ZIP Code 24112

Martinsville was founded by American Revolutionary War General, Native American agent and explorer Joseph Martin. DuPont built a large manufacturing plant for producing textile nylon filament, a vital war material. During the Cold War, the city was identified as a target for strategic bombing by the Soviet Union. In the 1980s Martinsville boasted of having more millionaires per capita than any city in America. The city is repositioning itself long-term as a center for technology development and manufacturing. In 2008, then Illinois senator and 44th President Barack Obama held a campaign stop in the city. In 2009, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pardoned all 7 African-American men of the 7th District of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2010, the state legislature passed a bill that would have made the city an official part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2012, the Senate passed a similar bill, but it was later vetoed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. In 2013, the House voted to make the city a part of Henry County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. In 2014, the senate voted to split the county, making the city the de facto county seat. In 2015, the governor announced that he would not seek re-election as governor in 2016. In 2016, he announced that the state would not hold a presidential election in the same year as the 2008 election. In 2017, he said he would instead run for president in the 2016 election, which he won.

History

Martinsville was founded by American Revolutionary War General, Native American agent and explorer Joseph Martin, born in Albemarle County. DuPont built a large manufacturing plant for producing textile nylon filament, a vital war material. In 1947 the paperclip shaped oval Martinsville Speedway Opened. NASCAR still races there today making it the shortest oval in NASCAR. In the 1980s it boasted of having more millionaires per capita than any city in America. The city is repositioning itself long-term as a center for technology development and manufacturing. The earliest local hospital was the 50-bed Shackelford Hospital, founded by Dr. Jesse Martin Shackelord, who was later joined by surgeon son Dr. John Armstrong Shacelord, an early graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 2008, then Illinois democratic senator and 44th President of the United States Barack Obama held a campaign stop in Martinsvile. In August of 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pardoned all 7 African-American men of the Martinsvilles Seven. The future of this jurisdictional arrangement became unclear when the city council voted in favor of reverting a city to a town (which would reorporate it into the county's jurisdiction) on December 10, 2019, citing economic concerns and demographic concerns. The council's petition to revert must first be approved by a three-judge panel in the state courts, after which a complex process of negotiation with the county begins.

Geography

Martinsville is located in the Southern Virginia region and is 30 miles (42 km) northwest of Danville. It is 51 miles (82 km) south of Roanoke, 91 miles (146 km) southwest of Lynchburg and 48 miles (77 km) north of Greensboro, North Carolina. The north side of the city has the highest average elevation. The east side slopes gradually down to the Smith River on the south side. The west side is hilly. The city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km²), of which 0.1 sq miles (0.3 km²) is land and 0.5sq miles (1.5km²) of water. It has an average daily rainfall of 0.7 inches (2.4 cm) and an average annual temperature of 0 degrees Celsius (1 degree Fahrenheit) The city is located on the eastern bank of the Smith river. It was founded in 1808. It had a population of 2,000 in 1809. It became a city in 1810. It received its first post-bellum name in 1811. The name Martinsville was first used in the 18th century. The town was named after a local family of farmers. The current mayor is the son of a former mayor of the same name, who was killed in a car accident in the early 1900s. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 2,715 in 2010.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 13,821 people, 6,498 households, and 4,022 families residing in the city. The age distribution was 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 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The city's unemployment rate stood at 20 percent as of August 2010. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.70% of the population. The median income for a household in theCity was $27,441, and the medianincome for a family was $35,321. The per capita income for the city was $17,251. About 14.0%. of families and 19.2%. of the city were below the poverty line, including 25.6%. of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over. The population density was 1,407.1 people per square mile (543.1/km²). There were 7,249 housing units at an average density of 661.7 per squaremile (255.4/km 2). The racial makeup of the City was 48.38% White, 45.45% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.47% Asian,0.69% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was2.89.

Economy

The city's chief industry for many early years was the manufacture of plug chewing tobacco. The Henry County area became known as the "plug tobacco capital of the world" The city's main industry for a century was furniture construction, and today Virginia furniture makers still reside in the region. On October 28, 2021, it was announced the Colorado based apparel and footwear company VF Corporation will continue to expand in Martinsville creating 82 new jobs, while investing $10 million dollars into the area. It was also announced the company will be expanding in the area for a second time in the next few years, bringing a total of 82 jobs to the area by the end of the year. The company will also be adding a new store in the city, bringing the total number of stores in the Henry County region to more than 1,000. The city is home to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which was founded in 1851. The museum is located in the historic Henry County Courthouse, which dates back to the 17th century. It is located on the banks of the Rappahannock River, which runs through the center of the city. The town has a population of about 2,000, with the majority of its residents living in and around the downtown area. The area was once known as "The Plug Capital of the World" due to the popularity of plug tobacco. It has been the home of the D.H. Spencer & Sons and Spencer Bros. tobacco firms, which were founded in the nineteenth century.

