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Newport News, Virginia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Newport News, Virginia | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Virginia | ||
| Incorporated | 1896 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Joe Frank | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 119.1 sq mi (308.3 km²) | ||
| - Land | 68.3 sq mi (176.9 km²) | ||
| - Water | 50.8 sq mi (131.5 km²) 42.64% | ||
| Elevation | 15 ft (4.5 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - City | 181,913 | ||
| - Density | 1,085.3/sq mi (419.0/km²) | ||
| - Urban | 1,134,145 | ||
| - Metro | 1,521,723 | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Area code(s) | 757 | ||
| FIPS code | 51-56000GR2 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1497043GR3 | ||
| Website: www.newport-news.va.us | |||
Newport News is an independent city in Virginia. It is on the southwestern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News Point on the harbor of Hampton Roads.
The area now known as Newport News was long-located in Warwick County, one of the eight original shires of Virginia formed by the House of Burgesses in the British Colony of Virginia by order of King Charles I in 1634. The entire county was largely composed of farms and undeveloped land until almost 250 years later. In 1881, 15 years of explosive development began under the leadership of Collis P. Huntington, who built a new railroad, coal piers, and a large shipyard in southeastern portion closest to the harbor.
In 1896, the new unincorporated town of Newport News, which had briefly replaced Denbigh as the county seat of Warwick County, became a separate city from the county. In 1900, 19,635 people lived in Newport News, Virginia; in 1910, 20,205; in 1920, 35,596; and in 1940, 37,067. However, in 1958, by mutual consent, Newport News consolidated with the former Warwick County (itself a separate city from 1952 to 1958), rejoining the two localities to basically their pre-1896 geographic size, thus forming what was then Virginia's third largest independent city in population. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 180,150. A more recent 2006 estimate indicates the city's population has declined to 178,281 [1], ranking it as Virginia's fifth largest city population-wise.
Among the city's major industries are Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, owned by Northrop Grumman[2], and the large coal piers supplied by railroad giant CSX Transportation, the modern Fortune 500 successor to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). Miles of the waterfront can be seen by automobiles crossing the James River Bridge and Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel, which is a portion of the circumferential Hampton Roads Beltway, linking the city with each of the other Seven Cities of Hampton Roads via Interstate 664 and Interstate 64. Many U.S. defensive industry suppliers are based in Newport News, and these and nearby military bases employ many residents, in addition to those working at the shipyard and in other harbor-related vocations.
Established during World War I at historic Mulberry Island, the large base at Fort Eustis in modern times hosts the U.S. Army's Transportation Corps and other important activities. In adjacent localities, other U.S. military facilities include Fort Monroe, Langley Air Force Base, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and Camp Peary. Across the harbor in South Hampton Roads, the world's largest naval base, the Naval Station Norfolk and other installations are also located.
Near the city's western end, a historic C&O railroad station, as well as American Civil War battle sites near historic Lee Hall along U.S. Route 60 and several 19th century plantations have all been protected. Many are located along the roads leading to Yorktown and Williamsburg, where many sites of the Historic Triangle are of both American Revolutionary War and Civil War significance. The first modern dual of ironclad warships, the Battle of Hampton Roads, took place not far off Newport News Point in 1862. Recovered artifacts from the USS Monitor are displayed at the Mariners' Museum, one of the more notable museums of its type in the world.
The original area near the mouth of the James River was first referred to as "Newportes Newes" as early as 1621 and is purported to be the longest continuously named place in the United States.
The source of the name "Newport News" is not known with certainty. Several versions are recorded, and it is subject of popular speculation locally. Probably the best-known explanation holds that when an early group of Jamestown colonists left to return to England after the Starving Time during the winter of 1609-10 aboard a ship of Captain Christopher Newport, they encountered another fleet of supply ships under the new Governor Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr in the James River off Mulberry Island with reinforcements of men and supplies. The new governor ordered them to turn around, and return to Jamestown. Under this theory, the community was named for Newport's "good news." (It is probable that not all of those intending to depart thought returning to the harsh conditions of Jamestown was "good" news, however). Another possibility is that the community may have derived its name from an old English word "news" meaning "new town." At least one source claims that the "New" arose from the original settlement's being rebuilt after a fire.
