65-671: Virginia Credit Union Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Fredericksburg, Virginia . The stadium has 5,000 seats, a 300-seat club facility, and 13 suites. The estimated cost of the stadium is $ 35 million. It is home to the Fredericksburg Nationals , a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and an affiliate of the Washington Nationals , since 2021. The stadium will also host
130-545: A Circuit Court with adjacent Arlington County. In Virginia, a District Court is not a court of record , so all cases are heard by a judge; all jury trials are heard in a Circuit Court. Three older Virginia counties, whose origins go back to the original eight shires of Virginia formed in 1634 in the Colony of Virginia , have or had the word city in their names; politically, however, they are counties. The independent cities were formed to centralize trading and legal matters as
195-597: A German settlement called Germanna on the Rapidan River , a tributary of the Rappahannock upstream from the future site of the city. In 1716, he led an exploratory expedition westward over the Blue Ridge Mountains . As interest in the frontier grew, the colonial assembly formed Spotsylvania County in 1720, named after Royal Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood . In 1728, Fredericksburg
260-472: A building made up of three individual structures, constructed at different times, beginning in 1816. Near the historic district is the Lewis Plantation, later named Kenmore, the plantation home of George Washington's sister Betty and her husband, Fielding Lewis . Civil War battles are commemorated in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park . Formed by an act of Congress in 1927,
325-459: A hitch." Construction was continuing at the start of June 2020. The start of the 2020 minor league baseball season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. The still unnamed ballpark was used in the 2020 Major League Baseball season as the alternate training site for members of the Washington Nationals 60-man player pool who were not assigned to
390-610: A party label. Like the rest of Northern Virginia , Fredericksburg has trended strongly Democratic in the early 21st century. In the 2008 presidential election , voters in Fredericksburg gave Barack Obama a total of 63.6% of the vote. Only Arlington County , Alexandria , and Falls Church in Northern Virginia had a higher percentage of votes for Obama. No Republican presidential candidate has carried Fredericksburg since George H. W. Bush did so in 1988 . In
455-646: A sign on I-95 in December 2020. The team also began hosting a series of concerts in 2021 including performances from The Beach Boys and Blue Öyster Cult . The stadium's current baseball attendance record was set on May 24, 2022, in a 6-1 loss to the Salem Red Sox when Stephen Strasburg made a rehabilitation appearance, pitching 2.2 innings on 62 pitches. On March 5, 2022, the Fredericksburg Nationals announced that they would rename
520-508: A single subsequently released by Wray & His Ray Men. This innovation became widely used by rock guitarists. In the early 21st century, the local music scene includes a wide variety of genres. A commuter rail line – the Virginia Railway Express – was established in the 1980s, providing passage to Washington, D.C. and other cities north of Fredericksburg. The city has become the regional healthcare center for
585-564: A variety of community athletic and social events. In 2020 and 2021, it served as the alternate training site for the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals , playing since 1984 at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia , began seeking a better ballpark at least as early as 1998, with various proposals made in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2011, and 2016. Meanwhile, Fredericksburg worked with
650-484: Is a four-year public university within the city. Germanna Community College , established in 1970, is a public two-year program with a campus in Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg's daily newspaper is The Free Lance–Star . The Free Lance was first published in 1885, and competed with two twice-weekly papers in the city during the late 19th century, the Fredericksburg News and The Virginia Star . While
715-542: Is considered a primary administrative division of its state. Independent cities are classified by the United States Census Bureau as " county equivalents " and may also have similar governmental powers to a consolidated city-county or a unitary authority . However, in the case of a consolidated city-county, a city and a county were merged into a unified jurisdiction in which the county at least nominally exists to this day, whereas an independent city
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#1732791596766780-713: Is home to Central Park (as of 2004, the second-largest mall on the East Coast ). The Spotsylvania Towne Centre is located in Spotsylvania County, adjacent to the city. Major employers include the University of Mary Washington (named for the mother of George Washington , who lived here), Mary Washington Healthcare, and GEICO . Many Fredericksburg area residents commute to work by car, bus, and rail to Washington, D.C. , and Richmond , as well as Fairfax , Prince William , and Arlington counties. At
845-539: Is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km ), or 0.67%, of which is water. The city is part of the boundary between the Piedmont and Tidewater regions, and as such is located on the fall line , as evident on the Rappahannock River . US 1 , US 17 , and I-95 all pass through the city, which is located 53 miles (85 km) south of downtown Washington, D.C. The city is bounded on the north and east by
