Editing Warrenton, Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Warrenton, Virginia
| official_name      = 
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Fauquier County Courthouse 2020a.jpg
| image_caption      = Courthouse Square
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = Warrenton-Seal.gif

<!-- Maps -->| image_map          = VAMap-doton-Warrenton.PNG
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location in Virginia
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- 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  = [[Fauquier County, Virginia|Fauquier]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = Council-Manager
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Carter Nevill<ref name="council">{{cite web |title=Town of Warrenton, VA Government: Town Council |url=https://www.warrentonva.gov/380/Council-Members}}</ref>
| leader_title4      = [[Council-Manager|Town Manager]]
| leader_name4       = Frank Cassidy<ref name="manager">{{cite web |title=Town of Warrenton, VA Government: Town Manager
|url=https://www.warrentonva.gov/307/Town-Manager}}</ref>
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 1810

<!-- 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   = 4.38
| area_land_sq_mi    = 4.37
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 10,057
| population_est     = 10,109
| pop_est_as_of      = 2021
| pop_est_footnotes  = <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>
| population_density_sq_mi = 2,296.1

<!-- General information -->| named_for          = [[Joseph Warren]]
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_ft       = 643
| coordinates_footnotes = <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=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|43|6|N|77|47|50|W|region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 20186-20188
| area_code          = [[Area code 540|540]], [[Area code 703|703]], [[Area code 571|571]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 51-83136<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        = 1500278<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|www.warrentonva.gov}}
| footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2     = 11.34
| area_land_km2      = 11.33
| area_water_km2     = 0.01
| population_density_km2 = 885.01
| image_blank_emblem =
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
}}

'''Warrenton''' is a town in [[Fauquier County, Virginia]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|title=Find a County|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> It is the [[county seat]]. The population was 10,057 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="www.census.gov">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Warrenton town, Virginia |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/warrentontownvirginia/PST045221 |access-date=April 27, 2023 |website=census.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref name="data.census.gov">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Warrenton+town,+Virginia |access-date=April 27, 2023 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> an increase from 9,611 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]]<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US5183136| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Warrenton town, Virginia| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=October 18, 2016}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and 6,670 at the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]].<ref name="GR2" /> The estimated population in July 2021 was 10,109.<ref name="www.census.gov" /> It is at the junction of [[U.S. Route 15]], [[U.S. Route 17]], [[U.S. Route 29]], and [[U.S. Route 211]]. The town is in the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] region of Virginia just east of the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]]. The well-known [[Airlie Conference Center]] is {{convert|3|mi|0}} north of Warrenton, and the historic [[Vint Hill Farms Station|Vint Hill Farms]] military facility is {{convert|9|mi|0}} east. Fauquier Hospital is located in the town. Surrounded by [[Virginia wine]] and horse country, Warrenton is a popular destination outside [[Washington, D.C.]]

Warrenton shares some services with the county, such as schools and the county landfill.<ref>[http://www.warrentonva.gov/Government/FinanceHumanResources/TaxInformation.aspx "Tax Information"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207150549/http://www.warrentonva.gov/Government/FinanceHumanResources/TaxInformation.aspx |date=February 7, 2013 }} on the Warrenton, Virginia website</ref> The area was home to [[Bethel Military Academy]].

==History==

=== 18th century and founding ===
The settlement which would grow into the town of Warrenton began as a crossroads at the junction of the Falmouth-Winchester and Alexandria-Culpeper roads,<ref>[http://www.townofwarrenton.com/General/History.aspx "History"] Town of Warrenton. Accessed April 17, 2010.</ref> where a [[trading post]] called the Red Store was located. In the 1790s, a courthouse was built in the area, and the location was known as "Fauquier Courthouse".<ref name="fauquierhistory.com">[http://www.fauquierhistory.com/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Warrenton.pdf "What you should know about Fauquier History: Town of Warrenton"] Fauquier Historical Society. Accessed April 17, 2010.</ref>

