Martinsville, Virginia
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Martinsville is an independent city located within the confines of Henry County, Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 15,416. It is the county seat of Henry CountyTemplate:GR. Martinsville is home to the paper clip-shaped Martinsville Speedway, the shortest track in NASCAR stock car racing (0.526 mi) and also one of the first paved "superspeedways", being built in 1947.
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Geography
Martinsville is located at 36°41'10" North, 79°52'9" West (36.686143, -79.869171)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²). 28.4 km² (11.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.45% water. The north side of the city has the highest average elevation. The east side elevation slopes gradually down to the Smith River on the south side. The west side is quite hilly, full of ups and downs.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 15,416 people, 6,498 households, and 4,022 families residing in the city. The population density is 543.1/km² (1,407.1/mi²). There are 7,249 housing units at an average density of 255.4/km² (661.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 55.38% White, 42.55% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 2.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 6,498 households out of which 26.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% are married couples living together, 19.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% are non-families. 34.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 2.89.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $27,441, and the median income for a family is $35,321. Males have a median income of $28,530 versus $21,367 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,251. 19.2% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.6% of those under the age of 18 and 16.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
Martinsville was founded by American Revolutionary War General Joseph Martin, who had an estate called Scuffle Hill on the Smith River, on the present-day southern city limits. The city's main industry for a century was furniture construction. In the early 20th century, DuPont built a chemical manufacturing plant. The booming chemical industry led to Martinsville declaring itself an independent city in 1928, while still retaining its status as county seat.
DuPont later built a large manufacturing plant for producing nylon, a vital war material, which made the city a target for strategic bombing during the Cold War. This jump-started the growth of the textiles industry in the area. For several years Martinsville was known as the "Sweatshirt Capital of the World." In the early 1990's, changing global economic conditions and new trade treaties made Martinsville textiles and furniture manufacturing economically unsustainable. Many firms closed shop and laid off thousands of workers. Currently, the city is repositioning itself long-term as a center for technology development and manufacturing.
External links
- City of Martinsville (http://www.ci.martinsville.va.us/)