New Market is a town in

Shenandoah County Shenandoah County (formerly Dunmore County) is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 44,186. Its county seat is Woodstock. It is part of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virgin ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, United States. Founded as a small crossroads trading town in the Shenandoah Valley, it has a population of 2,146 as of the most recent 2010 U.S. census. The north–south U.S. 11 and the east–west U.S. 211 pass near it and cross Massanutten Mountain at the town's titular gap. It is home to the New Market Shockers of the Rockingham County Baseball League, the New Market Rebels of the Valley Baseball League, the Schultz Theatre and School of Performing Arts, and the Shenvalee Golf Course. The town is known for having been the site in 1864 of the last major Confederate victory in the American Civil War.

History

Virginia Museum of the Civil War - Stierch

In 1745, John Sevier, later a Revolutionary War commander, first governor of the temporary

State of Franklin The State of Franklin (also the Free Republic of Franklin or the State of Frankland)Landrum, refers to the proposed state as "the proposed republic of Franklin; while Wheeler has it as ''Frankland''." In ''That's Not in My American History Boo ...

, and first and six-term

Governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

, was born in this town. On Friday, June 13, 1862, New Market was the site of a skirmish in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

between a small Union Army and a small Confederate Army. Warfare returned in the Valley Campaigns of 1864. On May 15, 1864, New Market was the site of the Battle of New Market. Students from the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

fought alongside the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighti ...

and forced Union General Franz Sigel and his army out of the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridg ...

. Every year VMI cadets commemorate the 85-mile march from Lexington to New Market made by the cadets in 1864, who finished with their victorious charge at the Battle of New Market. The New Market Historic District and

New Market Battlefield State Historical Park New Market Battlefield State Historical Park is a historic American Civil War battlefield and national historic district located near New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia. The district encompasses the site of the Battle of New Market T ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Geography

New Market is located at (38.644472, −78.673403). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, New Market has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Schools

A number of schools are located in and around New Market. Shenandoah Valley Academy and Shenandoah Valley Adventist Elementary School are private schools in the town. Also located near New Market are Stonewall Jackson High School and

Massanutten Military Academy Massanutten Military Academy (MMA) is a coeducational military school for grades 5 through 12 and one academic postgraduate year, located in Woodstock, Virginia, United States. History The Massanutten Military Academy, named for the nearby moun ...

, as well as a number of primary schools.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, 1,637 people, 737 households, and 431 families resided in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 819.6 people per square mile (316.0/km²). There were 808 housing units at an average density of 404.6 per square mile (156.0/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 93.77% White, 1.10% Black, 0.67% Asian, 3.97% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.96% of the population. Of the 737 households, 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were not families. About 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.72. In the town, the population was distributed as 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,365, and the median income for a family was $48,036. Males had a median income of $29,750 versus $23,462 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,480. About 7.6% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major highways

The main highway providing access to New Market is Interstate 81. Within the town limits, I-81 has a junction with

U.S. Route 211 U.S. Route 211 (US 211) is a spur of US 11 in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Lee Highway, the U.S. Highway runs from Interstate 81 (I-81) and Virginia State Route 211 (SR 211) in New Market east to US 15 Business, ...

and Virginia State Route 211, which head east to Luray and west to Timberville, respectively. U.S. Route 11 also passes through New Market, serving as the main street through the town and as a local service road to I-81. Running west parallel to I-81 on the western side of the town is

Virginia State Route 305 In the US state of Virginia, some state highways have been specifically designated to serve state parks and state institutions. State Route 217 and the range of numbers from State Route 302 to State Route 399 are currently used (non-exclusively) fo ...

, which serves the

Virginia Museum of the Civil War New Market Battlefield State Historical Park is a historic American Civil War battlefield and national historic district located near New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia. The district encompasses the site of the Battle of New Market, a battl ...

Public transportation

Since October 2021, public transportation in New Market as well as the rest of Shenandoah County has been provided by the ShenGo commuter bus service, which is operated by

Virginia Regional Transit Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are s ...

References

External link

*
A Brief History of New Market and Vicinity
' (1964) {{authority control Towns in Virginia Towns in Shenandoah County, Virginia