Editing Occoquan, Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Occoquan, Virginia
|official_name            = Town of Occoquan
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Occoquan, Virginia - main street 2.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Mill Street, the center of Occoquan's historic and commercial district
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Prince William County Virginia incorporated and unincorporated areas Occoquan highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]] and the state of [[Virginia]].

<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name         = {{nowrap|{{flag|United States}}}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Virginia|size=22px}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Virginia|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William]]<ref name="charter">{{cite web | url = http://dls.state.va.us/lrc/charters/OCCOQUAN.pdf | title = Charter of Town of Occoquan | publisher = Virginia Division of Legislative Services | access-date = 2009-06-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090320020949/http://dls.state.va.us/lrc/charters/OCCOQUAN.pdf | archive-date = 2009-03-20 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

<!-- 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|archive-date=October 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016234816/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.22
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.17
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.05

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 934
|population_density_sq_mi = 6277.46

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset = &minus;5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST = &minus;4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_ft             = 7
|coordinates              = {{coord|38|40|58|N|77|15|39|W|region:US-VA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 22125
|area_code                = [[Area code 703|703]], [[Area code 571|571]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 51-58696<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website|archive-date=December 27, 1996|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1497059<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov/|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25|archive-date=February 2, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010202034200/http://geonames.usgs.gov/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|website                  = http://www.occoquanva.gov/
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 2019
|pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse"/>
|population_est = 1086
|area_total_km2 = 0.57
|area_land_km2 = 0.45
|area_water_km2 = 0.12
|population_density_km2 = 2423.69
}}
'''Occoquan''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɒ|k|ə|k|w|ɒ|n}})<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hambrick|first1=Greg|title=AH'-koh-kwahn, STAN'-tuhn and More Virginia Pronunciations|url=https://patch.com/virginia/woodbridge-va/ahkohkwahn-stantuhn-and-more-virginia-pronunciations|access-date=21 March 2018|publisher=Patch|date=26 December 2013}}</ref> is a town in eastern [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]], [[Virginia]] founded in 1804.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Arrigoni |first=Patricia |date=October 25, 1998 |title=Ghosts still haunt historic Virginia sites |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sioux-city-journal-ghosts-still-haun/153899375/ |access-date=2024-08-24 |work=The Sioux City Journal |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=Copley News Service |archive-date=December 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241221115258/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sioux-city-journal-ghosts-still-haun/153899375/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The population was 934 at the [[2010 United States Census]]. The current mayor is Earnest W. Porta Jr. Today, the town is a restored artists' community, with shops, outdoor dining, [[ghost]] walks, and a town boat [[dock (maritime)|dock]], as well as historic buildings dating back to the 19th century.

== History ==
Occoquan is derived from an [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] [[Doeg (tribe)|Doeg]] [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] word, meaning "at the end of the water".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UfIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4QgGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4187%2C5192382 | title=History and legend unlock origins of unusual names | work=The Free Lance-Star | date=July 20, 2003 | access-date=3 May 2015 | author=Dyson, Cathy | pages=A7}}</ref> Located on the [[Occoquan River]], Occoquan was long a site of [[indigenous peoples]]' habitation. Like the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[colonists]] after them, they relied on the river for transportation and trade, as well as fish. Early in the 1600s Capt. John Smith sailed and explored the Occoquan River.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historic Times in Historic Occoquan|url=https://historicoccoquan.com/history/HistoricTimes.htm|website=historicoccoquan.com|access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref> In 1608, when the first European reached Northern Virginia, the [[Doeg people|Tauxenent tribe]] (also known by the English as the "Dogues") had its main village at the mouth of the Occoquan River. This tribe was more closely associated with neighbors such as the [[Piscataway people|Piscataway]]s (located across the [[Potomac River]] in what is now Maryland) than the other Algonquian-speaking tribes to the south. The local chief was called a Tayac, who was subservient to an "emperor" located in [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George’s County]].<ref>{{cite web|title=What Happened to the People Who Settled Northern Virginia First?|url=http://www.virginiaplaces.org/nova/whosettled.html|website=www.virginiaplaces.org|access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref>
[[File:Occoquan, Virginia - Occoquan River.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Occoquan River as it passes the town]]
By 1765, Anglo-American colonists had established an industrial settlement at Occoquan, with [[grist mills]] and [[tobacco]] warehouses.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} The Merchants Mill established by [[Quakers|Quaker]] Nathaniel Ellicot may have been the first automated grist mill in the nation. It operated for 175 years until destroyed by fire.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Occoquan Mill House Museum |url=https://www.visitoccoquanva.com/museum |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=Visit Occoquan |archive-date=August 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824143948/https://www.visitoccoquanva.com/museum |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the post office passed letters and packages between North and South. River silting reduced ship traffic to Occoquan and ended its days as a port, as did the shift in traffic to [[railroads]].

