,527 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile...
, Pulaski
Pulaski County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,127 people, 14,643 households, and 10,147 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 16,325 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile...
, and Giles
Giles County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,657 people, 6,994 households, and 4,888 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 7,732 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
counties has an estimated population of 157,614 and is currently one of the faster growing MSAs in Virginia.
There were 13,162 households out of which 16.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 63.7% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town the population was spread out with 9.7% under the age of 18, 57.4% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 9.2% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there are 127.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 129.7 males.
The median household income was $22,513 and the median income for a family was $51,810. Males had a median income of $37,129 versus $24,321 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $13,946. About 15.9% of families and 43.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.1% of those 65 and older.
About 87% of the town's residents have in-home Internet access with 65% using a broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
connection.
Eighty-five percent of the community has a college education.
Economy
The Virginia Tech Corporate Research CenterVirginia Tech Corporate Research Center
the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, known locally as the Corporate Research Center or the CRC, is a science park on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia comprising 27 completed buildings totaling on of land...
is home to several companies of varying sizes including VTLS
VTLS
VTLS Inc. is a company providing library automation software and services mostly to government and university customers. VTLS counts over 900 libraries in 32 countries. VTLS is also one of the few ISO 9001:2000 quality-certified companies within the library industry. VTLS Inc...
, Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
, and the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
which maintains its Southwestern Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
headquarters there. The town is also home to MOOG
Moog Inc
Moog is a worldwide designer and manufacturer of motion and fluid controls and control systems for applications in aerospace, defense, industrial and medical device markets...
, a major contractor for the defense department and the health care industry and Rackspace
Rackspace
Rackspace US, Inc. is an IT hosting company based in San Antonio, Texas. The company also has offices in Australia, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Hong Kong, and data centers operating in Texas, Illinois, Virginia, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong in late 2008...
's Email and Apps Division (formerly Mailtrust and Webmail.us). The town and county continue to recruit major industry to the area. Due to its close proximity to Virginia Tech and Radford University
Radford University
Radford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A...
, Blacksburg is an ideal location for developing high tech industry.
Notable natives
- Eric Schmidt, Chairman & CEO of Google, former CEO of Novell
- George C. Herring, historian, author, inter alia, of From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 ISBN 978-0-19-507822-0 (Oxford 2008)
- Bob RoopBob RoopBob Roop is a retired amateur and professional wrestler whose career has spanned high school, college, Army, amateur and professional wrestling. He was an American Heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Amateur career:...
, American heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler - Brandon StokleyBrandon StokleyBrandon Stokley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
, NFL wide receiver for the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Thomas M. PriceThomas M. PriceThomas M. Price has been called "Galveston's foremost modern architect" by historian and Rice University faculty member Stephen Fox, an Adjunct Lecturer of the School of Architecture. His portfolio of designs encompass a diverse variety of building types...
, American architect - Jason Randolph, American artist
- Henry Lee LucasHenry Lee LucasHenry Lee Lucas was an American criminal, convicted of murder in 189 cases and once listed as America's most prolific serial killer; he later recanted his confessions, despite professing information only the assailant would know and flatly stating "I'm a liar" in a letter to researcher Brad Shellady...
, Infamous serial killer
Points of interest
- Armory Art Gallery
- Caboose Park Recreation
- Kent Square
- Hahn Horticulture GardenHahn Horticulture GardenThe Peggy Lee Hahn Horticulture Garden , formerly the Virginia Tech Horticulture Garden, is a horticulture garden located on the Virginia Tech campus on Washington Street SW, Blacksburg, Virginia. The largest public garden in western Virginia, it is open daily without charge.The garden was...
- Lyric Theatre
- Virginia College of Osteopathic MedicineVirginia College of Osteopathic MedicineThe Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine , formally named the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, is a private, non-profit osteopathic medical school with two campuses: the Virginia Campus located in Blacksburg, Virginia and the Carolinas Campus located in Spartanburg,...
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(Virginia Tech)
Annual town events
- The International Street Fair & Parade held in Blacksburg takes place on the first Saturday of every April. Over 110 countries are represented by the student body of Virginia Tech and individuals from the community during the festivalFestivalA festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
. College Avenue is closed for food and craft booths and the stage features an eclectic mix of melodies and musical performances from around the world.
- Steppin' Out, the town's first annual street festival, has taken place on the first Friday and Saturday of every August since 1976 when it was known as the Deadwood Days Summer Festival. The festival's name was changed in 1980. Steppin' Out features over 150 artists and crafts people from around the United States selling unique handcrafted items, local merchants holding final clearance sidewalk sales, local restaurants selling food through outdoor vending, multiple stages for live performances, and fun for the entire family. The area from North Main Street and Alumni Mall (sometimes even more to the north) to South Main Street and Roanoke Street and Draper Road and Lee Street is designated for the festival. The Draper Mile Run, which was started in 1982, is a one-mile (1.6 km) road race for runners of all ages that is held annually during the first evening of the festival.