Hopewell, Virginia 77669 219125707 2008-06-13T18:13:15Z 208.27.3.148 /* Notable Residents */ {{Infobox Settlement |official_name = Hopewell, Virginia |settlement_type = [[City]] |nickname = |motto = |image_skyline = City_point_waterfront.JPG |imagesize = 250px |image_caption = Waterfront at City Point, Virginia (now part of Hopewell) in 1865 |image_flag = |image_seal = Hopewellseal.gif |image_map = VAMap-doton-Hopewell.PNG |mapsize = 250x200px |map_caption = Location in the State of [[Virginia]] |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]] |subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]] |subdivision_type2 = |subdivision_name = [[United States]] |subdivision_name1 = [[Virginia]] |subdivision_name2 = |government_type = |leader_title = [[Mayor]] |leader_name = Steven R. Taylor |established_title = Incorporated |established_date = 1914 |area_magnitude = 1 E7 |area_total_km2 = 28.0 |area_total_sq_mi = 10.8 |area_land_km2 = 26.5 |area_land_sq_mi = 10.2 |area_water_km2 = 1.5 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.6 |area_water_percent = 5.36 |population_as_of = 2000 |population_total = 22354 |population_metro = 1,175,652 |population_density_km2 = 842.9 |population_density_sq_mi = 2182.3 |timezone = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]] |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]] |utc_offset_DST = -4 |latd = 37 |latm = 17 |lats = 25 |latNS = N |longd = 77 |longm = 18 |longs = 18 |longEW = W |elevation_m = 15.2 |elevation_ft = 50 |postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]] |postal_code = 23860 |area_code = [[Area code 804|804]] |blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]] |blank_info = 51-38424{{GR|2}} |blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID |blank1_info = 1495714{{GR|3}} |footnotes = |website = [http://www.ci.hopewell.va.us www.ci.hopewell.va.us] }} '''Hopewell''' is an [[independent city]] in the Commonwealth of [[Virginia]]. The population was 22,354 at the [[United States Census 2000|2000 census]]. It is in [[Tri-Cities, Virginia|Tri-Cities area]] of the [[Richmond-Petersburg]] region and is a portion of the Richmond [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]] (MSA). The [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] combines the city of Hopewell with [[Prince George County, Virginia|Prince George]] county for statistical purposes. == History == === City Point === The city owes its existence to its site overlooking the [[James River (Virginia)|James]] and [[Appomattox River]]s. [[City Point, Virginia|City Point]], the oldest part of Hopewell, was established in [[1613]] by Sir [[Thomas Dale]]. It was first known as "Bermuda City" (one of many appearances of the name of [[Bermuda|the Atlantic archipelago]], itself once part of Virginia, on the map of Virginia) which was changed to Charles City, lengthened to Charles City Point, and later abbreviated to City Point. "Charles City Point" was in [[Charles City Shire]] when the first eight shires were established in the Colony of Virginia in [[1634]]. Charles City Shire soon became known as [[Charles City County, Virginia|Charles City County]] in 1637. An area of the county south of the river including City Point became Prince George County in [[1703]]. During the [[American Civil War]], City Point was the headquarters of [[Ulysses S. Grant|General Ulysses S. Grant]] during the [[Siege of Petersburg]] in [[1864]] and [[1865]]. The [[City Point Railroad]], built in [[1838]] between City Point and [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]] played an important role in the campaign, and later became the oldest portion of the [[Norfolk and Western Railway]], itself now a part of [[Norfolk Southern]]. City Point was an unincorporated town in Prince George County until the City of Hopewell annexed the Town of City Point in [[1923]]. === Hopewell Farm === Hopewell was developed by [[DuPont|DuPont Company]] in [[1914]] as Hopewell Farm, an incorporated area in Prince George County. DuPont first built a [[dynamite]] factory there, then switched to the manufacture of [[guncotton]] during [[World War I]]. Nearly burned to the ground in the infamous Hopewell Fire of [[1915]], Hopewell prospered afterwards and became known as the "Wonder City". Unlike most cities in Virginia, Hopewell was never incorporated as a town but was incorporated as an [[independent city]] in [[1916]]. It was abandoned by DuPont after World War I and briefly became a ghost town, until [[Tubize Corporation]] established a plant at the old DuPont site in [[1923]]. The same year, the city of Hopewell annexed the neighboring town of City Point. === 1935 bus tragedy === Hopewell made national news when, on [[December 22]], [[1935]], a [[bus]] plunged through the open draw of the [[Appomattox River]] [[Drawbridge]] on [[State Route 10 (Virginia)|State Route 10]] just outside Hopewell's city limits. Of the 15 occupants of the bus, only one survived. Today, the modern twin spans of the [[Charles Hardaway Marks Bridges]] cross nearby. === Public Schools === Hopewell currently has six public schools; Hopewell High school (High School), Carter G. Woodson (Middle School), Patrick Copeland (Elemantary), Dupont (Elemantary), Harry E. James (Elemantary), and Woodlawn Learning Center (Pre-School & A.E.). == Recent history == [[Image:Hopewell29.jpg|thumb|right|Smokestacks rise from Hopewell's skyline]] Hopewell is the host city of large chemical plants owned by the [[Honeywell]] Corporation, [[Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation]], and [[Hercules Chemical]]. It has dealt with many environmental issues over the years, most notably the infamous [[kepone]] debacle of the 1970's. In 1977, Hopewell again made the national news when a tanker hit the [[Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge]]. In 1983, Hopewell unfortunately made the national news again when it was discovered that an elderly woman by the name of Evelyn Rust Wells had been held captive in her home in the low-income side of the City Point area of Hopewell. Her captors, mostly men under 18, cashed her Social Security checks at local groceries. (At the time, this was not terribly unusual as the local boys and girls watched out for Ms. Wells and frequently did her grocery shopping for her.) One of the local grocers, however, eventually called the Police when the boys used her check to buy beer. Ms. Wells was liberated after two months of being tied to her chair while her house was destroyed. <ref>New York Times, January 31, 1983. Section A Page 10. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0D16F7345C0C728FDDA80894DB484D81</ref> Although still an important industrial city, like many cities, it has faced issues of urban decay. Its middle class has largely disappeared into Prince George County, and its housing stock is dominated by rental properties and low-income housing projects. However, Hopewell has seen a resurgence with renewed development of its large waterfront areas, the downtown areas, and the [[City Point]] Historical District. The city has a collection of [[Sears Catalog Home]]s, with several available for exterior viewing on a self-guided tour. Hopewell is also home to an impressive collection of [[Aladdin Kit Homes]], and may have had one of the largest collections in the country at one time. Many of these Aladdin Kit Homes have been razed. Since [[1994]] Hopewell has been [[Town twinning|twinned]] with [[Ashford, Kent|Ashford]], [[Kent]], [[United Kingdom|U.K]]. ==Geography== According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 10.8&nbsp;[[square mile]]s (28.0&nbsp;[[km²]]). 10.2&nbsp;square miles (26.5&nbsp;km²) of it is land and 0.6&nbsp;square miles (1.5&nbsp;km²) is water. The total area is 5.36% water. ===Adjacent counties=== *[[Chesterfield County, Virginia]] - north *[[Prince George County, Virginia]] - east, south, west ===National [[protected area]]=== * [[Petersburg National Battlefield Park]] (part) ==Demographics== [[Image:Hopewell11.jpg|thumb|upright|The newly-restored historic Beacon Theater, in downtown Hopewell]] As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 22,354 people, 9,055 households, and 6,075 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 2,182.3 people per square mile (842.9/km²). There were 9,749 housing units at an average density of 951.7/sq&nbsp;mi (367.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.29% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 33.48% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.35% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.81% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.07% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.23% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.77% from two or more races. 2.91% of the population were [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race. There are 9,055 households, out of which 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94. The age of the population is spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there are 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,196, and the median income for a family was $38,043. Males had a median income of $30,835 versus $23,398 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,338. About 12.5% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over. ==Notable Residents== *[[Seka|Dorothiea Hundley (aka Seka)]], adult film actress went to [[Hopewell High School]] ==Media== The Hopewell News, operated by Lancaster Management Inc., is a biweekly newspaper which covers local events[http://www.hopewellnews.com/]. The front page, as a PDF, is available from the paper's website. ==Gallery== <gallery> Image: Hopewell3.jpg </gallery> == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.ci.hopewell.va.us/ City of Hopewell] *[http://www.beacontheatre.org/ Beacon Theatre] {{Mapit-US-cityscale|37.290399|-77.303371}} {{Greater Richmond Region}} {{Virginia}} [[Category:Cities in Virginia]] [[Category:Hopewell, Virginia]] [[Category:Cities on the James River]] [[Category:Greater Richmond Region]] [[de:Hopewell (Virginia)]] [[nl:Hopewell (Virginia)]] [[nds:Hopewell (Virginia)]] [[pt:Hopewell (Virgínia)]] [[vo:Hopewell (Virginia)]] [[zh:霍普維爾 (維吉尼亞州)]]