Editing Luray, Virginia

{{Short description|Town in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Luray, Virginia
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities and counties in Virginia|Town]]
| named_for          = [[Luray, Eure-et-Loir|Luray]], France
| image_skyline      = DowntownLuray.jpg
| imagesize          = 266px
| image_caption      = Downtown Luray
| image_map          = Luray in Page County.svg
| mapsize            = 266px
| map_caption        = Location of Luray within Page County
| pushpin_map        = Virginia#USA
| pushpin_mapsize    = Location within the state of Virginia
<!-- Location -->
| 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|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Page County, Virginia|Page]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Jerry Dofflemyer ([[Independent politician|I]])<ref name= townmayor>"[https://www.townofluray.com/directory.html Directory]". ''Town of Luray''. Retrieved January 13, 2021.</ref>
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = February 6, 1812
<!-- 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_total_sq_mi   = 4.86
| area_land_sq_mi    = 4.83
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.03
| area_total_km2     = 12.58
| area_land_km2      = 12.50
| area_water_km2     = 0.08
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 4831
| population_density_sq_mi = 1004.14
| population_density_km2 = 387.72
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 863
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|39|48|N|78|28|55|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 22835
| area_code          = [[Area code 540|540]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 51-47528<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2391279<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2391279}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.townofluray.com}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Luray''' is the [[county seat]] of [[Page County, Virginia]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> It is in the [[Shenandoah Valley]] and found within the northwestern part of the Commonwealth. The population was 4,831 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="GR2" />

The town was founded by William Staige Marye in 1812, a descendant of a family native to [[Luray, Eure-et-Loir|Luray]], France.<ref>Hagemann, James A. (1988) The heritage of Virginia: The story of place names in the Old Dominion. The Donning Co., 297 p.</ref> The mayor of the town is Jerry Dofflemyer.<ref name= townmayor/>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|4.8|mi2|km2}}, of which, 4.7&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles (12.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it is land and 0.21% is water.

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. According to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, Luray has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'').

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = Luray 5 E, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–present)
| single line = Y
| collapsed = Y
| Jan record high F = 80
| Feb record high F = 80
| Mar record high F = 90
| Apr record high F = 94
| May record high F = 97
| Jun record high F = 100
| Jul record high F = 105
| Aug record high F = 101
| Sep record high F = 102
| Oct record high F = 97
| Nov record high F = 85
| Dec record high F = 79
| year record high F = 105
| Jan avg record high F = 65.6
| Feb avg record high F = 68.2
| Mar avg record high F = 76.7
| Apr avg record high F = 85.8
| May avg record high F = 89.5
| Jun avg record high F = 93.0
| Jul avg record high F = 95.1
| Aug avg record high F = 93.3
| Sep avg record high F = 90.6
| Oct avg record high F = 83.9
| Nov avg record high F = 76.0
| Dec avg record high F = 67.6
| year avg record high F = 96.1
| Jan high F = 43.3
| Feb high F = 47.4
| Mar high F = 54.9
| Apr high F = 66.5
| May high F = 74.0
| Jun high F = 81.4
| Jul high F = 85.4
| Aug high F = 83.4
| Sep high F = 77.9
| Oct high F = 67.4
| Nov high F = 56.7
| Dec high F = 47.2
| year high F = 65.5
| Jan mean F = 33.1
| Feb mean F = 36.5
| Mar mean F = 43.2
| Apr mean F = 53.8
| May mean F = 62.0
| Jun mean F = 69.7
| Jul mean F = 73.7
| Aug mean F = 72.1
| Sep mean F = 66.1
| Oct mean F = 55.4
| Nov mean F = 45.3
| Dec mean F = 37.4
| year mean F = 54.0
| Jan low F = 23.0
| Feb low F = 25.6
| Mar low F = 31.5
| Apr low F = 41.0
| May low F = 50.1
| Jun low F = 57.9
| Jul low F = 62.0
| Aug low F = 60.9
| Sep low F = 54.3
| Oct low F = 43.4
| Nov low F = 34.0
| Dec low F = 27.6
| year low F = 42.6
| Jan avg record low F = 3.6
| Feb avg record low F = 7.0
| Mar avg record low F = 13.2
| Apr avg record low F = 25.9
| May avg record low F = 34.1
| Jun avg record low F = 44.7
| Jul avg record low F = 51.5
| Aug avg record low F = 50.7
| Sep avg record low F = 40.7
| Oct avg record low F = 28.0
| Nov avg record low F = 18.7
| Dec avg record low F = 11.4
| year avg record low F = 1.3
| Jan record low F = -10
| Feb record low F = -14
| Mar record low F = -2
| Apr record low F = 15
| May record low F = 23
| Jun record low F = 31
| Jul record low F = 34
| Aug record low F = 37
| Sep record low F = 28
| Oct record low F = 17
| Nov record low F = 6
| Dec record low F = -7
| year record low F = -14
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 2.85
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.45
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.58
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.51
| May precipitation inch = 4.21
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.76
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.12
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.77
| Sep precipitation inch = 5.42
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.17
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.21
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.10
| year precipitation inch = 44.15
| Jan snow inch = 6.1
| Feb snow inch = 2.7
| Mar snow inch = 6.2
| Apr snow inch = 0.1
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.1
| Nov snow inch = 0.4
| Dec snow inch = 3.0
| year snow inch = 18.6
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 9.5
| Feb precipitation days = 7.8
| Mar precipitation days = 11.2
| Apr precipitation days = 12.0
| May precipitation days = 12.4
| Jun precipitation days = 11.1
| Jul precipitation days = 11.1
| Aug precipitation days = 10.5
| Sep precipitation days = 9.7
| Oct precipitation days = 8.7
| Nov precipitation days = 8.9
| Dec precipitation days = 9.6
| year precipitation days = 122.5
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 1.7
| Feb snow days = 1.6
| Mar snow days = 1.1
| Apr snow days = 0.1
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 0.2
| Dec snow days = 0.9
| year snow days = 5.7
| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= nws>
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lwx
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 3, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00445096&format=pdf
| title = Station: Lurary 5 E, VA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 3, 2021}}</ref>
}}

