Editing Grottoes, Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Grottoes, Virginia
| settlement_type    = Town
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = 
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = Seal of Grottoes, Virginia.png

<!-- Maps -->| image_map          = Grottoes in Rockingham County, VA.svg
| mapsize            = 266px
| map_caption        = Location of Grottoes within the Rockingham County
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Virginia]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Virginia|Counties]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Rockingham County, Virginia|Rockingham]], [[Augusta County, Virginia|Augusta]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_sq_mi   = 2.07
| area_land_sq_mi    = 2.04
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.04

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 2668
| population_density_sq_mi = 1402.65

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_ft       = 1112
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|16|3|N|78|49|30|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 24441
| area_code          = [[Area code 540|540]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = {{FIPS|51|33488}}
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1495628 <ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1495628}}</ref>
| website            = [https://www.townofgrottoes.com/ Official website]
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 2019
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse"/>
| population_est     = 2860
| area_total_km2     = 5.37
| area_land_km2      = 5.28
| area_water_km2     = 0.09
| population_density_km2 = 541.56
| pushpin_map        = Virginia#USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Virginia
| pushpin_label_position = right
}}
'''Grottoes''' is a town in [[Rockingham County, Virginia|Rockingham]] and [[Augusta County, Virginia|Augusta]] counties in the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|Commonwealth]] of [[Virginia]]. The population was 2,899 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. The town lies right on the border with Augusta County, and several commercial, residential, and recreational lots have portions within Augusta County.

The town is part of the [[Harrisonburg, Virginia|Harrisonburg]] [[Harrisonburg metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]], while the small portion that extends into Augusta County is part of the [[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]]–[[Waynesboro, Virginia|Waynesboro]] [[Staunton-Waynesboro micropolitan area|Micropolitan Statistical Area]].

Grottoes is home to [[Grand Caverns]], America's oldest show cave (opened for tours in 1806).

==History==
The town was previously known as Liola in the 1880s, then briefly called Grottoes (meaning "caves") in 1889.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 1, 1899 |title=The Grottoes |work=Staunton Vindicator |pages=3}}</ref> A group of land speculators formally founded Shendun, a combination of "Shenandoah" and the Gaelic word "dun" meaning 'castle' or 'fortified hill', in 1892. Through a series of financial missteps, the Shendun Corporation went bankrupt in 1893. On March 11, 1912 the name was officially changed back to Grottoes.

Situated between the South Fork of the [[Shenandoah River]] and Brown's Gap, the town benefited from easy access to surrounding towns and natural resources. In 1933 a [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] Camp No. 1369 was established 3 miles east of Grottoes, and they built trails and roads into [[Shenandoah National Park]] that still exist today.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 19, 1933 |title=Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Gets Settled At Grottoes |access-date= |work=News Virginian |pages=1}}</ref> The former CCC camp also served as Civilian Public Service Camp No. 4, a place for conscientious objectors to serve during World War II, and around 100 young Mennonite men lived and worked within four main categories: Soil Conservation, Forestry Service, National Park Service, and Land Reclamation Service.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 6, 1941 |title=Religious Objectors Begin Conservation Work At Civilian Public Service Camp No. 4, Experiment at Grottoes One of Several in United States |work=Roanoke Times |pages=34}}</ref>

[[File:GrandCavernsLodge summer2024.jpg|alt=The Grand Caverns Lodge, built around 1925 in a Tudor Revival style, is a two-story stone building with a slate roof. The Lodge is located in Grand Caverns Park and sits right at the base of Cave Hill on the east side, between the hill and the South Fork River.|thumb|Grand Caverns Lodge (c. 1925) serves as the Grand Caverns tourism center and gift shop today.]]
Grand Caverns was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Landmark Highlights 2021 (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/landmark-highlights-2021.htm |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> The [[Stephen Harnsberger House]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1982.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==
Grottoes is located at {{coord|38|16|3|N|78|49|30|W|type:city}} (38.267385, −78.824868) in the [[Shenandoah Valley]].<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.3|mi2|km2}}, all land.

The geographical location, within 15 miles of Waynesboro, Staunton, Harrisonburg, and Elkton, continues to be a major asset of the town. Additionally Grottoes is 43 miles from Charlottesville, 87 miles from Winchester, and 105 miles from Roanoke. Major geographic features in the area include [[Skyline Drive]], [[Massanutten Mountain|Massanutten Peak]], and [[Natural Chimneys]].

[[File:2018-08-31 11 53 12 View south along U.S. Route 340 (Augusta Avenue) at Virginia State Route 256 (3rd Street) in Grottoes, Rockingham County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|left|The main road junction in Grottoes, where US 340 and SR 256 meet]]

==Transportation==
The main highways providing access to Grottoes are [[U.S. Route 340 in Virginia|U.S. Route 340]] and [[Virginia State Route 256]]. US 340 provides north–south access, connecting to [[Interstate 64 in Virginia|Interstate 64]] near [[Waynesboro, Virginia|Waynesboro]] and [[U.S. Route 33 in Virginia|U.S. Route 33]] near [[Elkton, Virginia|Elkton]]. SR 256 provides access to and from the west, connecting to [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|Interstate 81]] near [[Weyers Cave, Virginia|Weyers Cave]].

Previous routes of transport included overland through Brown's Gap to the east, by rail on the [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] (formerly the [[Shenandoah Valley Railroad (1867–1890)|Shenandoah Valley Railroad]]),<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 22, 1881 |title=Shenandoah Valley R.R. Timetables |work=Rockingham Register |pages=4}}</ref> or by water on the South Fork to nearby [[Port Republic, Virginia|Port Republic]] and then on the Shenandoah River all the way to [[Harpers Ferry, West Virginia|Harpers Ferry, WV]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1900= 381
|1910= 456
|1920= 492
|1930= 534
|1940= 759
|1950= 908
|1960= 969
|1970= 1166
|1980= 1369
|1990= 1455
|2000= 2114
|2010= 2668
|estyear=2019
|estimate=2860
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the 2020 [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Grottoes_town,_Virginia?g=160XX00US5133488 |access-date=2024-07-27 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> there were 2,899 people, 1,283 households, and 1,156 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1,590.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 1,283 housing units at an average density of {{convert|986.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 86.16% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 7.07% [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]], 4.07% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.20% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.27% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 3.27% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 6.00% identified as two or more races.

There were 1,283 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.5% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38. In the town, 54.48% identified female and 45.51% identified male.

The median household income is $78,750.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Grottoes_town,_Virginia?g=160XX00US5133488 |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Among families with a single householder present, males had a median income of $95,625 versus $40,679 for females.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1903?q=income%20Grottoes,%20VA%202020&g=160XX00US5133488 |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> The [[per capita income]] for the town was $29,984. About 11.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], and of 21.9% of those people were under 18 years old.

==Notable people==
*[[Daryl Irvine]] – former [[relief pitcher]] for the [[Boston Red Sox]]
*[[Dell Curry]] – former [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] player for the [[Charlotte Hornets]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Grottoes, Virginia}}
* Current [https://www.townofgrottoes.com/ Town Website]
* [http://www.ci.grottoes.va.us/ Town website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423075818/http://www.ci.grottoes.va.us/ |date=2017-04-23 }}

{{Virginia towns}}
{{Augusta County, Virginia}}
{{Rockingham County, Virginia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Augusta County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Rockingham County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1892]]
[[Category:1892 establishments in Virginia]]