Glade Spring is a town in Washington County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States. The population was 1,456 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

Kingsport Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It lies along the Holston River and had a population of 55,442 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, w ...

– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the " Tri-Cities" region. I-81 runs through Glade Spring. It is located at exit 29.

History

The original name of Glade Spring derives from the Indian word Passawatami which means "this is the place". According to early records, near the town is a field where Native American tribes held a type of Olympics in the fall, with athletic competitions, dancing and socializing. The Porterfield family, who arrived about 1760, were some of the earliest permanent settlers. During its first years, the town was called Glade Spring Depot to differentiate it from the community centered on Glade Spring Presbyterian Church, two miles to the southwest on the old stage road, now

U.S. Route 11 U.S. Route 11 or U.S. Highway 11 (US 11) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway extending across the eastern U.S. The southern terminus of the route is at US 90 in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refu ...

. The post office was moved from Old Glade to Glade Spring Depot in 1856 due to the arrival of the railroad. The

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

slowed its growth, and local men made up a military unit called The Glade Spring Rifles. Federal and Confederate troops passed through the town several times, and cannon emplacements can still be seen just outside Glade Spring on the road to

Saltville Saltville is a town in Smyth and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 1,824 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a co ...

. Although a few new buildings were constructed before the Civil War, most of the town's growth occurred rapidly in the decade after the war. With the railroad access, Glade Spring turned into a prime shipping yard for produce, livestock and other local goods. An Abingdon newspaper first took note of the "stirring, thriving, wide-awake community" in 1870. By the time Glade Spring was incorporated in 1875, there were 31 houses (three were brick), six stores, two hotels, and a Masonic Hall.

Virginia Intermont College Virginia Intermont College (VI) was a private college in Bristol, Virginia founded in 1884 to create additional educational opportunities for women. The college became coeducational in 1972. It experienced significant financial difficulties duri ...

was located in Glade from 1884 to 1892, before it moved to its location until its closure in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. After the passenger train service discontinued, the town's growth slowed, although it still receives freight service from Norfolk Southern railway. The train tracks of the 8.91 "Saltville Branch", which connected to Saltville via a junction from the main line at Glade Spring, have been removed and replaced with a hiking and biking trail called the "Salt Trail". In the early morning hours of April 28, 2011, an EF-3 tornado hit parts of the Glade Spring area, killing three people and injuring 50 others. Another person died in a traffic accident during the storm."Stories of survival in Glade Spring tornado,"
Tri-Cities.com, May 1, 2011. The system that hit Glade Spring was part of the

2011 Super Outbreak The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, costliest, and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks ever recorded, taking place in the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States from April 25 to 28, 2011, leaving catastrophic destruc ...

that caused hundreds of deaths and widespread damage all across the South. Brook Hall and the Glade Spring Commercial Historic District are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Geography

Glade Spring is located at (36.790338, -81.773220). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²), all land. The elevation is 2,087 ft above sea level.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 1,374 people, 565 households, and 402 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 626 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.36%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 7.06%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.07% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.15% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.07% of the population. There were 565 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were

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

living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,552, and the median income for a family was $36,902. Males had a median income of $27,847 versus $20,982 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $16,842. About 8.1% of families and 9.4% 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 11.9% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.

Gallery

File:GladeSpringVa.jpg, Railroad tracks immediately adjacent to Glade Spring town square. File:Muscle Shoals Park.JPG, Park named in the honor of Leo "Muscle" Shoals File:Glade Spring town square (12-23-2008).jpg, Another view of the town square.

Education

* Patrick Henry High School PH-Glade Spring

* Glade Spring Middle School was built in 1968 and then modified to meet middle school specifications in 1991. It is one of four middle schools in Washington County. According to the GSMS homepag

the school has almost 400 students and employs 45 teachers and staff.

Notable people

* Fred C. Allison (1882–1974), was an American physicist. * William "Grumble" Jones (1824–1864), a Confederate General, was born near Glade Spring and is buried in the Old Glade Spring Presbyterian Church graveyard. *

Robert Porterfield Robert Huffard Porterfield (December 21, 1905 – October 28, 1971) was an American actor and theatre director who was known for founding the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. The theatre was founded in 1933 during the Great Depression. In ...

(1905–1971), founder of

Barter Theatre Barter Theatre, in Abingdon, Virginia, opened on June 10, 1933. It is the longest-running professional Equity theatre in the United States. History Concept In 1933, when the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression, many peo ...

, lived in Glade Spring at the Porterfield farm known as "Twin Oaks". * John E. Reinhardt (1920–2016), ambassador to Nigeria, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and director of the United States Information Agency. *

Mary Scheier Mary Scheier (née Mary Goldsmith; May 9, 1908 – May 14, 2007) was a noted American ceramicist, and the wife and artistic partner of Edwin Scheier. Career Born Mary Goldsmith in Salem, Virginia, she moved to New York City in 1925 and studied a ...

(1908–2007), was internationally known for her superbly thrown pottery vessels. In 1939, along with her husband

Edwin The name Edwin means "wealth-friend". It comes from (wealth, good fortune) and (friend). Thus the Old English form is Ēadwine, a name widely attested in early medieval England. Edwina is the feminine form of the name. Notable people and char ...

, set up their first studio in Glade Spring. * Leo "Muscle" Shoals (1916–1999), won the Minor League baseball Triple Crown in 1951 and hit a record 55 home runs in one season. * Lefty Thomas (1903–1952), pitched parts of two seasons for the Washington Senators.

References

External links

* http://www.gladespringva.com/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20110116060456/http://www.gladespringfarmersmarket.com/ {{authority control Towns in Virginia Towns in Washington County, Virginia Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area