=== 19th century and the American Civil War ===
The Town of Warrenton was incorporated on January 5, 1810,<ref name="townofwarrenton.com">[http://www.townofwarrenton.com/Portals/0/Planning%20Zoning/Documents/Warr%20HD%20Guidelines%20with%20Graphics.pdf "Warrenton Historic District Design Guidelines"] Town of Warrenton. Accessed April 17, 2010.</ref> and named for General [[Joseph Warren]], a [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] hero.<ref name="Dyson, Cathy-2003">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UfIyAAAAIBAJ&pg=4187%2C5192382 |title=History and legend unlock origins of unusual names |work=The Free Lance-Star |date=July 20, 2003 |access-date=May 3, 2015 |author=Dyson, Cathy |pages=A7}}</ref> [[Richard Henry Lee]] donated the land for the county seat. [[John S. Horner]], [[Secretary of Wisconsin Territory]] and Acting Governor of [[Michigan Territory]], was born in Warrenton. [[John Marshall]], the fourth [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] of the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]], was from [[Germantown, Virginia|Germantown]], modern-day [[Midland, Virginia|Midland]], {{convert|10|mi|0}} south of Warrenton.

Warrenton was connected to the [[Orange and Alexandria Railroad]] in 1853 via a [[branch line]]. Warrenton's connection to the line had previously been proposed, but construction hasn't begun until 1852.<ref>Faul, August, and Orange And Alexandria Railroad Company. ''Map and profile of the Orange and Alexandria Rail Road with its Warrenton Branch and a portion of the Manasses sic Gap Rail Road, to show its point of connection''. [New York, ?, 1854] Map. <nowiki>https://www.loc.gov/item/98688754/</nowiki>.</ref> Given the rail line's strategic usage during the American Civil War, the Warrenton Branch was a target for attack twice.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Toler |first=John |date=2018-09-26 |title=Warrenton Branch Greenway celebrates 20 years |url=https://www.fauquier.com/news/warrenton-branch-greenway-celebrates-20-years/article_eb3d656c-c19a-11e8-a450-2b73aa10310c.html |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Fauquier Times |language=en}}</ref> Because of this, the railroad was left largely abandoned and unusable by 1863. [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]] resumed passenger service to the town from 1909 to 1944 with commercial service continuing through the 1980s. [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] ended service entirely in 1989 with the removal of tracks.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Cassandra |date=2018-11-02 |title=2 decades ago, Warrenton greenway created linkage |url=https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/government_politics/2-decades-ago-warrenton-greenway-created-linkage/article_e1c9028f-6f36-5384-ab39-afc3c734289f.html |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=FauquierNow |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Railroad depot in Warrenton LOC cwpb.01082.tif|left|thumb|August 1862 [[stereograph]] of the railroad depot in the Town of Warrenton taken by [[Timothy H. O'Sullivan]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Sullivan |first=Timothy H. |date=1862 |title=[Railroad depot in Warrenton] |url=https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018666220/ |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=www.loc.gov |language=en}}</ref>|220x220px]] [[File:The town of Warrenton, Va., from the east LCCN2004661602.jpg|left|thumb|July 14, 1862, Illustration of the Town of Warrenton by [[Edwin Forbes]].<ref name="Forbes-1862">{{Cite web |last=Forbes |first=Edwin |date=July 14, 1862 |title=The town of Warrenton, Va., from the east |url=https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004661602/ |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=www.loc.gov |language=en}}</ref>]]