== Local attractions ==
[[File:Odd Fellows Hall and Marker.JPG|left|thumb|Odd Fellows Hall, 2007]]
A number of structures in town, including many in the downtown commercial area, are part of the [[Occoquan Historic District]] listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP). [[Rockledge (Occoquan, Virginia)|Rockledge]], the former house of the town's founder, is also listed as a significant structure on the NRHP.

Historic houses in Occoquan include a 17th-century house at 206 Mill Street and Rockledge Manor, a [[Georgian era|Georgian]] mansion built in 1758 by John Ballandine and British architect [[William Buckland (architect)|William Buckland]].<ref name=":0" /> Two hotels in the town date back to the early 1800s: the Hamill Hotel built in 1804 and the Occoquan Inn built in 1810.<ref name=":0" /> The oldest brick structure in Occoquan, the Hamill Hotel once housed [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] troops under General [[Wade Hampton III|Wade Hampton]].<ref name=":0" /> 

The Mill House Museum in Occoquan is operated daily except Wednesdays by the Occoquan Historical Society.<ref name=":1" /> The Odd Fellows Hall on 308 Commerce Street dates back to 1889 but was renovated to add an upstairs porch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Town of Occoquan, Virginia – Historic District Design Guidelines Manual |url=https://www.occoquanva.gov/wp-content/uploads/arch-review-board/5aa24fe66f6c293b00e14698ebab72ff.pdf |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=The Town of Occoquan}}</ref>

==Geography==
Occoquan is located at {{coord|38|40|58|N|77|15|39|W|type:city}} (38.682916, &minus;77.260830)<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|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224101508/https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|url-status=live}}</ref> on the north side of the peninsula known as [[Linton Neck]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 0.2&nbsp;square mile (0.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of which, 0.2&nbsp;square mile (0.4&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.04&nbsp;square mile (0.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (15.79%) is water.

Occoquan lies on the south bank of the [[Occoquan River]] at the [[Atlantic Seaboard fall line|Fall Line]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 273
|1870= 228
|1880= 306
|1890= 297
|1900= 297
|1910= 246
|1920= 231
|1930= 221
|1940= 213
|1950= 317
|1960= 301
|1970= 975
|1980= 241
|1990= 361
|2000= 759
|2010= 934
|estyear=2019
|estimate=1086
|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|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108185743/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|url-status=live}}</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|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108185756/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 759 people, 418 households, and 186 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was 4,868.7 people per square mile (1,831.6/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 443 housing units at an average density of 2,841.7 per square mile (1,069.0/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 85.51% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 8.17% [[Black (U.S. Census)|Black]], 0.53% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.58% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.13% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.58% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.50% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.46% of the population.

There were 418 households, out of which 11.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.3% were non-families. 45.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.54.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 11.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $48,750, and the median income for a family was $77,420. Males had a median income of $50,938 versus $30,833 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $33,007. None of the families and 5.7% of the population were living below the [[poverty line]], including no under eighteens and 14.9% of those over 64.

As of the census of 2010, there were 934 people living in the town of Occoquan.<ref name="DecennialCensus"/>

==Transportation==
Primary access to Occoquan is provided via [[Virginia State Route 123]], which runs north to [[Interstate 66]] and south to [[Interstate 95 in Virginia|Interstate 95]]. Additional local roads provide access to neighboring portions of unincorporated Prince William County.

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Occoquan, Virginia}}
* [http://www.occoquanva.gov Town of Occoquan]
* [http://www.pwcgov.org Prince William County Government]
* [http://lakeridge.patch.com Lake Ridge - Occoquan Patch: A local community news site covering Occoquan and the surrounding area.]
* [https://visitoccoquanva.com Official Occoquan guide to shopping, dining, and event information]
* [http://www.friendsoftheoccoquan.org/ Friends of the Occoquan]

{{Prince William County, Virginia topics}}
{{Prince William County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia towns}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Prince William County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1765]]
[[Category:1765 establishments in the Colony of Virginia]]