According to a 1901 article in the College of William and Mary's Quarterly Magazine, the well-documented case is made that it is more probable that the original name was "New Port Newce", named for a person with the name Newce and the town's place as a new seaport. The namesake, Sir William Newce, was originally an English soldier and settler in Ireland where he had established Newcestown near Bandon in County Cork. Newce sailed to Virginia with Sir Francis Wyatt in October, 1621 and was granted 2,500 acres (10 km²) of land, but died two days after. His brother, Capt. Thomas Newce, was given "600 acres at Kequatan [sic], now called Elizabeth Cittie [sic]." A partner Daniel Gookin, completed the establishment of the settlement. In the General History of Virginia edited by Captain John Smith, occurs this reference: "Nov. 22, 1621, arrived Master Gookin out of Ireland, with fifty men of his own, and thirty passengers exceedingly well furnished with all sorts of provisions and cattle, and planted himself at Newports Newes." Records following the Indian Massacre of 1622 state "Daniel Gookin successfully defended his settlement at Neport [sic] News against all attacks. [3]
Regardless of the origin of the name, the fact it was formerly written as "Newport's News" is verified by numerous early documents and maps, and by local tradition. The change to Newport News apparently was brought about by usage, for by 1851 the Post Office Department sanctioned "New Port News" (three words) as the name of the first post office, and in 1866 it approved the name as "Newport News", the current form.
During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of the Jamestown Settlement in 1607, English settlers and explored and began settling the areas adjacent to Hampton Roads. In 1610, Sir Thomas Gates took possession of a nearby Native American village which became known as Kecoughtan.
In 1619, the area of Newport News was included in one of four huge corporations of the Virginia Company of London, and became known as Elizabeth Cittie [sic], which extended west all the way to Skiffe's Creek (currently the border between Newport News and James City County. Elizabeth Cittie also included all of present-day South Hampton Roads.
By 1634, the English colony of Virginia consisted of a total population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants and was redivided into eight shires of Virginia, which were renamed as counties shortly thereafter. The area of Newport News became part Warwick River Shire, which became Warwick County in 1637. By 1810, the county seat was at Denbigh. For a short time in the mid-19th century, the county seat was moved to Newport News.
Newport News was merely an area of farm lands and a fishing village until the coming of the railroad and the subsequent establishment of the great shipyard. Following a huge growth spurt of railroad and shipyard development, the new "City of Newport News" was formally organized and became independent of Warwick County in 1896 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly. It was one of only a few cities in Virginia to be newly established without earlier incorporation as a town. (Virginia has had an independent city political subdivision since 1871). Walter A. Post served as the city's first mayor.
Kecoughtan, originally named Kikotan (also spelled Kiccowtan, Kikowtan as well as Kecoughtan), was a Native American village when the English colonists arrived in the Hampton Roads area in 1607.
In 1610, the English colonists under Sir Thomas Gates, Governor, seized their land, and established their own residency there. This land was long known as part of Elizabeth Cittie (sic) and Elizabeth City County (until the county was consolidated with the City of Hampton and the incorporated town of Phoebus in 1952 to form the current independent city of Hampton) and has been continuously occupied ever since, forming the basis of a claim by the City of Hampton as the site of the oldest continually occupied English settlement in the U.S.A. [4]
Not to be confused with the original native settlement, many years later, a newer incorporated town of Kecoughtan was developed in the 19th century and existed in the southern edge of Elizabeth City County bordering Newport News. It was annexed by the City of Newport News in 1927, where it currently forms much of the area now known as the city's East End neighborhood.
Independent city status guarantees protection against annexation of territory by adjacent communities. After years of resisting annexation efforts by Newport News, in 1952, Warwick County was successful in petitioning the Virginia General Assembly to become the independent City of Warwick.
In 1958, the citizenry of the cities of Warwick and Newport News voted by referendum to consolidate the two cities, choosing to assume the better-known name of Newport News, and forming the third largest city population-wise in Virginia with a 65 square miles (168 km²) area. The boundaries of the City of Newport News today are essentially the boundaries of the original Warwick River Shire and those of Warwick County for most of its existence, with the exception of minor border adjustments with neighbors.
The area which formed the present-day southern end of Newport News had long been established as an unincorporated town. However, during the period after the American Civil War, the new City of Newport News was essentially founded by Collis P. Huntington. Huntington, who was one of the builders of the country's first transcontinental railroad, became a major investor and guiding light, and helped complete the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to the Ohio River. His agents began acquiring land in Warwick County in 1865, and in the 1880s, he oversaw extension of the C&O's new Peninsula Subdivision, which extended from the Church Hill Tunnel in Richmond southeast down the peninsula through Williamsburg to Newport News, where the company developed coal piers on the harbor of Hampton Roads.