[[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] Colonel [[John S. Mosby]] made [[Warrenton Junction Raid|raids in the town]] during the [[American Civil War]] and later made his home and practiced law in Warrenton. The Warren Green Hotel building hosted many famous people, including the [[Marquis de Lafayette]], [[James Monroe]], [[Andrew Jackson]], [[Henry Clay]], President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], and divorcée [[Wallis Simpson]].<ref name="hmdb.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1175 |title=Norris Tavern / The Warren Green Historical Marker |publisher=Hmdb.org |access-date=September 1, 2016}}</ref> [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] General [[George B. McClellan]] bade farewell to his officers November 11, 1862, from the steps of the hotel.<ref name="hmdb.org" /> It now hosts some offices of the Fauquier County government.
[[File:Slave cabin near Warrenton, Va. LCCN2004661591.jpg|thumb|August 5, 1863, Illustration of a slave cabin near the Town of Warrenton by [[Edwin Forbes]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Forbes |first=Edwin |date=August 5, 1863 |title=Slave cabin near Warrenton, Va. |url=https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004661591/ |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=www.loc.gov |language=en}}</ref>|273x273px]]
[[Lynching of Arthur Jordan|Arthur Jordan]], a black American man, was [[lynching|lynched]] by a mob of approximately 60–75 men in white hoods in the early hours of January 19, 1880. Jordan had been accused of [[miscegenation]] and [[bigamy]] for eloping with Elvira (Lucille) Corder, the daughter of his white employer, Nathan Corder, a landowner and farmer in the upper part of the county along the [[Rappahannock River]]. A group of local men hunted the pair down near [[Williamsport, Maryland]], captured Mr. Jordan and returned him to Fauquier, whereupon he was delivered to the town jail. Later that night, the masked lynch mob gained access to the jail and dragged Jordan to the nearby town cemetery, where he was hanged from a small locust tree. Ms. Corder remained in Maryland, estranged from her family, until her death a few years later.<ref>{{Citation|last=Corder |first=Shawn |title=Research: Last Will and Testament of Nathan Corder|url=http://cordergenealogy.com/Wills/Nathan_Corder.pdf |access-date=February 19, 2015}}</ref> News of the lynching was reported in papers across the nation. Even some foreign newspapers, such as Australia's ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'', reprinted accounts of the event.<ref name="Crime and Its Results">[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1880/01/20/106230877.pdf "Crime and Its Results," ''New York Times'', 20 January, 1880]</ref><ref>[http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/most/Most_Frightening.html?file=Most_Frightening ''The Mirror (Leesburg, VA)'', 22 January, 1880, as cited in reference to Gustavus Richard Brown Horner, ''The Horner Papers'' (University of Virginia Library: Special Collections)]</ref><ref>[http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=69388 "Virginian Vengeance. Lynching a Negro for a Social Indiscretion," ''St. Louis Post Dispatch'', 22 January 1880]</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Brenner |first=Kate|date=2014 |title=Images of America: Warrenton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTNRBAAAQBAJ&q=arthur+jordan+warrenton&pg=PA119|publisher=Arcadia |page=119 |isbn=978-1-4671-2167-5 |access-date=February 18, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=A Lynch-law Hanging |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GowTAAAAIBAJ&pg=2855%2C724166/ |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |agency=(via Weekly Alta California) |date=March 24, 1880 |access-date=February 19, 2015}}</ref>

