Stephens City, Virginia
Stephens City, Virginia is a town in Frederick County, Virginia. The town had a population of 1,146 at the time of the 2000 census.
Stephens City, Virginia | |
|---|---|
Incorporated town | |
 | |
 Location in Frederick County, Virginia | |
  Stephens City, Virginia Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 39°4′59.45″N 78°13′5.96″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Frederick |
| Founded | October 12, 1758 |
| Founded by | Lewis Stephens |
| Named for | The Stephens Family |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mike Diaz[1] |
| • Town Council | Council members |
| • Delegate | Ben Cline (R) |
| • VA Senate | Jill Holtzman Vogel (R) |
| • U.S. Congress | Jennifer Wexton (D) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.4 sq mi (4 km2) |
| • Land | 1.4 sq mi (4 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 764 ft (233 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,829 |
| • Estimate (2019) | 2,063 |
| Demonym(s) | Stephens Citian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 22655[2] |
| Area code(s) | 540 |
| FIPS code | 51-75344[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1500159[4] |
| Website | stephenscity.org |
History
The German Protestants from Heidelberg, Germany were the founders of the town. Their leader was Peter Stephens. He came from Pennsylvania in 1732. Stephens would buy some land from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. The land was set out in parcels at first. Later, it was made into "Stephensburgh" in 1758 by Peter's son Lewis.[5]
By the start of the Revolutionary War, "Stephensburg" was often called simply "Newtown".[5]
The town was almost burned by Union forces during the Civil War. This was when Union forces were attacked by Newtown residents. Major Joseph K. Stearns of the 1st New York Cavalry disobeyed an order from a higher ranking General and saved the town.[5]
The town was again renamed "Stephens City" in 1880. This happened after a row with the United States Postal Service.[5]
Today, the town is a busy place of throughfare with Interstate 81 and US Route 11. The center of the town is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.[6]
References
- "Town of Stephens City". Town of Stephens City. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- "Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. 2010. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
- "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- Smith, Byron C. "Town History". Newtown History Center in Stephens City, Virginia. Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
- "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form" (PDF). United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
Other websites