== Demographics ==
[[File:LurayVirginiain1910.jpg|thumb|left|Main Street, Luray in 1910]]
[[File:Luray VA 2021.jpg|left|thumb|Aerial view in 2021]]
{{US Census population
| 1880 = 632
| 1890 = 1386
| 1900 = 1147
| 1910 = 1218
| 1920 = 1381
| 1930 = 1459
| 1940 = 1511
| 1950 = 2731
| 1960 = 3014
| 1970 = 3612
| 1980 = 3584
| 1990 = 4587
| 2000 = 4871
| 2010 = 4895
| estyear = 2019
| estimate = 4848
| 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 [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 4,871 people, 2,037 households, and 1,332 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1,026.8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 2,191 housing units at an average density of {{convert|461.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 92.45% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 5.52% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.25% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.33% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.45% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.01% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.35% of the population.

There were 2,037 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 28 living with them, 47.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,306, and the median income for a family was $39,972. Males had a median income of $30,039 versus $19,841 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $16,205. About 11.3% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable features==
One of the dominant hills in the Town of Luray is the location of the Grand Old Mimslyn Inn, a 1931 classic Southern mansion style hotel. The hotel is a popular site for wedding receptions. First Lady [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] visited the Mimslyn during a short visit in the late 1930s and former Virginia Governor [[Mark Warner]] visited in January 2008. The site of the Mimslyn is on the former location of "[[Aventine Hall]]," the home of [[Peter Bouck Borst]], a mid-19th century lawyer. Aventine was carefully removed to make way for the construction of the Mimslyn in the 1930s. "Aventine Hall" is now located on South Court Street (this is a private residence) in the Town of Luray, Virginia.

The Luray Singing Tower,<ref>The Luray Singing Tower http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=10325 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117122733/http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=10325 |date=January 17, 2010 }}</ref> officially known as the Belle Brown Northcott Memorial, was erected in 1937 in memory of Colonel Theodore Clay Northcott's wife (Northcott was the owner of the Luray Caverns). At {{convert|117|ft|m}} high the Luray Singing Tower contains a carillon of 47 bells from [[John Taylor & Co]] of [[Loughborough]], Leicestershire, [[Great Britain]]. The largest bell weighs 7,640 pounds and is six feet in diameter. The smallest weighs a mere 12½ pounds. Recognized as one of the country's major carillons, regularly scheduled recitals are held, free of charge, through the spring, summer and fall. The carillon is situated in a park opposite Luray Caverns.