=== 20th century ===
In 1909, a fire destroyed almost half the structures in the town and was halted with the use of dynamite to create a firebreak to stop the flames from spreading.<ref name="fauquierhistory.com" />

In 1939, [[Washington Times-Herald]] journalist [[Igor Cassini|Count Igor Cassini]] wrote a column piece that upset several members of Virginia high society. While covering a horse show in Warrenton, Cassini was kidnapped and tarred and feathered by three disgruntled individuals related to one mentioned in his column piece.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Severo |first=Richard |date=January 9, 2002 |title=Igor Cassini, Hearst Columnist, Dies at 86 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/09/arts/igor-cassini-hearst-columnist-dies-at-86.html |access-date=August 24, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Cassini was treated for burns at the Fauquier County Hospital in the early morning,<ref>{{Cite news |orig-date=June 26, 1939 |title=TAR AND FEATHERS LAID ON COLUMNIST; Count Cassini of Washington Reports Attack on Him at Warrenton, Va., for Item ABDUCTED BY MEN IN AUTO He Says They Stripped and Smeared Him--Asks for Arrest of 3 Youths |language=en |page=7 |work=The New York Times |url=https://nyti.ms/3sqvFl4 |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref> with the three individuals being arrested and placed on probation.<ref name=":2" />

In 1951, the federal government established the [[Warrenton Training Center]] just outside Warrenton. The center is a secret [[Central Intelligence Agency]] communications facility, which also houses an underground relocation bunker containing communications infrastructure to support [[continuity of government]] in the event of a nuclear attack on Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite web |title=Warrenton Training Center: Current Site Information |publisher=[[Environmental Protection Agency]] |date=May 2010 |url=http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/npl/VAD988189312.htm |access-date=March 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pincus |first=Walter |author-link=Walter Pincus |title=CIA: Ames Betrayed 55 Operations; Inspector General's Draft Report Blames Supervisors for Failure to Plug Leak |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=September 24, 1994 |page=A1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bunkers Beyond the Beltway: The Federal Government Backup System |magazine=The Lay of the Land |publisher=[[Center for Land Use Interpretation]] |date=Spring 2002 |url=http://www.clui.org/newsletter/spring-2002/bunkers-beyond-beltway |access-date=March 19, 2013}}</ref>

A bypass route around the town was built in the early 1960s, which attracted restaurants, gas stations, and shopping centers, but also drew businesses away from the center of town.<ref name="townofwarrenton.com" />

The [[Warrenton Historic District (Warrenton, Virginia)|Warrenton Historic District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1983. Other listings in or near Warrenton include [[Brentmoor]], [[Dakota (Warrenton, Virginia)|Dakota]], [[Hopefield (Warrenton, Virginia)|Hopefield]], [[Loretta (Warrenton, Virginia)|Loretta]], [[Monterosa (Warrenton, Virginia)|Monterosa]], [[North Wales (Warrenton, Virginia)|North Wales]], [[The Oaks (Warrenton, Virginia)|The Oaks]], the [[Old Fauquier County Jail]], and [[Yorkshire House]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
[[File:Obelisk at center of Confederate Cemetery, Warrenton Cemetery.jpg|thumb|1887 Confederate Dead Monument obelisk with the 1998 addition in the Warrenton Cemetery]]
In 1998, Warrenton's "Black Horse" chapter of the [[United Daughters of the Confederacy]] erected and dedicated a monument in the Warrenton Cemetery to 520 Confederate soldiers buried there, many of whom died during the [[First Battle of Bull Run|First]] and [[Second Battle of Bull Run|Second Battles of Bull Run]].<ref name=":0" /> This new monument altered a pre-existing Confederate obelisk built in 1877 by building a granite wall around the obelisk engraved with those 520 names.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Ordonez |first=Jennifer |date=February 18, 1998 |title=ONE MAN'S QUEST GIVES 520 MEN NAMES AGAIN |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/02/18/one-mans-quest-gives-520-men-names-again/5b284604-784e-4c3a-924e-f13b167d10b0/ |access-date=August 12, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The then-mayor's wife spearheaded fundraising for the monument from private organizations and the United Daughters of the Confederacy itself, of which she was a member.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=July 18, 2004 |title=Bound to Yesterday, Beholden to Tomorrow |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/07/18/bound-to-yesterday-beholden-to-tomorrow/3e41c879-571f-468d-8856-ace5b8d650cf/ |access-date=August 9, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> This monument still remains.

== Geography ==
Warrenton is located in central [[Fauquier County]] at {{coord|38|43|06|N|77|47|50|W|}} (38.718307, −77.797085).<ref name="GR1" /> [[U.S. Route 29]] leads northeast {{Convert|12|mi}} to [[Gainesville, Virginia|Gainesville]] and {{convert|47|mi}} to [[Washington, D.C.]], and southwest {{convert|25|mi}} to [[Culpeper, Virginia|Culpeper]]. [[U.S. Route 15]] follows US 29 out of town in both directions but leads north-northeast {{convert|34|mi}} to [[Leesburg, Virginia|Leesburg]]. [[U.S. Route 17]] leads northwest {{convert|42|mi}} to [[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]] and southeast {{convert|44|mi}} to [[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]], and [[U.S. Route 211]] leads west {{convert|34|mi}} to [[Skyline Drive]] in [[Shenandoah National Park]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], Warrenton has a total area of {{convert|11.7|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.01|sqkm|order=flip|3}}, or 0.13%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010" /> The eastern, southern, and northern parts of the town drain east to [[Cedar Run (Occoquan River)|Cedar Run]], a tributary of the [[Occoquan River]] and part of the [[Potomac River]] watershed, while the western part of town drains south via Great Run to the [[Rappahannock River]].

