Troy, Virginia

Troy, Virginia
Unincorporated community

Aerial photo of Troy in 1994
Troy
Troy

Location within the Commonwealth of Virginia

Coordinates: 37°57′04″N 78°14′46″W / 37.951°N 78.246°W / 37.951; -78.246Coordinates: 37°57′04″N 78°14′46″W / 37.951°N 78.246°W / 37.951; -78.246
Country United States
State Virginia
County Fluvanna
Original name Clarkland
Renamed c. May 1908
Elevation 409 ft (125 m)
Population (2010)[1]
 • Total 3,954
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 22974
Area code(s) 434[1]

Troy is an unincorporated community in Fluvanna County, Virginia, United States. It lies just west of U.S. Route 15, between Zion Crossroads to the north and the county seat of Palmyra to the south. Troy's existence was defined by the Virginia Air Line Railway,[2] which operated from 1908 to 1975.[3] In 1998, the Virginia Department of Corrections opened the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in the area.[4]

History

Previously called Clarkland,[5] the location is named after "Captain" T. O. Troy, president of the now-defunct Virginia Air Line Railway.[2][3] When construction on the rail line to connect Lindsay and Strathmore began in October 1906,[3] the railway stop in Clarkland consisted of little more than a shed. Around May 1908, Troy built a full rail agency station in the community to become the cornerstone of the area's prosperity. The agency shared a building with the town general store, operated by James Hasher.[2] The railroad was completed and began operating in October 1908. However, rail service was reduced to one daily train by 1927 and ended in 1954.[2] The growing adoption of automobiles and airplanes had been taking business away from railroads since the 1930s.[6] On October 26, 1971, the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors unsuccessfully sued the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad to keep the railway in operation; it was abandoned in November 1975.[3] The store was deserted, leaving the graves of the Hasher family next to it.[2]

Post-railway years

In 1998, the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women was built by the Virginia Department of Corrections in an unincorporated area near Troy.[4] The location in Fluvanna County became a candidate for the new women's prison after the Board of Supervisors of Bedford County, Virginia rejected a 1992 proposal for a facility that would have created between 250 and 300 jobs.[7]

Location and demographics

Troy can be accessed from U.S. Route 15, just south of Zion Crossroads. The community lies to the east of U.S. Route 15 along Fluvanna County Road 631,[2] also known as Troy Road.[8] Troy is part of the Charlottesville metropolitan area.[1]

The Troy post office serves the local Zip code of 22974 as well as communities in the neighboring counties of Albemarle, Louisa, and Orange.[9] The area within the Zip code (which includes the correctional center)[4] was populated by 1,530 men and 2,424 women in 2010. The median ages of the men and women were 37.2 and 36.3, respectively. The average home value was $105,000 and the average annual household income was $54,396.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "22974 Zip Code Profile". Neighborhood Link. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Huskey, Robert J. (June 14, 2004). "Troy, Virginia". Cities of Troy. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Daily, Larry Z. (1997). "Virginia Air Line: Lindsay to Strathmore". Chesapeake & Ohio Piedmont Subdivision. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 "Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women". Virginia Department of Corrections. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Construction: Virginia Air Line". The Railway Age. Chicago: The Wilson Company. 45 (8): 257. February 21, 1908. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  6. ↑ Daily, Larry Z.; et al. (2005). "Central Virginia Railroad History". National Railway Historical Society. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Lynchburg, Bedford debate prison site". The Free Lance-Star. Associated Press. June 30, 1992. p. C3. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  8. ↑ Wanner, Bill (March 23, 2009). "Transportation: How to Get There from Here" (PDF). County of Fluvanna. p. 124. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  9. ↑ Huskey, Robert J. (June 14, 2004). "Cities of Troy". Retrieved November 30, 2010.

Further reading

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