Montross, Virginia
Town
Courthouse in Montross, with historic marker in foreground
Location of Montross, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°5′38″N 76°49′34″W / 38.09389°N 76.82611°W / 38.09389; -76.82611
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Westmoreland
Area [1]
• Total	1.03 sq mi (2.67 km2)
• Land	1.03 sq mi (2.67 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	164 ft (50 m)
Population  (2022)
• Total	553
• Density	536.6/sq mi (146.11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	22520
Area code	804
FIPS code	51-52952[2]
GNIS feature ID	1498518[3]
Website	https://www.townofmontross.org

Montross is a town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. The population was 553 at the 2020 census.^[4] It is the county seat of Westmoreland County.^[5] Located in the historic Northern Neck of Virginia, Montross is near the George Washington Birthplace National Monument and the Stratford Hall Plantation (the birthplace of Robert E. Lee and Founding Fathers and signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee). The town's slogan is return to the village.

History

The Old Westmoreland Court House in Montross was the site of notable events in 1774–1775 connected with the Revolutionary War. According to an historic marker at the courthouse, a resolution was introduced by Richard Henry Lee and adopted at a meeting there on June 22, 1774, providing aid to Boston, Massachusetts, following a blockade of that beleaguered port city by Great Britain.^[6] The seizure in 1775 of the Virginia Colony's gunpowder supply in Williamsburg on orders of the Royal Governor, in what became known as the Gunpowder Incident, prompted the Westmoreland Committee of Safety to convene at the Court House on May 23, 1775. The committee passed a resolution denouncing the governor, Lord Dunmore, for his actions.

Washington and Lee High School is located in the town.

Emmy Award-winning video engineer Walter Balderson, who attended Washington and Lee High School, is from Montross. Current Brooklyn Nets forward Justin Anderson was born in Montross, and played collegiately at the University of Virginia.^[7]

The Armstead T. Johnson High School, Westmoreland State Park Historic District, and Panorama are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[8]

Geography

Montross is located at 38°5′38″N 76°49′34″W / 38.09389°N 76.82611°W / 38.09389; -76.82611 (38.093965, −76.826041).^[9] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.^[10]

Demographics

As of the census^[12] of 2020, there were 553 people, 252 households. The population density was 536.6 people per square mile. There were 296 housing units at an average density of 283.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 74% White, 14% African American, 6% Asian, and 6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0% of the population.

There were 252 households, out of which 18% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 6% had a female householder with no spouse present, 6% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 24% were non-families. The average household size was 2.2.

View of downtown Montross

In the town, the population is on the mature end, with 18% under the age of 18, 48% from 18 to 64, and 34% who were 65 years of age or older.

The median age was 41 years. The population is 51% those who identify and female, and 49% those who identify as male.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,500, and the median income for a family was $41,746. About 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8% of those under age 18 and 12% of those age 65 or over.

Things to do

Menokin, home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most intact standing 18th century homes in the U.S. The landscape is open daily from 7am-7pm.

Westmoreland State Park is located on the Potomac River's Northern Neck and offers opportunities for family fun. It s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has a bathhouse, meeting area, snack bar, camp store and power-boat ramp. You'll also find a visitor center, campgrounds, camping cabins, cabins, a playground, a fishing pier, boat rentals and 6 miles of trails. Fossil collectors enjoy hunting for ancient shark teeth along the Potomac. The park grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk.

Stratford Hall: A National Historic Landmark, Stratford Hall preserves the legacy of the Lee family and its surrounding community. Established by Thomas Lee in the 1730s, Stratford Hall is one of the great houses of American history. Four generations of the Lee family passed through its stately doors including Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, the only two brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War hero "Light Horse Harry" Lee, and his son, Civil War General Robert E. Lee, who was born at Stratford Hall in 1807.

Westmoreland County Mercantile Museum: Westmoreland County Museum (WCM) founded in 1941, is the oldest museum in the Northern Neck. WCM preserves important history plus artifacts of the county and its people. Its treasures include the notable portrait of Sir William Pitt, painted by Charles Willson Peale, commissioned by the patriots of Westmoreland County in 1768, an 1898 portrait of General Robert E. Lee by Eliphalet Andrews, and a chair from George Washington's dining room. Exhibits include Native American artifacts, geology and archaeology of local sites, a furniture collection and an extensive portrait and painting collection. While visiting, stop by the Westmoreland Mercantile General Store.

George Washington Birthplace National Monument: Located in the Northern Neck of Virginia. The park encompasses 550 acres of the former Popes Creek Plantation, the American ancestral home of the Washington Family where George Washington was born. In addition to a Colonial Revival farm, burial ground, visitor center, and historic structures, the park also has picnic grounds and a public beach.

Voorhees Nature Preserve: Part of a network of conservation lands along the Rappahannock River—a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay—the preserve provides excellent habitat for bald eagles and other wildlife.

Fall Festival: Once a year, Montross has a festival in celebration of the town. It includes parades and game stands. The event is usually held in October and is widely attended by town residents.

First Fridays: During summer months, the town hosts live music, food, and vendor booths on the first Friday of the month.

In popular culture

Westmoreland County Museum and water tower in downtown Montross

In 2000, Montross was on television's Late Show with David Letterman. In a segment called, "Biff Henderson's America", Biff Henderson visited the small town's museum, Bargain Shop, Sheriff's Department, the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, and the Potomac River. He also interviewed people during his visit, jokingly asking them if they would like Biff to be mayor.^[13]

References