==Education==

=== Primary and secondary schools ===
[[Fauquier County Public Schools]] serves Warrenton. The elementary schools within the town serve Kindergarten to Fifth grades and consist of James G. Brumfield Elementary, Carson M. Bradley Elementary, and Peter. B. Smith Elementary.

The only public middle school that serves Warrenton is [[Taylor Middle School (Virginia)|Taylor Middle School]]. Taylor Middle School serves grades six through eight. [[Warrenton Middle School]] was closed following the 2022–2023 school year and temporarily merged with Taylor Middle School during the construction of a new middle school also to be named Taylor Middle School.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Warrenton Middle School to Close - Commemorative Event Set for May 19 |url=https://www.fcps1.org/site/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fcps1.org%2Fsite%2Fdefault.aspx%3FPageType%3D3%26DomainID%3D4%26ModuleInstanceID%3D2027%26ViewID%3D6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108%26RenderLoc%3D0%26FlexDataID%3D20890%26PageID%3D1 |access-date=June 25, 2023 |website=www.fcps1.org |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Fauquier High School.jpg|thumb|253x253px|The front façade of [[Fauquier High School]].]]
The high school that serves Warrenton is [[Fauquier High School]], which educates grades Nine through 12. The Fauquier County Public School system also operates an extremely small [[Project-based learning|alternative learning]] school at Southwest Alternative School. This school serves both middle and high school students throughout the county, including Warrenton.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is PBL For Me? / PBL Programs |url=https://www.fcps1.org/domain/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fcps1.org%2Fsite%2Fdefault.aspx%3FDomainID%3D463 |access-date=June 25, 2023 |website=www.fcps1.org |language=en}}</ref>

There are three private schools in the town of Warrenton: [[Highland School (Warrenton, Virginia)|Highland School]], St. John The Evangelist's Catholic School, and St. James' Episcopal School.

=== Colleges and universities ===
The Fauquier campus of [[Laurel Ridge Community College]] resides just south of the town limits.

In 2022, Hazel Hall, a science, engineering and health professions building, was opened and construction begun on a Center for Skilled Trades.

=== Public libraries ===
[[File:Warrenton Middle School with Little Free Library.jpg|thumb|[[Warrenton Middle School]] with a [[Little Free Library|public bookshelf]] sponsored by the school's library.]]
The [[Fauquier County Public Library|Fauquier Public Library]]'s Warrenton Library is located within the [[Warrenton Historic District (Warrenton, Virginia)|Warrenton Historic District.]] Despite being located within the town, the library is actually run by the [[County board of supervisors|county government]]'s Library Board.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 12, 2014 |title=Board of Trustees |url=https://fauquierlibrary.org/about-us-2/board-of-trustees/ |access-date=June 26, 2023 |website=Fauquier Public Library |language=en}}</ref> Each public school also has an internal library that students can access. Additionally, [[public bookcase]]s adorn the town, often on the property of private citizens, acting in a manner similar to [[Little Free Library]]

== Arts and culture ==
[[File:1941 VA Gold Cup Race.jpg|thumb|May 1941 Photograph of the Gold Cup Race by Marion Post Wolcott.<ref name="Crime and Its Results" />]]
[[Steeplechase (horse racing)|Steeplechases]] have had a large impact on the culture within Fauquier County as well as the Town of Warrenton. This is largely due to the 1922 organization of the first [[Virginia Gold Cup]] race within the town. This event, along with the [[Maryland Hunt Cup]], were two of the most prominent horse races at the time and remained prominent throughout the 20th century. Following the 1984 race, the event was moved to the nearby city, [[The Plains, Virginia|The Plains]], where it has remained. The [[Virginia Gold Cup|Virginia Gold Cup and International Gold Cup Race]] have drawn upwards of 50,000 attendees per year, assuring its cultural impact in the surrounding communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Gold Cup - History |url=https://www.vagoldcup.com/intl/history |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=www.vagoldcup.com}}</ref>

