Editing Stephens City, Virginia (section)

===20th century to present===
[[File:Newtown-Stephensburg Historic District sign.JPG|thumb|left|150px|Signage upon entering the town's [[Newtown–Stephensburg Historic District]]]]
In the early 1900s [[limestone]] was discovered on the western side of Stephens City. Soon after a lime plant built by the M. J. Grove Lime Company began operations, near the Stephens City Station railway depot and the Stephens City Milling Company. This industrial area, nicknamed "Mudville", would later expand to include commercial businesses.<ref name="History"/><ref name="royalmudville">{{cite news | url=https://royalexaminer.com/history-reflects-mudville-community-devastated-by-industrial-fire/ | title=History reflects Mudville community devastated by industrial fire | work=Royal Examiner | date=April 5, 2021 | accessdate=June 6, 2023 | author=Gunderman, Mark | archive-date=October 26, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026172641/https://royalexaminer.com/history-reflects-mudville-community-devastated-by-industrial-fire/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The 20th century brought improvements to energy and domestic systems: electrical service was introduced in 1915; and in 1941, just before [[World War&nbsp;II]], the town installed a water system.<ref name="History"/> Passenger service at the train station ended in 1949. This event, along with the effects of a devastating 1936 fire that destroyed or damaged most of the buildings in Mudville, resulted in the demise of that part of town.<ref name="History"/><ref name="royalmudville"/>

The construction of [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|Interstate 81]] (I-81) during the early 1960s depressed business development in the town. The wagon road, which had been made part of [[U.S. Route 11 in Virginia|U.S. Route 11]], had led traffic through the center of town, but the interstate passed less than a tenth of a mile to the east, drawing off development, retail trade and ultimately, businesses. This caused downtown to decline. Developers constructed new residential subdivisions both within and outside the town boundaries to the east for access to I-81, attracting commuters to purchase homes.<ref name="History"/> In 1964, the town's sewer system and the only stoplight in the town limits were both installed. A permanent town hall opened in 1978.<ref name="kalbian"/>{{rp|192}}<ref name="royalgovernment">{{cite news | url=https://royalexaminer.com/early-days-of-stephens-city-government/ | title=Early days of Stephens City government | work=Royal Examiner | date=February 24, 2023 | accessdate=June 6, 2023 | author=Gunderman, Mark | archive-date=March 3, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303202545/https://royalexaminer.com/early-days-of-stephens-city-government/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

The town surveyed its older buildings to establish architectural significance and to determine those that contributed to the town's historic center. The [[Newtown–Stephensburg Historic District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in August&nbsp;1992.<ref name="vaNRHPnom">{{cite web |author=Maral S. Kalbian |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Newtown-Stephensburg Historic District |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/304-0001_Newtown-Stephensburg_Historic_District_1992_Final_Nomination.pdf |date=October 28, 1991 |access-date=April 27, 2010 |publisher=Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611084758/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Frederick/304-0001_Newtown-Stephensburg_Historic_District_1992_Final_Nomination.pdf |archive-date=June 11, 2010 }} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Frederick/NewtownStephHD_photographs.htm ''Accompanying photo at Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission, undated''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528171641/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Frederick/NewtownStephHD_photographs.htm |date=May 28, 2010 }} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Frederick/304-0001_Newtown_Stephensburg.pdf ''Accompanying map''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809144839/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Frederick/304-0001_Newtown_Stephensburg.pdf |date=August 9, 2016 }}</ref> Among the [[Contributing property|contributing properties]] to the historic district are numerous 18th-century buildings, 19th-and-early-20th century homes and businesses, cemeteries, churches, and a school complex.<ref name="vaNRHPnom"/>

Virginia school systems had practiced [[massive resistance]] following the United States Supreme Court ruling in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' (1954) that [[racial segregation in the United States|segregated]] public schools were unconstitutional.<ref name="Brown1">{{cite web |url=http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-25-spring-2004/feature/brown-v-board-timeline-school-integration-us |title=BROWN V. BOARD: Timeline of School Integration in the U.S. |date=April 2004 |access-date=September 20, 2014 |publisher=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]] |archive-date=January 9, 2013 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20130109010244/http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-25-spring-2004/feature/brown-v-board-timeline-school-integration-us |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia]] ordered Frederick County schools desegregated (including those serving Stephens City) in ''Brown v. County School Board'' (1964).<ref name="Brown2">{{cite court |litigants=Brown v. County School Board of Frederick County, Virginia |vol=234 |reporter=F. Supp. |opinion=808 |court=[[United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia]] |date=June 14, 1964 |url=http://openjurist.org/346/f2d/22/brown-v-county-school-board-of-frederick-county-virginia-e-e-j-l-e-t |access-date=June 23, 2013}}</ref> In 1994, Virgil E. Watson was elected as the first [[African American]] to serve on the Stephens City Town Council.<ref name="VEWatson">{{cite book |url=https://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/misc/frederick_stip.pdf |title=Frederick County, Virginia v. Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States; Bill Lann Lee, Acting Attorney Assistant General, Civil Rights Division |access-date=August 2, 2012 |publisher=[[United States Department of Justice]] |page=4 |archive-date=September 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924234240/http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/misc/frederick_stip.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Watson served for one term, from 1994 until 1998.<ref name="VEWatson"/>