His next project was to develop Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, which became the world's largest shipyard. His famous saying is:
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- We shall build good ships here. At a profit - if we can. At a loss - if we must. But always good ships.
The city of Huntington, West Virginia was named in honor of Collis P. Huntington, as was Huntington Avenue in Newport News.
In addition to Collis, other members of the Huntington family also played major roles in Newport News. After his uncle's death, his nephew, Henry E. Huntington, assumed leadership of the shipyard. Huntington Park, developed after World War I near the northern terminus of the James River Bridge, is named for him.
Collis Huntington's son, Archer Milton Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, developed the Mariners' Museum beginning in 1932, creating a natural park and the community's Lake Maury in the process. A major feature of Newport News, the Mariners' Museum has grown to become one of the largest and finest maritime museums in the world.
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For more details on this topic, see Mariners' Museum.
Newport News is located at (37.071046, -76.484557)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 308.3 km² (119.1 mi²). 176.9 km² (68.3 mi²) of it is land and 131.5 km² (50.8 mi²) of it (42.64%) is water.
Newport News entered a Sister City relationship with Neyagawa, Osaka-fu, Japan in 1982. Newport News has a second sister city in Taizhou which is in the Jiangsu Province in China and possibly in the near future a relationship with Greifswald, Germany.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 180,150 people, 69,686 households, and 46,341 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,018.5/km² (2,637.9/mi²). There were 74,117 housing units at an average density of 419.0/km² (1,085.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.50% White, 39.07% African American, 0.42% Native American, 2.33% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.79% from other races, and 2.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.22% of the population.
There were 69,686 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.04.
The age distribution is: 27.5% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,597, and the median income for a family was $42,520. Males had a median income of $31,275 versus $22,310 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,843. About 11.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Newport News is served by two airports. Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, located in Newport News, and Norfolk International Airport, in Norfolk, both cater to passengers from Hampton Roads. The primary airport for the Virginia Peninsula is the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. The Airport is experiencing a 4th year of record, double-digit growth, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the country. In January 2006, the airport reported having served 1,058,839 passengers. Along with this record growth, there has been increased talk of a possible Newport News-UK direct flight after UK-based Wolseley plc decided to put its North American headquarters in Newport News. Speculation further increased when the news was considered against the backdrop of the Jamestown 2007 commemorations.
The older "downtown" area was part of the earlier portion which became a city in 1896. The newer portion which remained in Warwick County through the first half of the 20th century also became a city in 1952. After the two adjacent cities consolidated in 1958, reforming most of the original boundaries of Warwick County established by King Charles I in 1634, the population, residential density and even business centers became gradually spread across the entire area more evenly once again.
Newport News was formed as a city in the late 19th century, and consolidated with its mostly rural neighbor to the west, the former Warwick County, in 1958. The earlier city portions includes the traditional downtown area, the shipyard and coal piers, with public housing projects and lower income housing nearby. While the shipyard and coal facilities, and other smaller harbor-oriented businesses have remained vibrant, the downtown area went into substantial decline, and crime problems have plagued the nearby lower-income residential areas.
In modern times, the East End inner-city residential area just south of downtown is sometimes called the urban slang nickname of "Bad Newz", as rapper 50 Cent incorporated this nickname into his song "Ski Mask Way." Causing some local scandal and outrage amongst city leaders, he explained to the DJ of local radio station WOWI, that he was 'rapping from the perspective of a stick-up kid seeking new territory.'[1] The nickname gained further notoriety in 2007, when the public and authorities became aware that Newport News native Michael Vick, who had been a prominent NFL football player, had joined several other natives from the East End housing projects in naming their illegal interstate dog fighting and gambling ring "Bad Newz Kennels". It was based nearby in rural Surry County on his 17-acre estate which had been developed for the enterprise, and operated over a six year period, Investigations resulted in a federal felony conviction and indictments on multiple state felony charges for Vick. In December 2007, he was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, and was awaiting trial on the state charges.