On the first Friday of each month between May and October, the Town of Warrenton hosts a themed [[street fair]] called "First Friday" within the [[Warrenton Historic District (Warrenton, Virginia)|Warrenton Historic District]]. Each month is typically themed to a different topic, affecting what local vendors and activities are available during the event.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1st Friday |url=https://www.oldtownwarrenton.org/1st-friday |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=Experience Old Town Warrenton |language=en}}</ref>

The Town of Warrenton owns and operates four public parks and one recreation center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parks & Trails {{!}} Warrenton, VA |url=https://www.warrentonva.gov/199/Parks-Trails |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=www.warrentonva.gov}}</ref>

Warrenton has several pieces of public art adorning the town. In 2001, watercolor painter Stewart Burgess White painted three murals on a single building depicting scenes from the American Civil War. Additionally, these murals included several hidden details such as faces of 19th century American leaders, references to the [[September 11 attacks]], and the name of the painter's daughter.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sirene |first=Walt |url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Three_Murals_by_Stewart_Burgess_White_in_Warrenton?id=vpxQDwAAQBAJ&hl=en&gl=US |title=Three Murals by Stewart Burgess White in Warrenton Virginia |publisher=Google LLC |year=2019 |edition=1 |pages=1–42}}</ref> Artists Ross Trimmer and Michael Broth collaborated on a mural that emulates classic [[large-letter postcard]]s.<ref name="Dyson, Cathy-2003" /> In 2021, a group of local [[National Honor Society]] students from [[Kettle Run High School (Nokesville, Virginia)|Kettle Run High School]] painted a small mural on a neglected wall lining a parking lot.<ref name="Forbes-1862" />

==Transportation==
[[File:2019-09-02 13 59 10 View north along U.S. Route 15 and U.S. Route 29 (Eastern Bypass) from the overpass for U.S. Route 15 Business and U.S. Route 29 Business (Lee Highway) in Warrenton, Fauquier County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|US 15/US 29 northbound in Warrenton]]
Warrenton is served by four U.S. Routes; [[U.S. Route 15 in Virginia|U.S. Route 15]], [[U.S. Route 17 in Virginia|U.S. Route 17]], [[U.S. Route 29 in Virginia|U.S. Route 29]] (which collectively form the Eastern Bypass) and [[U.S. Route 211]]. US 15 extends north and south, heading towards [[Leesburg, Virginia|Leesburg]] in the north and [[Orange, Virginia|Orange]] to the south. US 17 is oriented northwest to southeast, connecting to [[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]] to the northwest and [[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]] to the southeast. US 29 is oriented northeast to southwest, reaching [[Washington, D.C.]] to the northeast and [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] to the southwest. Finally, US 211 begins north of the downtown area and extends westward, passing through [[Luray, Virginia|Luray]] and the [[Shenandoah Valley]]. All four highways originally passed directly through the center of town and now follow bypasses. However, downtown Warrenton is now served by [[U.S. Route 15 Business (Warrenton, Virginia)|U.S Route 15 Business]], [[U.S. Route 17 Business (Warrenton, Virginia)|U.S Route 17 Business]], [[U.S. Route 29 Business (Warrenton, Virginia)|U.S Route 29 Business]] and [[U.S. Route 211 Business (Warrenton, Virginia)|U.S Route 211 Business]].

