Ravenswood, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, along the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The population was 4,031 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Ravenswood is located at 38°57′11"N 81°45′41"W (38.952922, -81.761357), along the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at the mouth of Sandy Creek.
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 city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.60%) is water.
Ravenswood is sometimes called " The gateway to the South" due to is conspicuous location in the state.
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 4,031 people, 1,692 households, and 1,135 families residing in the city. 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 2,190.1 people per square mile (845.9/km²). There were 1,832 housing units at an average density of 995.4 per square mile (384.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.04% White, 0.25% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.15% 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 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 1,692 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% 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, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,308, and the median income for a family was $37,416. Males had a median income of $34,417 versus $21,134 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 city was $15,696. About 15.4% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Primary and secondary public education is provided by Jackson County Schools. Ravenswood public schools include Henry J. Kaiser Elementary School (Grades K-2), Ravenswood Grade School (Grades 3-5), Ravenswood Middle School (Grades 6-8), and Ravenswood High School (9-12). Ravenswood Grade is located about 1-1/2 miles outside of the town limits. The other schools are located within the town boundaries. The official mascot of Ravenswood High School is the Red Devil. Lower level schools are referred to as Demons. Private school education is provided by the Heritage Christian Academy (Grades K-12).History
Ravenswood is sited on land once owned by George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. Washington acquired the 2448 acres (10 km²) parcel in 1770, and designated Colonel William Crawford
William Crawford (soldier)
William Crawford was an American soldier and surveyor who worked as a western land agent for George Washington. Crawford fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War...
to survey the lands in 1771. A permanent settlement was first established in 1810, and the town streets and lots were laid out in their current pattern by descendants of George Washington in 1835.
In February 2010, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
referred to Ravenswood as "teetering on a ghost town" (1). Mayor Lucy Harbert responded by bringing in sponsorships from several Silicon Valley-based companies like ScanCafe.com and StartUps.com (2). On March 26, 2010, Mike Ruben, a reporter with the State Journal newspaper, announced that Ravenswood was "transforming" the town into "Aluminum City, U.S.A." to help attract local tourism revenue: "L.A. Promoter Plans to Market 'Aluminum City'."
Other significant dates
- 1840 First Election held in the home of Bartholomew Fleming.
- 1852 Ravenswood incorporated in the state of Virginia.
- 1863 Ravenswood becomes part of West Virginia when a proclamation by President Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
admits West Virginia to the Union. - 1863 The Battle of Buffington IslandBattle of Buffington IslandThe Battle of Buffington Island, also known as the St. Georges Creek Skirmish, was an American Civil War engagement in Meigs County, Ohio, and Jackson County, West Virginia, on July 19, 1863, during Morgan's Raid. The largest battle in Ohio during the war, Buffington Island contributed to the...
, the only major battle of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe 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...
fought in OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, takes place one mile (1.6 km) north of Ravenswood. - 1886 The Ohio River Rail Road reaches Ravenswood.
- 1892 The Ravenswood, Spencer and Glenville Railroad is completed to Spencer.
- 1931 Opening of the Ravenswood Glass Novelty Company ("The Marble Factory").
- 1957 Henry J. KaiserHenry J. KaiserHenry John Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care...
opens the world's largest aluminum refinery six miles south of Ravenswood. - 1960 Presidential Candidate John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
visits Ravenswood during the Primary Election campaign. - 1964 The Ravenswood exit of Interstate 77Interstate 77Interstate 77 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the old U.S...
opens. - 1985 Heritage Christian Academy Boys win state soccer tournament. During the season, they become the first team in 100 games to score on George Washington High School.
- 1991 Ravenswood High School Girls Track team wins the AA state title for the 4th year in a row.
- 1999 Ravenswood High School Baseball Team wins first AA State Championship
- 2006 Ravenswood High School Boys Basketball team defeats Bluefield for the 2006 AA State Championship; the first in Ravenswood history
- 2007 Ravenswood High School Boys Cross Country team wins its 8th straight A-AA State Championship
- 2007 Ravenswood FFA Landjudging and Homesite Team wins both Landjudging and Homesite National Championships
- 2007 Ravenswood High School Golf team wins first Class AA State Championship
- 2008 Ravenswood High School Boys Cross Country team wins its 9th straight A-AA State Championship
- 2009 Ravenswood High School Boys Basketball team became Class AA State Champions, the 2nd time achieved in 3 years.
History museum
- Washington's Lands Museum
-
- (Operated by the Jackson County Historical Society)
Place name lore
Two differing stories tell of the naming of Ravenswood. One story tells that the town was originally named Ravensworth, after the English relatives of a founding family. But somewhere between the Ohio River wilderness and the mapmaker in Richmond, the name was changed to Ravenswood. The second story says that Henrietta Fitzhugh, wife of one of the town founders, Henry Fitzhugh, named the town after the hero in Walter ScottWalter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's novel The Bride of Lammermoor
The Bride of Lammermoor
The Bride of Lammermoor is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, set in Scotland in the reign of Queen Anne . The novel tells of a tragic love affair between Lucy Ashton and her family's enemy Edgar Ravenswood. Scott indicated the plot was based on an actual incident...
(1819).