City of Charlottesville, Virginia

City of Charlottesville Education, Geography, and History

Charlottesville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 43,475. It is the county seat of Albemarle County,[4] which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after the British queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Charlottesville with Albemarle County for statistical purposes, bringing the total population to nearly 150,000. The city is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area which includes Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson counties.

Etymology - Origin of City of Charlottesville Name

Charlottesville is named after Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: City of Charlottesville

Charlottesville City History

Charlottesville, Virginia established in 1762. [Virginia Genealogy, Sources & Resources, by Carol McGinnis, Genealogical Publishing Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1993.]

Charlottesville, Virginia incorporated on 19 January 1801. Established in 1762. County seat for Albemarle County. Incorporated as a city 1888. [Virginia Genealogy, Sources & Resources, by Carol McGinnis, Genealogical Publishing Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1993.]

Charlottesville is located in the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia along the Rivanna River, a tributary of the James, just west of the Southwest Mountains, itself paralleling the Blue Ridge about 20 miles to the west. It was formed by charter in 1762 along a trade route called Three Notched Road (present day US Route 250) which led from Richmond to the Great Valley. It was named for Queen Charlotte, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Convention Army was imprisoned in Charlottesville between 1779 and 1781 at the Albemarle Barracks. (Moore, John Hammond (1976). Albemarle: Jefferson's County, 1727 - 1976. Charlottesville: Albemarle County Historical Society & University Press of Virginia.) On June 4, 1781, Jack Jouett warned the Virginia Legislature meeting at Monticello of an intended raid by Banastre Tarleton, allowing a narrow escape.

Unlike much of Virginia, Charlottesville was spared the brunt of the American Civil War. The only battle to take place in Charlottesville was the Skirmish at Rio Hill, in which George Armstrong Custer was repulsed by local Confederate militia. The city was later surrendered by the Mayor and others to spare the town from being burnt. The Charlottesville Factory, circa 1820-30, was accidentally burnt during General Sheridan's raid through the Shenandoah Valley in 1865. This factory was seized by the confederacy and used to manufacture woolen soldiers wear. The mill ignited when coals were taken by union troops to burn a near-by railroad bridge. The factory was rebuilt immediately after and known then on as the Woolen Mills until its liquidation in 1962.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Charlottesville is an independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States

Education

The University of Virginia, considered one of the Public Ivies is located partially in Albemarle county and partially in Charlottesville.

Charlottesville is served by the Charlottesville City Public Schools.

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