Virginia Regional Transit operates the Circuit Rider bus in Warrenton.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Culpeper – Virginia Regional Transit| access-date = January 20, 2020| url = https://vatransit.org/culpeper/}}</ref> [[Academy Bus]] operates a commuter bus from Warrenton to Washington, D.C. The [[Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation]] and [[Megabus (North America)|Megabus]] operate a weekday commuter bus service called the [[Virginia Breeze#Routes|Piedmont Express]] from [[Danville, Virginia|Danville, V.A]]. to Washington, D.C. with a stop in Warrenton.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Routes |url=https://virginiabreeze.drpt.virginia.gov/routes/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=The Virginia Breeze |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Notable people==
<!-- Note: • Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability. • The biographical article must mention how they are associated with Warrenton, whether born, raised, or residing. • The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited in their article, unless it is well-known. • Alphabetical by last name please. • All others will be deleted without further explanation. -->
{{div col}}
*[[James DeRuyter Blackwell]], Civil War-era poet and writer
*[[Steve Brodie (baseball)|Steve Brodie]], Major League Baseball player
*[[Edward Brooke]], U.S. senator
*[[Anthony Cave Brown]], Journalist and historian
*[[Jesse Brown]], former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs
*[[Matt Carson (author)|Matt Carson]], Entrepreneur and author
*[[Samuel Chilton]], 19th-century politician and lawyer
*[[Walter Chrysler]], founder of the [[Chrysler Corporation]]
*[[Walter P. Chrysler Jr.]], art collector, museum benefactor, and Thoroughbred horse breeder 
*[[Julia Ringwood Coston]], 19th-century Afro-American publisher and magazine editor who founded the first magazine ever published for black women
*[[Brenton Doyle]], Major League Baseball player
*[[Mike Duvall]], Major League Baseball player
*[[George B. Fitch]], former mayor of Warrenton and co-founder of the [[Jamaican bobsled team]]
*[[Ella Fitzgerald (drag queen)|Ella Fitzgerald]], drag queen
*[[Benita Fitzgerald-Brown]], Olympic athlete
*[[Grenville Gaines]], mayor of Warrenton<ref>{{cite book|editor=Lyon Gardiner Tyler|publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company|title=Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography|volume=5|year=1915|url={{Google books|jzoUAAAAYAAJ|page=730|plainurl=yes}}|pages=730–731}}</ref>
*[[Craig Gilmore]], winner, 2013 [[ESPN]] Tournament Challenge
*[[John S. Horner]], acting governor of [[Michigan Territory]]
*[[Eppa Hunton]], [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. congressman]] and [[United States Senate|senator]], [[Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] in the [[Confederate Army]]
*[[John C. Mackie]], U.S. congressman
*[[Malcolm MacPherson (writer)|Malcolm MacPherson]], ''Newsweek'' correspondent and author
*[[Frances Harrison Marr]] (1835–1918), poet
*[[Charles Marshall (colonel)|Charles Marshall]], Confederate States Army colonel
*[[James K. Marshall]], Confederate States Army colonel
*[[John Augustine Marshall]], U.S. federal judge
*[[Thomas Love Moore]], U.S. congressman and lawyer
*[[William Moore (musician)|William Moore]], blues musician
*[[John S. Mosby]], Confederate cavalry battalion commander
*[[William H. F. Payne]], Confederate States Army general
*[[Dorothy B. Porter]], Bibliographer and curator, built the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at [[Howard University]]
*[[Scott Shipp]], superintendent of the [[Virginia Military Institute]]
*[[William Smith (Virginia governor)|William "Extra Billy" Smith]], congressman, twice governor of Virginia, and Confederate general
*[[Gwyn R. Tompkins]], Thoroughbred horse racing trainer
*[[Septimus Tustin]], clergyman
*[[Erica Wallach]], American-German political activist and teacher
*[[Sarah White]], singer-songwriter
*[[Charles S. Whitehouse]], career Foreign Service officer, U.S. Ambassador to [[Laos]] and [[Thailand]]
*[[Bonnie Zacherle]], illustrator and designer
{{div col end}}

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Warrenton has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=888844&cityname=Warrenton%2C+Virginia%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Warrenton, Virginia]</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{US Census population
| 1860 = 604
| 1870 = 1256
| 1880 = 1464
| 1890 = 1346
| 1900 = 1627
| 1910 = 1427
| 1920 = 1545
| 1930 = 1450
| 1940 = 1651
| 1950 = 1797
| 1960 = 3522
| 1970 = 4027
| 1980 = 3907
| 1990 = 4830
| 2000 = 6670
| 2010 = 9611
| 2020 = 10057
| estyear = 2023
| estimate = 10210
| 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>
}}

=== 2020 census ===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 10,057 individuals,<ref name="www.census.gov" /> 4,016 households,<ref name="www.census.gov" /> and 2,159 families<ref name="data.census.gov" /> living in the Town of Warrenton. Population density is 2,296.1 people per square mile (885.01/km<sup>2</sup>).<ref name="data.census.gov" />

The racial makeup of the town is 77.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 10.0% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|American Indian or Native Alaskan]], 1.7% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.0% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.3% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 9.9% from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]].<ref name="www.census.gov" /> [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race are 8.9% of the population.