West of the traditional downtown area, another early portion of the city was developed as Huntington Heights, and is known during modern times as the North End. Developed primarily between 1900 and 1935, North End is features a wealth of architectural styles and eclectic vernacular building designs. Extending along west to the James River Bridge approaches, it includes scenic views of the river. A well-preserved community, the North End is both a Virginia Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [2]
Beyond present-day Mercury Boulevard, most of the former Warwick County portion was small towns, farms, or undeveloped land until after World War II, when portions became more suburban in nature. Many neighborhoods have been developed, some around the former small towns, with miles of waterfront along the James River and tributaries such as Deep Creek and Lucas Creek occupied by higher-end single family homes.
Much of the newer commercial development has been along the Warwick Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue corridors, with newer planned industrial, commercial, and mixed development such as Oyster Point, Kiln Creek and the City Center. At the western reaches, some residential development has occurred in an area where much land has been set aside for natural protection with recreational and historical considerations. Along with some newer residential areas, major features of the western end include the reservoirs of the Newport News Water System (which include much of the Warwick River), the expansive Newport News Park, a number of public schools, and the military installations of Fort Eustis and a small portion of the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.
At the extreme southwestern edge adjacent to Skiffe's Creek and the border with James City County is the Lee Hall community, which retains historical features including the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway station which served tens of thousands of soldiers based at what became nearby Fort Eustis during World War I and World War II. The larger-than-normal rural two story frame depot is highly valued by rail fans and rail preservationists.
The city's original downtown area, located on the James River waterfront, changed rapidly from a few farms to a new city in the last quarter of the 19th century as part of the development of the railroad terminal with its coal piers and other harbor-related facilities and the shipyard.
Although fashionable housing and businesses developed there as well, gradually these moved outward to the west and north following a national trend suburban development during the 20th century.
Despite some efforts at large-scale revitalization, by the beginning of the 21st century, the downtown area largely consisted of the coal export facilities, the shipyard, and municipal offices, bordered by some harbor-related smaller businesses and lower income housing.
Downtown Newport News Victory Arch, built to commemorate the Great War, sits on the downtown waterfront in Newport News. The "Eternal Flame" which sits under the arch was casted by Womack Foundry, Inc. in the 1960's, and was hand crafted by the Foundry's founder and president, Ernest D. Womack. There are a number of landmarks and architecturally interesting buildings in the downtown area that seem to have been largely abandoned in favor of building new areas in the northwest areas of the city. City leaders are working to bring new life into this area, by renovating and building new homes and attracting businesses. The completion of Interstate 664 restored the area to access and through traffic which had been largely rerouted with the completion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel in 1958 and discontinuance of the Newport News-Norfolk ferry service at that time. The larger capacity Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel and the rebuilt James River Bridge each restored some accessability and through traffic to the downtown area.
While the downtown area had long been the area of the city that offered the traditional urban layout, the idea is being revisited with the introduction of a number of New Urbanism projects. One is Port Warwick, named after the fictional city in William Styron's novel, Lie Down in Darkness. Port Warwick includes housing for a broad variety of citizens, from retired persons to off-campus housing for Christopher Newport University students. Also included are several high-end restaurants and upscale shopping.
The Oyster Point City Center, located near Port Warwick, has been touted as the new "downtown" because of its new geographic centrality on the Virginia Peninsula, its proximity to the retail/business nucleus of the city, etc. Locally, it is often called simply "City Center". Nearby, the Virginia Living Museum recently completed a $22.6 million expansion plan.
Currently under planning stages are a number of other New Urbanism projects, including "Asheton", a mega-development at the north end of the city bordering the the city’s historic attraction of that area.
- City Center
- Christopher Shores-Stuart Gardens
- Denbigh
- East End
- Glendale
- Hidenwood
- Hilton Village, a National Historic District
- Huntington Heights (Overtown)
- Jefferson Park
- Kiln Creek
- Lee Hall
- Menchville
- Morrison (also known as Harpersville)
- Newmarket
- North End (roughly from 50th to 70th streets, east of Mercury Boulevard and James River Bridge)
- Oyster Point
- Parkview
- Port Warwick
- Richneck
- Riverside
- Summerlake
- Warwick
The main provider of primary and secondary education in the city is Newport News Public Schools.
Several private schools are located in the area, including Denbigh Baptist Christian School[5], Hampton Roads Academy[6], Peninsula Catholic High School[7], and Warwick River Christian School[[8]].
Christopher Newport University is located within the city.
Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University and The College of William and Mary are located nearby.
- See also: Newport News (Amtrak station)
Newport News has an elaborate transportation network, including interstate and state highways, bridges and a bridge-tunnel, freight and passenger railroad service, local transit bus and intercity bus service, and a commercial airport. There are miles of waterfront docks and port facilities.
See also Transportation section of main article Hampton Roads
In July 1989, Newport News City Council adopted via resolution Newport News' official city song, "Newport News," written by native Ronald W. Bell. The song voices the community's links to both the nation's earliest beginnings and its longstanding maritime heritage:
NEWPORT NEWS
Harbor of a thousand ships
Forger of a nation's fleet
Gateway to the New World
Where ocean and river meet
Strength wrought from steel
And a people's fortitude
Such is the timeless legacy (chorus)
Of a place called Newport News
Nestled in a blessed land
Gifted with a special view
Forever home for ev'ry man
With a spirit proud and true
(repeat chorus)
Newport News is the location of Fort Eustis, an important U.S. Army post built in Warwick County on Mulberry Island at the mouth of the Warwick River beginning in 1918.
The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and Christopher Newport University are located in Newport News.
The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Newport News (SSN-750) is named after this city.
The city is famous as the birthplace of legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and author William Styron. Another jazz and cabaret singer from Newport News is Joan Shaw, now known as Salena Jones. Christopher Newport University honors this heritage with the annual Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Festival held at their I.M. Pei-designed Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts.
Actress, Pearl Bailey was also raised in Newport News, but was born in Southampton County, Virginia.
Musicians Victor Wooten and his brother Roy Wooten (a.k.a. Future Man) attended Denbigh High School, and started their careers at Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg.
Woodcut artist J. J. Lankes, although born in New York, lived for many years in the Hilton Village neighborhood in Newport News.
Underground Hip Hop artists Tonedeff and Quan were born in Newport News.
Born in (1956), Claude Purdy (known as Claudus Perdius) the famous United States Marine Corps First Sergeant who was the hero of Desert Shield/Desert Storm campaign where he rescued three high ranking officers from being overran by opposing forces; received the Navy Cross, Silver Star and Bronze Star, born in Richmond Virgina and raised in Newport News, valiantly came to the rescue of the high ranking officers. Graduate of Ferguson High School 1974.
It was also the birthplace of 2 notable professional football players, Free agent quarterback Aaron Brooks, who attended Homer L. Ferguson High School, and his second cousin, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who also attended Ferguson and transferred to Warwick High when Ferguson was closed. Michael Vick was honored by Warwick High School in 1999 by retiring his football jersey. Another football player, Michael's younger brother, Marcus Vick was born there. Other athletes from Newport News include Henry Jordan, David Macklin, Al Toon, Darryl Blackstock, and Antoine Bethea.
Mike Tomlin head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers also attended Denbigh High School. Antoine Bethea current NFL safety with the Indianapolis Colts attended Denbigh High School, where he was a three-year letterman in football, and also lettered in basketball, where he earned all-area and all-conference honors in his senior year.
Denver Nuggets basketball player Allen Iverson is also from nearby the lower east end of Newport News, but was born in neighboring Hampton, Virginia, where he attended Jefferson Davis Middle School and Bethel High School.
- Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
- List of famous people from Hampton Roads
- List of Mayors of Newport News, Virginia
- Lee Hall, Virginia
- Warwick County, Virginia (extinct)
- Peninsula Fine Arts Center
- Mariners' Museum
- Virginia War Museum
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape_monday/032105/] MTV.com (accessed August 7, 2006)
- ^ http://historichamptonroads.com/huntington_heights.htm
- Official Website
- Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance - serving Newport News
- Virginia Architecture Today
- North Huntington Heights Preservation Association
- Newport News, Virginia is at coordinates Coordinates:
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News Metropolitan Area | ||
| Seven Cities | Chesapeake • Hampton • Newport News • Norfolk • Portsmouth • Suffolk • Virginia Beach |  |
| Counties | Currituck • Gloucester • Isle of Wight • James City • Mathews • Southampton • Surry • York | |
| Other cities and towns | Franklin • Poquoson • Williamsburg | |
| sub-regions | Middle Peninsula • Northeast North Carolina • South Hampton Roads • Virginia Peninsula | |
| Footnotes | Bold = independent city not part of any county | |
