Editing Harrisonburg, Virginia (section)

==History==

[[Image:Historical marker A33 Court Square downtown Harrisonburg VA July 2008.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Harrisonburg was named for Thomas Harrison (1704–1785), an early settler.<ref>{{cite book|title=The American Counties|author1= Kane, Joseph Nathan |author2=Aiken, Charles Curry|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2004|page=130|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yC9vFvCuW84C&q=Thomas+Harrison&pg=PA130|isbn=0-8108-5036-2}}</ref>]]

The earliest documented English exploration of the area prior to settlement was the [[Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition]], led by Lt. Gov. [[Alexander Spotswood]], who reached [[Elkton, Virginia|Elkton]], and whose rangers continued and in 1716 likely passed through what is now Harrisonburg.

Harrisonburg, previously known as "Rocktown," was named for [[Thomas Harrison House (Harrisonburg, Virginia)|Thomas Harrison]], a son of English settlers.<ref>Harrison, J. Houston (1935). ''Settlers by the Long Grey Trail'' J.K. Ruebush. p 214-249</ref> In 1737, Harrison settled in the [[Shenandoah Valley]], eventually laying claim to over {{convert|12000|acre|ha}} situated at the intersection of the Spotswood Trail and the main [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] road through the valley.<ref>Julian Smith, 2007, ''Moon Virginia'' p. 246</ref>

In 1779, Harrison deeded {{convert|2.5|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of his land to the "public good" for the construction of a courthouse. In 1780, Harrison deeded an additional {{convert|50|acre|ha|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/index.php?id=599 |title=''A Brief History of Harrisonburg'' |publisher=Harrisonburgva.gov |access-date=September 30, 2017}}</ref>
This is the area now known as "Historic Downtown Harrisonburg".

In 1849, trustees chartered a [[mayor–council government#Weak-mayor, or ceremonial, form|mayor–council]] form of government, although Harrisonburg was not officially incorporated as an independent city until 1916. Today, a [[council–manager government]] administers Harrisonburg.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/index.php?id=600 |title=Government Structure of Harrisonburg |publisher=Harrisonburgva.gov |date=April 8, 2016 |access-date=September 30, 2017}}</ref>

On June 6, 1862, an [[American Civil War]] skirmish took place at Good's Farm, Chestnut Ridge near Harrisonburg between the forces of the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] and the forces of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] at which the C.S. Army Colonel, [[Turner Ashby]] (1828–1862), was killed.

The city has expanded in size over the years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historic Growth Map|url=https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/sites/default/files/CommunityDevelopment/files/Engineering/maps/other/03-05-14%20historic%20growth%2011X17.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/sites/default/files/CommunityDevelopment/files/Engineering/maps/other/03-05-14%20historic%20growth%2011X17.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Newtown===

When enslaved peoples in the Shenandoah Valley were freed in 1865, they established a town called Newtown near modern-day Harrisonburg.<ref>[[Stephens City, Virginia]] was also called Newtown at this time.</ref> This town was eventually annexed by the independent city of Harrisonburg some years later, probably around 1892. Today, the old city of Newtown is in the Northeast section of Harrisonburg in the area referred to as Downtown Harrisonburg.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmra.org/post/legacy-harrisonburgs-urban-renewal|title=The Legacy of Harrisonburg's 'Urban Renewal'|last=Hagi|first=Randi B.|website=www.wmra.org|date=February 11, 2020 |language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> It remains the home of the majority of Harrisonburg's predominantly Black churches, such as First Baptist and Bethel AME. The modern Boys and Girls Club of Harrisonburg is located in the [[Lucy F. Simms School|old Lucy Simms schoolhouse]] that was used for Black students in the days of [[Racial segregation in the United States|segregation]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome [landing page] |url=https://omeka.lib.jmu.edu/simms/ |website=Celebrating Simms: The story of the Lucy F. Simms School |publisher=James Madison University & the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Center in association with Billo Harper |access-date=January 29, 2019}}</ref>