Government

The City of Martinsville operates under a council-manager government. The city council has five members who serve four-year terms. Every two years, the council elects a mayor and vice-mayor from among its members. An appointed city manager controls daily operations and manages the city's activities. Monday, city attorney Eric H. Monday was appointed to the position of city manager. The position is currently held by Leon Towarnicki, the city manager for the past three years. The council has a mayor, Jennifer Bowles, and a vice mayor. The current council members are Kathy Lawson, Danny Turner, Chad Martin, and Eric H., Monday, Monday, and Tammy Pearson, Tuesday, Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

Transportation

The Piedmont Area Regional Transit (PART) operates and serves the city of Martinsville. The Blue Ridge Airport is used for general aviation and is located 9 miles (14 km) outside the city. Routes include parts of bothMartinsville and Henry county. The city is located on the North Carolina Turnpike, which runs through Henry County. The turnpike is one of the busiest roads in the state, with more than 1.5 million vehicles per year. It is also the busiest highway in North Carolina, with over 1.2 million vehicles a year. The town is home to the Blue Ridge International Airport, which is 9 miles outside of the city and used by general aviation. The airport is also used for commercial air travel and has a general aviation terminal. The Pied Montanans live in a region known as the "Piedmont Heartland," which includes parts of Henry and Morgan counties. The region is also home to a number of smaller towns, such as Martinsvillle, and the town of Fayetteville, which has a population of less than 1,000. The Red River River flows through the city, and runs through the center of the town. It also runs through a small section of Henry County, where it is known as "The Red River" and is used as a source of water for the town's water supply. The area is also known for its scenic beauty, with many scenic overlooks and mountains, including the Red River Gorge.

Education

The city is served by the Martinsville City Public Schools. The city is also home to the K-12 private school, Carlisle School. The New College Institute and Patrick & Henry Community College are located in the city. Students can also take satellite courses through Old Dominion University. The school is named after Patrick Henry, the city's first mayor and a key figure in the education of African-American children in the 1950s and 1960s. The high school opened in 1968 and serves roughly 580 students in grades 9-12. The middle school was originally built as a high school in 1939. The elementary school opened as an elementary school in 1954 and now serves roughly 140 students in preschool as part of the Virginia Preschool Initiative. The public high school was established in 1968. The private high school is called Carlisle school and serves approximately 400 students, about 130 of them are high school students. It is named for Carlisle High School, which was founded in 1968, and was named after Carlisle, a local businessman and philanthropist. The college is called the New College institute and is based in the same building as the high school. The community college is located at the former home of Patrick Henry and is called Patrick &Henry Community College, which opened in the 1960s and serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The university is based at the same location as the former high school, and is known as the Patrick Henry College of the Arts and Sciences. It was established by Patrick Henry in the 1970s and is located on the same campus as the public high schools.

Religion

Houses of Worship in Martinsville: First Baptist, First Presbyterian, Christ Episcopal, Refuge Temple Holiness Church, First UMC Uptown Ministry Center, Galilean House of W worship. First Baptist Church is the largest church in the city. First Presbyterian is the second-largest church, followed by Christ Episcopal Church. The UMC is the city's largest non-denominational church, with a membership of about 1,500 people. The church is located in the heart of the city, just south of downtown. It is located on the Ohio River, which runs through the city to the north and east. It was founded in the 17th century by the first African-American church, the Church of the Nativity of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first church was dedicated to Jesus, and was built in the 16th century. The current church was established in the 18th century, and is called the First United Methodist Church. It has been in the same location since the 19th century and was originally built as a home for African-Americans. It's located in a historic part of the town, near where the original Baptist church was built. The name of the first church is First Baptist. It also has its origins in the early 1800s, when it was known as the First Congregational Church. In the early 1900s, the church moved to a new location, which is now called First Presbyterian. It moved to its current location in the 1830s. The original church is still there.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Martinsville, Henry County, Virginia = 83. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 70. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Martinsville = 4.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 13,485 individuals with a median age of 43.9 age the population dropped by -6.05% in Martinsville, Henry County, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,200 residents per square mile of area (470/km²). There are average 2.22 people per household in the 6,193 households with an average household income of $31,941 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 19.70% of the available work force and has dropped -7.65% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 5.00%. The number of physicians in Martinsville per 100,000 population = 548.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Martinsville = 47.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 111. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 213. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 24.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 39, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Martinsville, Henry County, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 51.95%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 49 years with median home cost = $73,660 and home appreciation of -11.22%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $6.67 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,735 per student. There are 12.8 students for each teacher in the school, 420 students for each Librarian and 140 students for each Counselor. 6.16% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 10.32% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.01% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).