* [[Luray Caverns]] is located in the western part of Luray
* Luray is the nearest town to the [[Thornton Gap]] entrance to [[Skyline Drive]] (to the east), as well as serving as the headquarters for [[Shenandoah National Park]]
* Murder Mountain, located off Old Wagon Road in Luray, has become a destination for ghost hunters
* The [[Luray Downtown Historic District]] is a Virginia Main Street Community and a registered National Historic District
* Home to the 2010 [[Valley Baseball League]] Champion [[Luray Wranglers]]
* The only high school in Luray is [[Luray High School]], home of the Bulldogs
* The town is also home to ''[[The Page News and Courier]]'', the major newspaper for the county
*In 1893 the Blue Ridge Bank was founded, one of the oldest still functioning banks in [[Virginia]]{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}
* The community's proximity to the South Fork of the [[Shenandoah River]] provides recreational opportunities connected with boating, white water rafting, and fishing as well as hunting in the fall
* [[Jeremey's Run Site]] is an [[archaeological site]] listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
* In addition to the Luray Downtown Historic District, Aventine Hall, and archaeological sites, the [[Heiston-Strickler House]], [[Kanawha (Luray, Virginia)|Kanawha]], [[Luray Norfolk and Western Passenger Station]], [[Massanutton Heights]], [[Mount Calvary Lutheran Church]], [[Page County Courthouse (Virginia)|Page County Courthouse]], [[Abram and Sallie Printz Farm]], Redwell-Isabella Furnace Historic District, [[Ruffner House]], [[Skyline Drive|Skyline Drive Historic District]], [[Isaac Spitler House]], [[Stover House]], and [[Wall Brook Farm]] are listed on the National Register of Historic Places<ref name="nris"/>
*Actor [[Ben Jones (American actor and politician)|Ben Jones]], cast member of the TV series ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'', opened a museum just west of Luray called "Cooter's Place," named for Jones' character name in the series.

==Education==
[[File:MassanuttenSchool.jpg|thumb|The Massanutten School, a restored one-room schoolhouse in downtown Luray]]

===Public schools===
Page County Public Schools serve Luray, as well as the rest of Page County. Luray Elementary, Luray Middle, and [[Luray High School]] serve the entire town and nearby surrounding areas. Luray Middle and High also serve northern Page County, from feeder elementary school, Springfield, located near Rileyville.

===Private schools===
Mount Carmel Christian Academy is just south of town limits and is a private Christian school.

===Higher education===
[[Laurel Ridge Community College|Laurel Ridge Community College (formerly Lord Fairfax Community College)]] has a campus in Luray which provides students with nearly all necessary classes needed to graduate from the institution. Many students that attend the Luray Center of Laurel Ridge are from Page, southern Shenandoah, and southern Warren Counties.