==== Project R-4 and R-16 ====
A large portion of this Black neighborhood was dismantled in the 1960s when – in the name of [[urban renewal]] – the city government used federal redevelopment funds from the [[Housing Act of 1949]] to force Black families out of their homes and then bulldozed the neighborhood. This effort, called "Project R-4", focused on the city blocks east of Main, north of Gay, west of Broad, and south of Johnson. This area makes up 32.5 acres. "Project R-16" is a smaller tag on project which focused on the 7.5 acres south of Gay Street.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wmra.org/post/role-race-and-money-harrisonburgs-urban-renewal|title=The Role of Race and Money in Harrisonburg's 'Urban Renewal'|last=Hagi|first=Randi B.|website=www.wmra.org|date=February 12, 2020 |language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sites.jmu.edu/shenandoahlivingarchive/projects-r4-and-r16-2/|title=projects r-4 and r-16|website=Shenandoah Living Archive Prototype|language=en-US|access-date=April 29, 2020|archive-date=June 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614190634/https://sites.jmu.edu/shenandoahlivingarchive/projects-r4-and-r16-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://valleyblackheritage.org/photos.html|title=Harrisonburg's Urban Renewal Projects, R4 & R16|website=Learn Share Illuminate|language=en|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref>

According to Bob Sullivan, an intern working in the city planner's office in 1958, the city planner at the time, David Clark convinced the city council that Harrisonburg had slums. Newtown, a low socioeconomic status housing area, was declared a slum. Federal law mandated that the city needed to have a referendum on the issue before R-4 could begin. The vote was close with 1,024 votes in favor and 978 against R-4. In 1955, following the vote, the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority was established to carry out the project. All of the group's members were White men. Invoking the power of eminent domain, the government forced people in Newtown to sell their homes.<ref>"A Guide to the Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority Photographs, 1960-1987: SC 0235," Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority Photographs, 1960-1987, SC 0235, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=jmu/vihart00185.xml</ref> Residents were offered payments for their homes far below their true real estate value. Many people could not afford a new home and had to move into public housing projects. Other families left Harrisonburg. It is estimated between 93 and 200 families were displaced.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |url=http://www.eightyone.info/online/?p=411 |title=''Remembering Project R4'' |publisher=Eightyone.info |access-date=September 30, 2017 |archive-date=January 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116062156/http://www.eightyone.info/online/?p=411 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":1" />

In addition to families, many of the businesses of Newtown that were bought out could not afford to reestablish themselves. Locals say many prominent Black businesses like the Colonnade, which served as a pool hall, dance hall, community center, and tearoom, were unable to reopen.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://public.imaginingamerica.org/journalcontent/2017/4/2/227/index.html|title=Mapping African American Life in Harrisonburg|website=public.imaginingamerica.org|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> Kline's, a White-owned business, was one of the few businesses in the area that was able to reopen. The city later made $500,000 selling the seized property to redevelopers. Before the project, the area brought in $7000 in taxes annually. By 1976, the areas redeveloped in R-4 and R-16 were bringing in $45,000 in annual taxes. These profit gains led Lauren McKinney to regard the project as "one of only two 'profitable' redevelopment schemes in the state of Virginia".<ref name=":1" />

Cultural landmarks were also influenced by the projects. Although later rebuilt, the Old First Baptist Church of Harrisonburg was demolished.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://firstbaptisthbgva.org/pages/Church%20History%20Doc.htm|title=First Baptist History|website=firstbaptisthbgva.org|access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> Newtown Cemetery, a Historic African American Cemetery, was also impacted. Although it appears that no burials were destroyed, the western boundary was paved over and several headstones now touch the street.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/115-5129_NewtownCemetery_2014_NRHP_FINAL.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/115-5129_NewtownCemetery_2014_NRHP_FINAL.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Newtown Cemetery National Register of Historic Places Registration Form|date=December 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