910-547: Is part of the Washington market. One local television station, NBC affiliate WHFV , was briefly on the air in the 1970s. Studio Ironcat , A small publishing company based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, dedicated to publication of manga and later, Amerimanga. Independent city (United States) In the United States, an independent city is a city that is not in the territory of any county or counties and
975-449: The 2016 presidential election , then-candidate Donald Trump garnered the lowest percentage of the city's vote for any Republican candidate since 1936; about two percent fewer votes were garnered in 2020 . Fredericksburg operates with a council-manager government , with Kerry Devine as the current mayor, first elected in 2024. The following is the current makeup of City Council. Despite recent decades of suburban growth, reminders of
1040-507: The Arbitron media service began listing the Fredericksburg area as a nationally rated radio market. As of the fall of 2014, the area ranked 146th out of 272 markets surveyed, with a total market population of more than 325,000. Large broadcast companies like Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Broadcasting are not active in the local market; almost all of its stations remain locally or regionally owned. In television, Fredericksburg
1105-741: The Civil War , Fredericksburg was strategically important because of its port location midway between Washington and Richmond, the opposing capitals of the Union and the Confederacy . During the Battle of Fredericksburg from December 11–15, 1862, the town sustained significant damage from bombardment and looting by the Union forces. During that engagement, nearly 10,000 enslaved people left area plantations and city households to gain freedom by crossing
1170-440: The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park . More than 10,000 African-Americans in the region left slavery for freedom in 1862 alone, getting behind Union lines. Tourism is a major part of the economy. Approximately 1.5 million people visit the Fredericksburg area annually, including the battlefield park, the downtown visitor center, events, museums, art shops, galleries, and many historical sites. Fredericksburg
1235-636: The Hagerstown Suns in 2013 and 2014 on plans to relocate that team for the 2015 season, but those plans fell apart. In June 2018, Potomac Nationals owner Art Silber announced that he had signed a letter of intent to build a new stadium in Fredericksburg that would open in April 2020. In November 2018 the Fredericksburg city council unanimously gave final approval for the Silber family, doing business as Potomac Baseball, LLC, to finance, build and maintain
1300-639: The News folded in 1884, the Star moved to daily publication in 1893. In 1900, the two companies merged, with both newspapers continuing publication until 1926, when they merged as a single daily newspaper under the current title. Until June 19, 2014, the Free Lance–Star was owned and operated by members of the Rowe family of Fredericksburg. At that time, Sandton Capital Partners purchased the paper. On December 31, 2015,
1365-507: The Rappahannock River near the head of navigation at the fall line , Fredericksburg developed as the frontier of colonial Virginia shifted west from the coastal plain into the Piedmont. The land on which the city was founded was part of a tract patented in 1671. The Virginia General Assembly established a fort on the Rappahannock in 1676, just downriver of the present-day city. In 1714, Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood sponsored
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#17327915967661430-626: The Smithsonian Institution 's castle building in Washington and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, and the 1816 town hall and market house, now operated as the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center. Another site of interest is St. George's Church . The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library is located on the site where Monroe practiced law from 1786 to 1788. The museum is housed in
1495-518: The State Normal and Industrial School for Women , to train white women for teaching K-12 and industrial skills. Adopting the name of Mary Washington College in 1938, the college was for many years associated with the University of Virginia (then limited to white men) as a women's liberal arts college . The college officially desegregated in 1964. The college became independent of the University of Virginia and began to accept men in 1970. In 2004,
1560-537: The Wayback Machine . By long-standing tradition (dating back to the Federal Hatch Act of 1939 , which prohibited government employees from participating in partisan politics), local elections in Fredericksburg are officially non-partisan. Neither the mayoral and council elections nor local constitutional positions (e.g. sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, Commonwealth Attorney) list candidates with
1625-434: The county seat of an adjacent county, even though the city by definition is not part of that county. Some other Virginia municipalities, even though they may be more populous than some existing independent cities, are incorporated towns . These towns always form part of a county. Incorporated towns have limited powers, varying by each charter. They typically share many aspects such as courts and public school divisions with
1690-476: The urban heat island present in the nation's capital make for significantly cooler low temperatures. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. As of the census of 2020, there were about 29,000 people, 8,102 households, and 3,925 families residing in
