Highland Springs, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Highland Springs is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Henrico County
, Virginia
, United States
. The population was 15,137 at the 2000 census.
of Richmond
on the Seven Pines Railway Company's electric street railway line between the city and the National Cemetery at Seven Pines
. There, many Union
dead were interred, primarily as a result of battles nearby during the American Civil War
(1861–1865), most notably during the Peninsula Campaign
of 1862. The potential traffic of visiting families to the Richmond area from out-of-town need transportation to and from the cemetery was a motivating factor for inception of the new street railway.
Read came to the area from Boston in hopes of finding a suitable climate for his ailing wife. The natural springs in the area made it a suitable choice for the Read family, and apparently, an inspiration for the new name.
Approximately mid-way along the new streetcar route from Richmond through eastern Henrico County, Read bought a 1000 acre (4 km²) tract of land and divided it into lots. He laid out along the main street which was the pre-existing Nine Mile Road
, new cross streets named in alphabetical order after plants, beginning from the west: Ash, Beech, Cedar, Daisy, Elm, Fern, Grove, Holly, Ivy, Juniper, Kalmia, Linden, Maple, Oak, Pine, Quince, Rose, and Spruce. One block south of and parallel to the Nine Mile Road, Read Street was named for its founder, Edmund Sewell Read.
The Sewell's large brick home is situated on the south side of Nine Mile Road between Grove and Holly, with Read Street to its rear. Today it serves as a medical office complex.
Like many neighborhoods in the south, Highland Springs has a street named after Robert E. Lee
. The community also includes a Washington Street.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²), of which, 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²) of it is land and 0.12% is water.
of 2000, there were 15,137 people, 5,788 households, and 4,132 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,777.0 people per square mile (686.0/km²). There were 6,040 housing units at an average density of 709.0/sq mi (273.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 44.48% White, 51.83% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other races
, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 5,788 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples
living together, 25.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $39,936, and the median income for a family was $42,887. Males had a median income of $33,117 versus $25,726 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $17,979. About 8.5% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Source U.S. Census Bureau
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 15,137 at the 2000 census.
History
Edmund Sewell Read founded the community of Highland Springs in the 1890s as a streetcar suburbStreetcar suburb
A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing...
of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
on the Seven Pines Railway Company's electric street railway line between the city and the National Cemetery at Seven Pines
Seven Pines
Seven Pines are located in the unincorporated town of Sandston in Henrico County, Virginia. Cemetery records state the name is derived from for a group of seven pine trees planted within the national cemetery in 1869 near the intersection of the old Williamsburg-Richmond Stage Road and the Nine...
. There, many Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
dead were interred, primarily as a result of battles nearby during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865), most notably during the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
of 1862. The potential traffic of visiting families to the Richmond area from out-of-town need transportation to and from the cemetery was a motivating factor for inception of the new street railway.
Read came to the area from Boston in hopes of finding a suitable climate for his ailing wife. The natural springs in the area made it a suitable choice for the Read family, and apparently, an inspiration for the new name.
Approximately mid-way along the new streetcar route from Richmond through eastern Henrico County, Read bought a 1000 acre (4 km²) tract of land and divided it into lots. He laid out along the main street which was the pre-existing Nine Mile Road
Nine Mile Road
Nine Mile Road is a historic highway located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia, USA. It was named for its length between a junction with the Williamsburg-Richmond Stage Road Nine Mile Road is a historic highway located in Henrico County and the independent city of...
, new cross streets named in alphabetical order after plants, beginning from the west: Ash, Beech, Cedar, Daisy, Elm, Fern, Grove, Holly, Ivy, Juniper, Kalmia, Linden, Maple, Oak, Pine, Quince, Rose, and Spruce. One block south of and parallel to the Nine Mile Road, Read Street was named for its founder, Edmund Sewell Read.
The Sewell's large brick home is situated on the south side of Nine Mile Road between Grove and Holly, with Read Street to its rear. Today it serves as a medical office complex.
Like many neighborhoods in the south, Highland Springs has a street named after Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
. The community also includes a Washington Street.
Geography
Highland Springs is located at 37°32′44"N 77°19′43"W (37.545445, -77.328524).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 CDP has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²), of which, 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²) of it is land and 0.12% is water.
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 2000, there were 15,137 people, 5,788 households, and 4,132 families residing in the CDP. 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 1,777.0 people per square mile (686.0/km²). There were 6,040 housing units at an average density of 709.0/sq mi (273.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 44.48% White, 51.83% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 5,788 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% 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, 25.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $39,936, and the median income for a family was $42,887. Males had a median income of $33,117 versus $25,726 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 CDP was $17,979. About 8.5% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Population history
- 1970.....7,345
- 1980....12,146
- 1990....13,823
- 2000....15,137
Source U.S. Census Bureau
Trivia
- Although no physical traces of the street railway remain in Highland Springs, old brick streetcar barns are extant both in Richmond, in the Church Hill area, and in SandstonSandston, VirginiaSandston is a census-designated place in Henrico County, Virginia, United States, near the state capital of Richmond. The population as of the 2010 Census was 7,571. Sandston is adjacent to the Richmond International Airport.-History:...
at Seven Pines, where an unusual street configuration is attributed to the turning path of the old trolley cars at today's U.S. Route 60U.S. Route 60U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
.