==Neighborhoods==
[[File:2016-07-19 15 06 15 View east along U.S. Route 211 Business (Main Street) at Bank Street in Luray, Page County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|Main Street in Luray]]
[[File:Belle Brown Northcott Memorial - Luray, Virginia - Stierch.jpg|upright|thumbnail|Belle Brown Northcott Memorial – also known as The Luray Singing Tower]]
Well over three quarters of the town's population lives in one of the several planned neighborhoods of Luray. Each neighborhood serves as a landmark to the residents of Luray, often citing their neighborhoods as their residence.
* Boomfield—Located along in the southeastern part of Luray, namely the numbered streets.
* Cedar Knolls—An affluent neighborhood, located above Hilldale, but not a part of it.
* Court Street—A neighborhood of houses and streets branching off of Court Street and South Court Street Extended.
* Downtown—The downtown district along Main Street.
* [[Fairview, Page County, Virginia|Fairview]]—Far eastern portions of Luray, from East Luray Shopping Center eastward toward Fairview Grocery and the town line.
* [[Forest Hills, Virginia|Forest Hills]]—An affluent neighborhood located in the southwestern portion of the town. The roads within the neighborhood have medians with trees planted in them.
* Golf Course/Oh Shenandoah!—An affluent neighborhood located along the Luray Caverns Country Club golf course. Homes are often overly extravagant and some are not lived in full-time.
* Hawksbill Heights—A neighborhood above the Hawksbill Creek, very near Luray Middle School.
* [[Hilldale, Virginia|Hilldale]]—An affluent neighborhood in the east-central portion of the town.
* Husdon—The subdivision between Forest Hills and the Hawksbill Creek in the southwestern portion of the town.
* Old Farms—A subdivision just outside the town limits, yet still referred to as within town limits.
* [[Spring View, Virginia|Springview]]—A neighborhood in the far northeastern reaches of the town limits, just across Route 211 from Old Farms. The roads within the neighborhood have medians with trees planted in them.
* [[Westlu, Virginia|West Lu]]—A housing development located in western Luray. It is near the Luray Airport and Luray Caverns.
* West Main Street / Bixler's Ferry-Known as "The Hill" to locals. It is the group of neighborhoods located between Downtown and Luray Caverns.
* [[Woodland Park, Page County, Virginia|Woodland Park]]—A neighborhood in the northernmost reaches of the town limits and includes both sides of Route 211. Named for the park that was once in the middle of the loop of Rosser Dr. and Stover St., which included a public pool. A small park remains. Across 211, there are duplexes as well as homes, and are considered to be in Woodland Park.

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}
The Town of Luray was officially established by act of the [[Virginia General Assembly]] on February 6, 1812, on ten acres of land near the Hawksbill Creek. On March 21, 1871, by act of General Assembly, the Town became an “Incorporated Town,” containing approximately 442 acres.    

In 1781, Dirreck Pennypacker located the Redwell Furnace about a mile north of the current Town at Yager’s Spring. Here, Pennypacker operated a forge and a foundry making nails, farm tools, kettles, stoves, and other iron products. The iron works was later renamed the Isabella Furnace. More industry was located about a mile south of Luray at Willow Grove Mill. The small village known as Mundellsville contained a flour mill, carding mill, tannery and blacksmith shop. The economy of the Town would prosper from the nearness of the local industry.   

On August 21, 1812, the Town of Luray was surveyed on the lands owned by Mr. Isaac Ruffner. The first streets platted were Main Street, due west of the Hawksbill Creek, to the top of the hill at present day Court Street. Court Street was called Peter Street in memory of Peter Ruffner, an early pioneer in the area. Three blocks of three lots each on either side of Peter Street were laid out. Three cross streets were mapped out due north and south, going west from Hawksbill Creek. These were Water Street (now Hawksbill Street), High Street (now Bank Street) and West Street (now Court Street). The first house was built here in 1814. The lots were all the same size and contained about half an acre.  In 1818, the Town was extended by adding 26 lots. The Town now had 44 lots and the eastern end was at Hudson’s alley near the railroad. These lots were conveyed to the purchasers by Isaac Ruffner on May 9, 1818.  

About 1845, according to Howe’s History of Virginia, Luray contained several mercantile stores, two or three churches, and a population of about 500.  A description of Luray, in 1867 indicates Luray still had a population of 500.  During the 1880’s the population of Luray more than doubled, from 630 in 1880 to 1,386 in 1890.  The Town continued to grow in size from its original 442 acres that was established by the Town Charter in 1871.  

In 1941, the first annexation occurred when 289 acres were added to the Town for a total of 835 acres. Ten years later, 284 acres were annexed for a total of 1,365 acres. In 1963, the Town added 410 acres for a total of 1,775 acres. The recent annexation effective since January 1, 1985, added an additional 1,220 acres for total of 2,995 acres.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, citizens living in the eastern portion of Shenandoah County – which is now Page County - traveled 35 to 40 miles to the Town of Woodstock, which served as Shenandoah’s county seat. During this era, a county seat served as an important location for conducting essential business such as recording deeds, paying property taxes, and settling disputes in civil court. Therefore, the Town which served as the location of a county seat was usually the undisputed epicenter of civic life for a county and region. For the citizens who lived in the far eastern portions of Shenandoah County, traveling to Woodstock was not only far in distance, but it was an arduous trip as well. Often the trip entailed crossing a mountain pass and several streams. This inconvenience prompted the General Assembly to establish Page County in 1831 with Luray, due to its central location, becoming the logical place for this new county seat. The establishment of Luray as the county seat of the newly formed Page County ensured that the Town evolved into the center for civic, cultural, and economic life.