1755-615: The "Washington Heritage Museums": the Mary Washington House , where George Washington's mother lived in her final years; the late 18th-century Rising Sun Tavern , and the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop (the fourth, the St. James House (built 1768), is open to the public only during Historic Garden Week ). Important public buildings include the 1852 courthouse designed by James Renwick , whose works include
1820-515: The 10,000 slaves crossing the Rappahannock for freedom with the Union in 1862 was John Washington. A literate slave from Fredericksburg, he settled in New York and wrote an account of the wartime events several years later. His manuscript was discovered in the 1990s. It was published as the basis of two books, David W. Blight 's A Slave No More (2007), and John Washington's Civil War: A Slave Narrative (2008), edited by Crandall Shifflett. In 2010,
1885-492: The 40-man roster. The Washington Nationals chose the ballpark to again serve as their alternate site to begin the 2021 season . The Fredericksburg Nationals played their first home game on May 11, 2021, losing to the Delmarva Shorebirds , 7–5, with 2,065 people in attendance. At this time, the facility became known as FredNats Ballpark, though there was some limited earlier use of the name, such as in placing
1950-866: The Continental Army. Other significant early residents include the Revolutionary War generals Hugh Mercer and George Weedon , naval war hero John Paul Jones , and future U.S. president James Monroe . Thomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in Fredericksburg. During the 19th century, mills continued to be developed along the Rappahannock River, which provided water power. There were mills for grinding flour, processing and weaving cotton, and other manufacturing. Fredericksburg sought to maintain its sphere of trade, but with limited success. It promoted
2015-574: The Fredericksburg Economic Development and Tourism Office released a video of earth being moved at the construction site. The Potomac Nationals played their last regular season game at Pfitzner Stadium on August 29, 2019. On September 25, 2019, general manager Nick Hall said, "We're 100 percent planning on opening April 23, [2020,]" and that the first concrete could be poured as early as the next week. MASN reported on January 13, 2020, that Hall had said that construction
Virginia Credit Union Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
2080-569: The National Park Service, which manages the battlefield, Stafford County, and the City of Fredericksburg worked collaboratively to post new historical markers on either side of the Rappahannock River as part of a "Freedom Trail" to mark this exodus. Notable 20th-century sites and structures include the campus of the University of Mary Washington (begun in 1908), and Carl's Ice Cream , an Art Moderne roadside ice cream stand, listed on
2145-831: The National Register of Historic Places. Nearby points of interest include Ferry Farm historic site across the Rapahannock in Stafford County where Washington spent his boyhood, and the George Washington Birthplace National Monument , located 38 miles (61 km) to the east in Westmoreland County on the Northern Neck. The historic community of Falmouth lies across the Rappahannock to
2210-466: The Rappahannock River to Stafford County and join the Union lines, part of a movement by enslaved people throughout the South in wartime. John Washington, a literate enslaved person who shortly crossed to freedom, wrote later about people watching the approach of Union troops across the river from Fredericksburg: "No one could be seen on the street but the colored people. and every one of them seemed to be in
2275-420: The Rappahannock River; across the river is Stafford County . The city is bounded on the south and west by Spotsylvania County . Fredericksburg has a four-season humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ), with cool winters and hot, humid summers. Daytime temperatures for much of the year average slightly higher than in Washington, D.C. due to the southerly aspect, although the inland location and distance from
2340-667: The United States. In the Commonwealth of Virginia , all municipalities incorporated as "cities" have been "independent cities", also called "free cities", since 1871, when a revised state constitution took effect following the American Civil War and the creation of West Virginia . Virginia's thirty-eight independent cities are not politically part of a county, even though geographically they may be completely surrounded by one. An independent city in Virginia may serve as
2405-421: The age of 18 living with them, 31.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.81. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under
2470-427: The age of 18, 23.8% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. According to data from the US Census, the median household income in the city is $ 83,445 and the median income for a family is $ 121,781. The per capita income for
2535-670: The area's past abound. The 40-block Fredericksburg Historic District , listed on the National Register of Historic Places , embraces the city's downtown area and contains more than 350 buildings and locations dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Fredericksburg Town Hall and Market Square , Lewis Store , and former site of the Slave Auction Block . Within the historic district, four 18th-century historic sites have been managed by
2600-488: The area's population in the 1940s. The 1960s brought renewed growth and development, fueled by the construction of Interstate 95 , which eased commuting and trade. By the 1970s, the city and the area had become a bedroom community for jobs in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Headquarters agencies, lobbyists , consultants , defense and government contractors , and a range of other businesses were part of
