Tappahannock, Virginia

Tappahannock, Virginia
Town
The historic district of Tappahannock
Location in Virginia
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Essex
Government
• Mayor	Roy Gladding
Area
• Total	2.7 sq mi (6.9 km2)
• Land	2.6 sq mi (6.7 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	2,068
• Density	793.6/sq mi (306.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	22560
Area code(s)	804
FIPS code	51-77568
GNIS feature ID	1498542
Website	http://www.tappahannock-va.gov

Tappahannock is the oldest town in Essex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,068 at the 2000 census. Located on the Rappahannock River, Tappahannock is the county seat of Essex County. Its name comes from the Algonquian language word lappihanne (also noted as toppehannock), meaning "Town on the rise and fall of water" or "where the tide ebbs and flows." In 1608 John Smith landed in Tapphannock but was driven back by the local Native American tribe.

History

In 1682 a local man, Jacob Hobbs established a trading post in the now extinct Rappahannock County (in the vicinity of present day Tappahannock). This area became known as Hobbs Hole. The town comprised 50 acres divided into half acre squares. The port was established at Hobb’s Hole and called New Plymouth, later changed back to the Indian name Tappahannock. Public warehouses for inspection and exportation of the tobacco were established in 1730 at Hobbs Hole .

The Tappahannock Historic District and Sabine Hall are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Tappahannock is located at Segen (37.922180, -76.863158).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 square miles (6.9 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (2.99%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	574		—
1890	452		−21.3%
1900	554		22.6%
1910	478		−13.7%
1920	422		−11.7%
1930	427		1.2%
1940	783		83.4%
1950	1,011		29.1%
1960	1,086		7.4%
1970	1,111		2.3%
1980	1,821		63.9%
1990	1,550		−14.9%
2000	2,068		33.4%
2010	2,375		14.8%
Est. 2014	2,380		0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,068 people, 857 households, and 495 families residing in the town. The population density was 793.6 people per square mile (305.9/km²). There were 946 housing units at an average density of 363.0 per square mile (139.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 54.60% White, 41.60% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.50% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.

There were 857 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 78.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,688, and the median income for a family was $41,579. Males had a median income of $28,409 versus $20,431 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,862. About 10.6% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Places

• The Tappahannock-Essex County Airport is located approximately 4 miles outside of Tappahannock and opened in 2007. Prior to the opening of the new airport, the old Tappahannock Municipal Airport was located inside town limits.

• Lowery's, a seafood restaurant which has been open since 1938.

• Tappahannock is located on the banks of the Rappahannock River. People traveling on U.S. Highway 360 from the northeast cross the Rappahannock via the Thomas Downing Bridge.

• The town is home to St. Margaret's School, a private boarding school.

• There is a historic Debtors' prison, constructed sometime before 1769, it is one of three such structures remaining in Virginia, along with those in Accomac and Worsham The prison building is part of the Tappahannock Historic District, and as such was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Notable residents

• Chris Brown - Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, actor
• Stacy Tutt - former New York Jets running back
• William "Bill" Moore - legendary blues artist
• Bill Dennis, NASCAR racecar Driver, Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, 1970
• Lorenzo Bundy - Major League Baseball third base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers

External links

• Rappahannock River Cruise