SIZE AND CHARACTER

Fredericksburg sits at the fall line of the Rappahannock River. Centered between Washington and Richmond, it serves as the hub of a region that includes fast-growing Stafford and Spotsylvania counties.

In the 40-block Historic District in downtown, the land rising from the riverbank is dotted with historic homes and tree-shaded residential neighborhoods.

The city’s downtown business center is Caroline Street. Central Park on State Route 3 is the city’s largest retail center.

Also planned for the city and Stafford County along the Rappahannock River is Celebrate Virginia. The Silver Co’s. plans for the development include hotels, restaurants, shops, museums and recreational facilities on the Fredericksburg side of the Rappahannock River, and golf courses and residential and office uses on the Stafford County side.

Population:
Census 2006 estimate: 21,273
Census 2000: 19,279

HISTORY

The town of Fredericksburg was established by the Virginia Assembly in 1728 to serve as a river port for the shipment of tobacco, which was the staple of the colony’s economy.

In 1738, a young George Washington moved with his family to Ferry Farm, across the river from what is now the City Dock. Washington lived there until he was 19. His mother, Mary, later moved to a home on Charles Street, where she died in 1789.

In the middle of the 19th century, Fredericksburg’s economy became more industrial. There were now immigrants from Ireland and Germany, many of whom worked in the mills and small industries. By 1850, the population had grown to 5,000.

Just as the town’s prospects seemed more promising, the Civil War took a devastating toll in suffering and hardship as the town changed hands 10 times. Many homes and buildings were destroyed, the economy was ruined and the town was under military rule until 1871. Its recovery was slow and painful, but Fredericksburg became a city in 1879.

The early 20th century saw the beginning of a renaissance. Fredericksburg received the first women’s normal institute in Virginia (now University of Mary Washington). In 1911, it was one of the first cities in America to adopt the city manager–council form of government.

In the last half of the 20th century, interstate highways made Fredericksburg and its surroundings more accessible.