Of the town's residents, 56.4% were female, 43.6% were male,<ref name="data.census.gov" /> 8.0% were under five years of age, 22.7% were under 18 years of age, and 16.7% were 65 years or older.<ref name="www.census.gov" /> The population pyramid (below) shows the percentage of individuals of each sex within each age group, with a rectangular shape.<ref name="data.census.gov" /> 6.9% were [[Foreign born|foreign born persons]], 7.2% had a [[disability]], 94.9% of adults were [[Secondary school|high school graduates]], and 39.2% of adults had a [[bachelor's degree]] or [[Postgraduate education|graduate degree]].<ref name="www.census.gov" />

{{Population pyramid|f0=5.36|m0=2.61|year=2021|m5=1.98|f5=2.71|f10=3.8|f15=3.54|f20=2.84|f25=2.77|f30=2.34|f35=3.67|f40=2.11|f45=3.52|f50=4.60|f55=3.50|f60=4.87|f65=2.36|f70=2.24|f75=1.69|f80=2.63|f85=1.70|fmax=5.40|m10=2.65|m15=2.92|m20=4.49|m25=2.58|m30=2.01|m35=3.17|m40=0.93|m45=3.28|m50=2.01|m55=4.50|m60=4.51|m65=1.85|m70=1.76|m75=1.51|m80=0.03|m85=0.84|mmax=4.55}}

The [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] stated that the Town of Warrenton had 4,014 households, of which 2,159 were family households and 1,857 are non-family households, with an average of 2.43 residents per household. 92.0% of households had access to a computer and 87.1% had a [[Broadband|broadband internet]] subscription. 11.1% of households spoke a language other than [[American English|English]] at home.<ref name="www.census.gov" /> 63.1% of households own their housing units while 36.9% rent.<ref name="data.census.gov" /> The median household income was $78,275 while [[per capita income]] was $41,385.<ref name="www.census.gov" /> 6.2% of the town's residents live in poverty.<ref name="www.census.gov" /><ref name="data.census.gov" />

In Warrenton 74.7% of the population drives alone to work, 12.4% [[carpool]], 3.3% walk to work, 0.0% via [[Public Transportation|public transportation]], 0.0% bicycle to work, 0.5% commute via other means, and 9.1% work from home.<ref name="data.census.gov" /> Additionally, the average commute time for Warrenton residents was 33.1 minutes.<ref name="www.census.gov" /><ref name="data.census.gov" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Warrenton, Virginia}}
* [http://www.warrentonva.gov/ Town of Warrenton official website]
* [http://www.fauquierlibrary.org/ Fauquier County Public Library]
* [http://www.warrentonfire.org/ Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company]
* [http://www.warrentonpresbyterianchurch.org/ Historic Warrenton Presbyterian Church] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904131512/http://www.warrentonpresbyterianchurch.org/ |date=September 4, 2009 }}
* [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Fauquier/156-0019_Warrenton_Historic_District_1983_Final_Nomination.pdf Warrenton Historic District - National Register of Historic Places, Final Nomination Form]
* [http://www.warrentonva.gov/Portals/0/Planning%20Zoning/Documents/Warr%20HD%20Guidelines%20with%20Graphics.pdf Warrenton Historic District Design Guidelines] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630130245/http://www.warrentonva.gov/Portals/0/Planning%20Zoning/Documents/Warr%20HD%20Guidelines%20with%20Graphics.pdf |date=June 30, 2014 }}
* [http://www.warrentonchamber.org/ Greater Warrenton Chamber of Commerce] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603154301/http://www.warrentonchamber.org/ |date=June 3, 2013 }}

{{Fauquier County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia towns}}
{{Virginia}}
{{Virginia county seats and independent cities}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:County seats in Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Fauquier County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Virginia]]