2665-499: The area. Retail, real estate, and other commercial growth exploded in the early 21st century, eventually slowing during the Great Recession beginning in 2007. Hispanic growth skyrocketed from 2011 to 2020, with Chancellor Green in nearby Spotsylvania County becoming a local enclave. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 10.5 square miles (27.2 km ), 10.4 square miles (27.0 km ) of which
Virginia Credit Union Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
2730-563: The ballpark Virginia Credit Union Stadium in a 10-year naming rights deal. Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city in Virginia , United States. As of the 2020 census , the population was 27,982. It is 48 miles (77 km) south of Washington, D.C. , and 53 miles (85 km) north of Richmond . The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines
2795-585: The best of humors." The Second Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in and around the town on May 3, 1863, in connection with the Chancellorsville campaign (April 27, 1863 – May 6, 1863). The battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House were fought nearby in May 1864. The Washington Woolen Mill, a large three-story building, was converted to use as a hospital during the war. After
2860-567: The city is $ 43,063. 18% of the population is below the poverty line . The Fredericksburg Police Department tracks crime information under the state-level system of the Uniform Crime Reporting program. Per state code, the central repository for crime statistics rests with the Department of State Police, which compiles data from all of the participating agencies into an annual publication Archived November 25, 2011, at
2925-550: The city of Fredericksburg with neighboring Spotsylvania County for statistical purposes. Located near where the Rappahannock River crosses the Atlantic Seaboard fall line , Fredericksburg was a prominent port in Virginia during the colonial era . During the Civil War , Fredericksburg, located halfway between the capitals of the opposing forces, was the site of the Battle of Fredericksburg and Second Battle of Fredericksburg . These battles are preserved, in part, as
2990-641: The city, and his sister Betty lived at Kenmore , a plantation house then outside the city. Several citizens played active roles during the American Revolution (1763–1781). For example, a number of locals signed the Leedstown Resolves, which formed an association to protest the Stamp Act in the 1760s. In the 1770s, Fielding Lewis , owner of Kenmore Plantation and brother-in-law to George Washington , also operated an arms factory for
3055-508: The city. The population density was 1,833 inhabitants per square mile (708/km ). There were 8,888 housing units at an average density of 845 per square mile (326/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 54% White , 21% Black or African American , 0.31% Native American , 4.74 Asian , 0.067 Pacific Islander , 2.56% from other races , and 1.95% from two or more races.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 8,102 households, out of which 21.6% had children under
3120-547: The college changed its name from Mary Washington College to the University of Mary Washington. Two additional campuses for graduate and professional studies and education and research are located in Stafford County and in King George County , respectively. Musician Link Wray invented the power chord of modern rock guitar in Fredericksburg in 1958 during an improvisation of the instrumental piece "Rumble" ,
3185-526: The county they are within. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, there are two classes of city. The primary difference relates to the court system. A first-class city (e.g., Richmond) has its own District Court and also its own Circuit Court . A second-class city (e.g. Norton or Emporia) has its own District Courts, but not its own Circuit Court. As a second-class city, City of Fairfax shares a Circuit Court with Fairfax County , while Falls Church shares
3250-578: The development of a canal on the Rappahannock and construction of a turnpike and plank road to bind the interior country to the market town. By 1837, a north–south railroad, which became the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad , linked the town to Richmond, the state capital. A much-needed railroad joining the town to the West's arming region was not finished until after the Civil War. During
3315-463: The national military park preserves portions of the battlefields of Fredericksburg , Chancellorsville , the Wilderness , and Spotsylvania Court House . The Fredericksburg National Cemetery , also part of the park, was developed by the federal government after the war on Marye's Heights on the Fredericksburg battlefield. It contains more than 15,000 Union burials from the area's battlefields. Many unidentified soldiers were buried in mass graves. Among
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#17327915967663380-839: The nearby region have several radio stations, including (on the FM dial) WQIQ (88.3, "Radio IQ", public radio, licensed to nearby Spotsylvania), WLJV (89.5, contemporary Christian), WPER (90.5, Christian), WFLS (93.3, country), WGRQ (95.9, "SuperHits", classic hits, licensed to nearby Fairview Beach), WWUZ (96.9, classic rock, licensed to nearby Bowling Green), WVBX (99.3, contemporary hit radio, licensed to nearby Spotsylvania), WBQB ("B-101.5", adult contemporary) and WGRX ("Thunder 104.5", country, licensed to nearby Falmouth). Fredericksburg AM stations include WFVA (1230, news and talk) and WNTX (1350, talk, news, and sports). WGRQ and WGRX are owned locally by Telemedia Broadcasting. WFLS, WWUZ, WVBX, and WNTX are owned by Alpha Media . In 2001,