=== Infrastructure ===
[[File:2019-06-25 17 56 08 View north along Interstate 81 from the overpass for Virginia State Route 280 (Stone Spring Road) in Harrisonburg, Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|[[Interstate 81]], a main roadway in Harrisonburg]]
Major highways in Harrisonburg include [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|Interstate 81]], the main north–south highway in western Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Other significant roads serving the city include [[U.S. Route 11 in Virginia|U.S. Route 11]], [[U.S. Route 33 in Virginia|U.S. Route 33]], [[Virginia State Route 42]], [[Virginia State Route 253]] and [[Virginia State Route 280]].

In early 2002, the Harrisonburg community discussed the possibility of creating a pedestrian mall downtown. Public meetings were held to discuss the merits and drawbacks of pursuing such a plan. Ultimately, the community decided to keep its Main Street open to traffic. From these discussions, however, a strong voice emerged from the community in support of downtown revitalization.

On July 1, 2003, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.downtownharrisonburg.org/|title=Home|website=Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance}}</ref> was incorporated as a [[501(c)(3)]] [[nonprofit organization]] with the mission of rejuvenating the downtown district.<ref name="DNR28OCT02">{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=VNRB&p_theme=vnrb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=109E3B78E330AA5D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Downtown|last=Bolsinger|first=Andrew Scot|date=October 28, 2002|work=[[Daily News-Record]]|location=Harrisonburg, VA |access-date=July 3, 2009}}</ref>

In 2004, downtown was designated as the [[Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District]] on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and a designated Virginia Main Street Community,<ref name="NPS-Hist-Dist">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/Nr/travel/VAmainstreet/har.htm|title=Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District|work=Virginia Main Street Community: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=July 3, 2009}}</ref> with the neighboring [[Old Town Historic District (Harrisonburg, Virginia)|Old Town Historic District]] residential community gaining historic district status in 2007. Several vacant buildings have been renovated and repurposed for new uses, such as the Hardesty-Higgins House and City Exchange, used for the Harrisonburg Tourist Center and high-end loft apartments, respectively.

In 2008, downtown Harrisonburg spent over $1 million in cosmetic and sidewalk infrastructure improvements (also called streetscaping and wayfinding projects). The City Council appropriated $500,000 for custom street signs to be used as "wayfinding signs" directing visitors to areas of interest around the city. Another $500,000 were used to upgrade street lighting, sidewalks, and landscaping along Main Street and Court Square.<ref name="TV314Aug2007">{{cite news|url=http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/9163361.html|title=Harrisonburg Streetscape|last=Creswell|first=Kelly|date=August 14, 2007|work=WHSV TV 3|publisher=Gray Television, Inc.|access-date=July 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716051358/http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/9163361.html|archive-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2014, Downtown Harrisonburg was named a Great American Main Street by the National Main Street Association and downtown was designated the first culinary district in the commonwealth of Virginia.

[[Norfolk Southern]] also owns a small railyard in Harrisonburg. The Chesapeake and Western corridor from [[Elkton, Virginia|Elkton]] to Harrisonburg has very high volumes of grain and ethanol.
The railroad serves two major grain elevators inside the city limits. In May 2017 [[Norfolk Southern]] 51T derailed in Harrisonburg spilling corn into Blacks Run. No one was injured.

[[Shenandoah Valley Railroad (short-line)|Shenandoah Valley Railroad]] interchanges with the NS on south side of Harrisonburg and with [[CSX]] and [[Buckingham Branch Railroad]] in North [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]].

[[Harrisonburg Transit]] provides public transportation in Harrisonburg. Virginia Breeze provides intercity bus service between [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg]], Harrisonburg, and [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{Cite web| title = The Virginia Breeze: Bus from Blacksburg to Washington, DC| work = The Virginia Breeze: Bus from Blacksburg to Washington, DC {{!}} DRPT| access-date = January 20, 2020| url = https://virginiabreeze.org/}}</ref>