In 2003, the lime plant closed, ending around 100 years of limestone production and processing in Stephens City.<ref name="History"/> On September 17,&nbsp;2004, remnants of [[Hurricane Ivan]] spawned an [[Fujita scale|F1 tornado]] that touched down just south of the town along Interstate&nbsp;81. It caused approximately $1&nbsp;million in damage and injured two people.<ref name="SCTornado">{{cite web |url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/sept17tornadoes/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531124541/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/sept17tornadoes/ |archive-date=May 31, 2014 |title=National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington |date=October 20, 2004 |access-date=March 26, 2010 |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] Baltimore/Washington}}</ref><ref name="SCTorDam">{{cite web |url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/Storms/Strmdata/storm0904.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531124842/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/Storms/Strmdata/storm0904.pdf |archive-date=May 31, 2014 |title=Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena |date=September 2004 |access-date=March 26, 2010 |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] Baltimore/Washington}}</ref> It was one of a [[Hurricane Ivan tornado outbreak|record 40 tornadoes]] to hit northern Virginia that day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vaemergency.gov/node/240 |title=Virginia Tornadoes |author=Watson, Barbara McNaught |date=January 7, 2008 |work=VAEmergency.gov |publisher=Virginia Department of Emergency Management |access-date=May 21, 2012 |quote=Sept. 17, 2004: "Ivan" spawned 29 F0/F1 tornadoes, 10 strong F2 tornadoes and one strong F3 tornado |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531143152/http://www.vaemergency.gov/node/240 |archive-date=May 31, 2014}}</ref> Renovation of the town's historic center has attracted [[heritage tourism]]. Anticipating more growth, the town annexed {{cvt|360|acre|km2|1}} of unincorporated Frederick County in 2005, another {{cvt|100|acre|km2|1}} in 2006, and {{cvt|175|acre|km2|1}} in 2007.<ref name="History"/> The town celebrated its 250th anniversary on October 12, 2008.<ref name="Images of America"/>{{rp|125}} During the late 2010s and early 2020s, property developments added hundreds of new homes to the town.<ref name="homeconstruction">{{cite news | url=https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/construction-of-stephens-city-development-slated-to-start-this-fall/article_7e755ffe-c95a-5610-9400-af45a2f53d8f.html | title=Construction of Stephens City development slated to start this fall | work=The Winchester Star | date=August 8, 2019 | accessdate=May 28, 2023 | author=Janney, Josh | archive-date=August 9, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809123819/https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/construction-of-stephens-city-development-slated-to-start-this-fall/article_7e755ffe-c95a-5610-9400-af45a2f53d8f.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="westwynd">{{cite news | url=https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/west-wynd-development-bringing-248-homes-to-stephens-city/article_28243a6f-1ccd-5f24-b172-004a35ad41dd.html | title=West Wynd development bringing 248 homes to Stephens City | work=The Winchester Star | date=May 21, 2022 | accessdate=May 28, 2023 | author=Janney, Josh | archive-date=June 23, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623180816/https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/west-wynd-development-bringing-248-homes-to-stephens-city/article_28243a6f-1ccd-5f24-b172-004a35ad41dd.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2022 voters overwhelmingly approved a [[bond measure]] to rehabilitate and renovate the town's former school complex into a new town hall and community space.<ref name="diaz2022">{{cite news | url=https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/election-2022-results/article_664a8b46-73ee-528d-ac92-425554bc24ac.html | title=Election 2022 results | work=The Winchester Star | date=November 8, 2022 | accessdate=May 28, 2023 | archive-date=November 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110040836/https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/election-2022-results/article_664a8b46-73ee-528d-ac92-425554bc24ac.html | url-status=live }}</ref>