3445-446: The newspaper and associated website were purchased by Berkshire Hathaway 's BH Media Group. Fredericksburg Today , an online hyperlocal news site began operation following the 2014 bankruptcy of The Free Lance–Star . In 2024, Fredericksburg Today was replaced by The Fredericksburg Free Press , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing impartial and nonpartisan digital news to the Fredericksburg region. Fredericksburg and
3510-437: The north and includes the historic house Belmont, home of American Impressionist artist Gari Melchers . Public parks run by the city include: Central Rappahannock Regional Library The Fredericksburg City Public Schools are run independently of the surrounding counties. The public primary and secondary schools include: Private schools include: The University of Mary Washington , established in 1908 and opened in 1911,
3575-570: The older system of merchant ships cruising from plantation to plantation was inefficient. The colonial capital of Williamsburg was created for this reason, being a port on the James River. Two of these counties are Charles City County and James City County , whose names originated with earlier "incorporations" created in 1619 by the Virginia Company as Charles Cittie and James Cittie . Additionally, Elizabeth City County , which
3640-564: The regional economy influenced by the U.S. government . The city also benefited from its relative proximity to four military installations: the United States Marine Corps ' Quantico Base , the U.S. Army 's Fort Belvoir , the U.S. Navy 's Dahlgren Surface Weapons Base , and the Virginia National Guard 's Fort A.P. Hill . The University of Mary Washington was founded in Fredericksburg in 1908 as
3705-509: The stadium with the city as an "anchor tenant" making an annual payment to the club of $ 1.05 million for 30 years. The team held a contest to rename itself and announced on October 5, 2019, that the team would be renamed the Fredericksburg Nationals . A groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 24, 2019, but construction work had not begun as of May 20, 2019. A month later it was announced that site work would begin in July 2019. In August 2019,
3770-609: The time of European encounter, the indigenous inhabitants of the area that became Fredericksburg were a Siouan -speaking tribe called the Manahoac . English colonists recorded the name of the Manahoac village there as Mahaskahod . Siouan tribes occupied much of the area of the Piedmont. The Tidewater areas of the coastal plain had primarily Algonquian -speaking tribes making up the Powhatan Confederacy . Located on
3835-414: The war, Fredericksburg recovered its former position as a center of local trade and slowly grew beyond its prewar boundaries. Neither the city of Fredericksburg nor the surrounding counties reached the 1860 level of population again until well into the 20th century. After the war, many freedmen moved to Richmond and Petersburg , where there had been established free black communities before the war, and there
3900-469: Was declared a port for the county, of which it was then a part. Named for Frederick, Prince of Wales , son of King George II , the colonial town named its streets after the members of the royal family. The county court was moved to Fredericksburg in 1732. Hence, the community served as county seat until 1780. The court was then moved to Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia – closer to the geographical center of Spotsylvania County. In 1781, Fredericksburg
3965-486: Was incorporated as a town with its own court, council, and mayor. It received its charter as an independent city in 1879 and under Virginia law, was separated from Spotsylvania County. The city adopted its present city manager/council form of government in 1911. The city has close associations with George Washington , whose family in 1738 moved to Ferry Farm in Stafford County near the Rappahannock River opposite Fredericksburg. Washington's mother, Mary , later moved to
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#17327915967664030-400: Was legally separated from any county or merged with a county that simultaneously ceased to exist even in name. Of the 41 independent U.S. cities, 38 are in Virginia , whose state constitution makes them a special case. The three independent cities outside Virginia are Baltimore, Maryland ; St. Louis, Missouri ; and Carson City, Nevada . Baltimore is the most populous independent city in
4095-450: Was more work. In the early 20th century, as the Jim Crow era continued in the South, there was widespread population movement. Many African-Americans left rural areas of the South for work and other opportunities in industrial cities of the North and Midwest in the Great Migration . Some settled in Washington, D.C., where there were more opportunities, or further north. War-related buildup at defense facilities for World War II added to
4160-488: Was on schedule; that he was confident the venue will be ready for the 2020 season; and, "The seating bowl should actually be finished by the end of next week." With the 2020 season start postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Nationals held a virtual opening day on April 23, 2020. Hall said that the stadium was baseball-ready though construction was not yet complete, even though, with construction deemed as essential business, "The construction progress has gone off without
4225-460: Was originally part of the older Elizabeth Cittie , became extinct in 1952 when it was consolidated politically by mutual consent with the small City of Hampton, its county seat, and the Town of Phoebus . These merged entities became the current independent city of Hampton, Virginia , one of the largest cities of Virginia. Former independent cities, now extinct, that were long extant in Virginia include: Two other independent cities existed only for
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