Goshen, Virginia

Goshen, Virginia
Town
Location of Goshen, Virginia Location of Goshen, Virginia
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Rockbridge
Government
• Type	Mayoral system with a local five member council
• Mayor	Joey Sampson
• Vice Mayor	Tom McCraw
• Council Members	Jessica Hinkle John Hinton Tom McCraw Christopher Robertson Shirley W. Rorer
Area
• Total	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km2)
• Land	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,404 ft (428 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	360
• Density	233.5/sq mi (90.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	24439
Area code(s)	540
FIPS code	51-31968
GNIS feature ID	1494961
Website	Official website

Goshen is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States. The population was 406 at the 2000 census. The town is known amongst the Boy Scouts of America for hosting Goshen Scout Reservation, one of the largest Boy Scout camps in America. In February 2009 the BSA announced that the area would be the full-time home to the quadrennial national Scout jamboree, however in August 2009 the BSA announced they are no longer considering Goshen for the new Jamboree home. Along with the beautiful scouting reservation Goshen is a natural wonderland perfect for hiking, fishing, picnicking, kayaking, swimming, camping, photography and much more.

History

Goshen was once inhabited by Indian tribes such as the Cherokee and Shawnee, but in the 18th century, European settler, Alexander Dunlop and his wife, Anna MacFarlane moved to the Calfpasture. A few of the first settlers include, Bratton, Lockridge, Graham, Carter, and Davis. The first Goshen council was headed in 1744 by James Patton and John Lewis. Goshen was based on farms, much like today, raising mainly corn. While Goshen was mainly farmland, in the 1800s, Goshen Pass and Panther’s Gap was a bustling community with a school, hotel, Post Office, and foundries. The Alleghany Hotel, built to serve as a hotel by “the Goshen Improvement company; the company which in the boom period of 1890 selected Goshen station as a site for laying of and the founding of a new city.” The hotel was known as the “house of entertainment,” but a few years before the fire, Alleghany Hotel was renamed the Alleghany Sanitarium, housing Tuberculosis patients. On Thanksgiving Day, 1922, the Alleghany Hotel smoldered in flames and ash for 2 1/2 hours before the building was completely destroyed. During this time, Goshen was without a fire department to combat the flames.

The Goshen Land Company Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Geography

Goshen is located at (37.989100, -79.498603).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.5 km²), all of it land.

The Calfpasture River flows through Goshen, just before joining the Little Calfpasture River to form the Maury River.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	253		—
1910	165		−34.8%
1920	154		−6.7%
1930	124		−19.5%
1940	187		50.8%
1950	124		−33.7%
1960	99		−20.2%
1970	121		22.2%
1980	134		10.7%
1990	366		173.1%
2000	406		10.9%
2010	361		−11.1%
Est. 2014	355		−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2012 , there were 360 people, 179 households, and 107 families residing in the town. The population density was 233.5 people per square mile (90.1/km²). There were 214 housing units at an average density of 123.1 per square mile (47.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.31% White and 3.69% African American.

There were 179 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,958, and the median income for a family was $30,455. Males had a median income of $25,227 versus $18,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,400. About 17.3% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

Publications: Print and Web

• The Rockbridge Advocate (monthly magazine)
• The News-Gazette (weekly newspaper)
• Rockbridge Weekly (weekly newspaper)
• The Rockbridge Report (weekly Web site and cable broadcast by the students at Washington and Lee University)

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Goshen has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

External links

• Goshen, Virginia photos and map