Historic Mayors include:
* Booton
* Ralph Dean (1980-2004)
* B. Presgraves (2005-2020)
* Jerry Dofflemyer (2021-2024)
* Stephanie Lillard (2025- )

== Civil War ==
[[File:Luray and New Market Gap 060312.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|View westward of Luray and New Market Gap from Skyline Drive on the Blue Ridge]]
Luray is often cited as the location (as is Yager's Mill, on the north side of town, near Furnace Hill) of an engagement between [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] and [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] cavalry on September 24, 1864, though it actually took place approximately three miles north of the town, and even to the north of Yager's Mill.

Following his victory at the [[Battle of Fisher's Hill]] Union general [[Philip Sheridan]] sent approximately 6,000 troopers under Brigadier General [[Alfred Torbert]] into the Luray Valley. Torbert's men engaged approximately 1,200 Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General [[Williams Wickham]]. Despite victory in this affair and moving toward [[New Market Gap]] following the engagement, Torbert halted his command that night on the Page County side of the Massanutten, thereby missing an opportunity to cut off Confederate General [[Jubal Early]]'s retreat from Fisher's Hill. Private [[Philip Baybutt]] of the [[2nd Regiment of Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers|2nd Massachusetts Cavalry]] received the [[Medal of Honor]] for capturing a [[Flags of the Confederate States of America|Confederate flag]] during the engagement. This action was part of Sheridan's portion of the [[Valley Campaigns of 1864]].

''Aunt Betty's Story: The Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Veney |first1=Bethany |title=The Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman |date=1889 |location=Worcester, Mass. |url=https://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/veney/veney.html |access-date=August 17, 2020}}</ref> (the book's cover reads merely "Aunt Betty's Story") is the 1889 autobiography of [[Bethany Veney|Bethany Veney's]] life in Luray.

[[File:2019-08-16 15 01 36 View west along U.S. Route 211 (Lee Highway-Luray Bypass) from the overpass for Virginia State Route 731 (Collins Avenue) in Luray, Page County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|US 211 in Luray]]

==Transportation==
[[U.S. Route 211|US 211]] and [[U.S. Route 340 in Virginia|US 340]] intersect in Luray and are the main roadways into and out of the area. [[U.S. Route 211 Business (Luray, Virginia)|US 211 Bus]] and [[U.S. Route 340 Business (Alma-Luray, Virginia)|US 340 Bus]] provide local access to downtown Luray.{{clear left}}

==Notable people==
* [[Edward Almond|Edward Mallory "Ned" Almond]] (1892 – 1979), controversial United States Army general
* [[Floyd Baker]] (1916 - 2004), Major League Baseball infielder
* [[William Randolph Barbee]] (1818 – 1868), sculptor 
*[[Andrew Russell Barbee, Jr.]] (1827 – 1903), brother of William Randolph Barbee, noted surgeon during the American Civil War
*[[Herbert Barbee]] (1848 – 1936), son of William Randolph Barbee, noted for his neoclassical sculpture
* [[Peter Bouck Borst]] (1826 – 1882), active participant in the mid-19th century development of Page County, Virginia]]
* [[Charles Frederick Crisp]] (1845 –1896), Congressman from Georgia from 1882 until his death in 1896
* [[Carolyn Ellis]], academic known for her innovations in [[autoethnography]]
* [[Thomas Jordan (general)|Thomas Jordan]] (1819 –1895), Confederate general
* [[Donald Edward Keyhoe]] (1897 – 1988), Marine Corps naval aviator
* [[Robert Franklin Leedy]] (1863 – 1924), lawyer, soldier, and Virginia state legislator
* [[Keith McHenry]] (1957 - ) co-founded the global movement [[Food not Bombs]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Luray, Virginia}}
* [http://www.townofluray.com Town website]

{{Page County, Virginia topics}}
{{Page County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia towns}}
{{Virginia county seats and independent cities}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Page County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Virginia]]
[[Category:County seats in Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1812]]
[[Category:1812 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:Luray, Virginia| ]]