Palmyra, Virginia

Palmyra, Virginia
Census-designated place

Fluvanna County administrative and legal buildings in Palmyra
Palmyra

Location within Fluvanna county

Coordinates: 37°51′40″N 78°15′48″W / 37.86111°N 78.26333°W / 37.86111; -78.26333Coordinates: 37°51′40″N 78°15′48″W / 37.86111°N 78.26333°W / 37.86111; -78.26333
Country United States
State Virginia
County Fluvanna
Area
 • Total 1.42 sq mi (3.69 km2)
 • Land 1.42 sq mi (3.67 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation 305 ft (93 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 104
 • Density 74/sq mi (28.4/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 22963
FIPS code 51-60392
GNIS feature ID 1498526

Palmyra is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Fluvanna County, Virginia, United States.[1] The population as of the 2010 census was 104.[2] Palmyra lies on the eastern bank of the Rivanna River along U.S. Route 15. The ZIP code for Palmyra and surrounding rural land is 22963.

The Fluvanna County Courthouse Historic District, Glen Burnie, Pleasant Grove, and Seay's Chapel Methodist Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]

History

1912 street scene, showing L.O. Haden's general store

Before being named "Palmyra", the area was owned by the Timberlake family, and Reverend Walter Timberlake started a business there in 1814 called "Palmyra Mills".[4]

The village of Palmyra was founded and became the county seat of Fluvanna County in 1828, and its historic courthouse was built in 1830-1831.[5] By 1835, there were fourteen homes, a church, three factories, and various other businesses, though only two families owned all the land other than the public buildings.[4] In the mid-19th century, it was a stop along the stagecoach route between Richmond and Staunton.[6] The Virginia Air Line Railway, which operated from 1908 to 1975, ran through Palmyra. The train traveled from Strathmore on the James River, to Cohasset, to Carysbrook, to Palmyra, to Troy, and on to Gordonsville or Charlottesville.

A fire in 1930 destroyed many of the buildings on Main Street. As a result of the Great Depression, a smaller version of Palmyra was rebuilt after the fire.[4]

Geography

Palmyra is in central Fluvanna County, on a hillside rising to the northeast above the Rivanna River. U.S. Route 15 passes through the community, crossing the Rivanna at the south end of town. US 15 leads north 20 miles (32 km) to Gordonsville and south 51 miles (82 km) to Farmville. Virginia State Route 53 intersects US 15 just south of the Rivanna River and leads northwest 20 miles (32 km) to Charlottesville.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Palmyra CDP has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.7 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.70%, is water.[7]

Climate

Palmyra's climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa"(Humid Subtropical Climate).[8]

Climate data for Palmyra, Virginia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 8
(47)		 9
(49)		 14
(58)		 21
(69)		 24
(75)		 28
(83)		 30
(86)		 30
(86)		 26
(79)		 21
(69)		 15
(59)		 9
(49)		 19
(67)
Average low °C (°F) −4
(25)		 −3
(26)		 0
(32)		 5
(41)		 10
(50)		 16
(60)		 18
(64)		 17
(63)		 13
(56)		 6
(43)		 1
(34)		 −3
(27)		 6
(43)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 74
(2.9)		 71
(2.8)		 91
(3.6)		 74
(2.9)		 94
(3.7)		 89
(3.5)		 104
(4.1)		 100
(4)		 86
(3.4)		 94
(3.7)		 79
(3.1)		 80
(3)		 1,034
(40.7)
Source: Weatherbase [9]

Notable residents

References

  1. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  2. ↑ Virginia Trend Report 2: State and Complete Places (Sub-state 2010 Census Data). Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed 2011-06-08.
  3. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  4. 1 2 3 "Historic Palmyra Virginia" (PDF). Fluvanna County Historical Society. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Fluvanna County History". County of Fluvanna, Virginia. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Smith, John Calvin (1847). The Illustrated Hand-book, a New Guide for travelers through the United States of America. New York City: Sherman & Smith. p. 132.
  7. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Palmyra CDP, Virginia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ Climate Summary for Palmyra, Virginia
  9. ↑ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on August 20, 2013.
  10. ↑ http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=11676
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