Roanoke is a self-contained city in the US state of Virginia. At the 2010 census, the population was 97,032. It is located in the Roanoke Valley in the Roanoke Region of Virginia.
Roanoke is the largest municipality in Southwest Virginia, and is the main municipality of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which has a 2010 population of 308,707. It consists of independent cities of Roanoke and Salem, and Botetourt, Craig, Franklin, and Roanoke County. At stake by the Roanoke River, Roanoke is the commercial and cultural center of much of southwestern Virginia and part of Southern West Virginia.
Video Roanoke, Virginia
History
Timeline
Merge
The town that was first called Big Lick was founded in 1852 and leased in 1874. Named for a large salt outcropping that attracts wildlife to a location near the Roanoke River. In 1882 the city became the city of Roanoke, and in 1884 the city was hired as an independent city of Roanoke. The name Roanoke is said to be derived from the word Algonquian for the "money" shell. The name of the river is used by Algonquian speakers who live 300 miles away where the river was emptied into the sea near Roanoke Island. The natives who live near where the town was founded do not speak Algonquian. They speak Siouan, Tutelo and Catawban. There is also a Cherokee speaker in a common area that fights with the Catawba people. The city often grows through annexation until the mid-20th century. The last annexation took place in 1976. The state legislature has since banned towns from annexing land from neighboring districts. The Roanoke location in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the middle of the Roanoke Valley between Maryland and Tennessee, made it a transportation hub in West Virginia and contributed to its rapid growth.
Colonial Influence
During the colonial period, the location of Roanoke is an important center of roads and roads. The Great Indian Warpath which later merged into the colonial Great Wagon Road, one of the most traveled streets of 18th century America, flows from Philadelphia through the Shenandoah Valley to the future location of Roanoke City, where the Roanoke River passes through Blue Ridge. Carolina Road forked in Cloverdale, Virginia to Boones Mill, Virginia, and on to Yadkin River Valley. The Roanoke Gap proved a useful route for immigrants to complete the Carolina Piedmont area. In Roanoke Gap, another branch of Great Wagon Road, Wilderness Road, continue southwest to Tennessee.
Railway and coal rail
In the 1850s, Big Lick stopped at Virginia and Tennessee Railroad (V & T) connecting Lynchburg with Bristol on the Virginia-Tennessee border.
After the American Civil War (1861-1865), William Mahone, a civil engineer and hero of the Battle of the Crater, was the driving force in the relationship of 3 railroads, including V & amp; T, across the south of the Virginia tier forms the Atlantic, Mississippi & amp; Ohio Railroad (AM & amp; O), a new line that stretched from Norfolk to Bristol, Virginia in 1870. However, the Financial Panick of 1873 ruined the AM & amp; O. After several years of operating under the curator, Mahone's role as a train builder ended in 1881 when the northern financial interests took over. At a foreclosure auction, AM & amp; O purchased by E.W. Clark & ​​â € <â € < Co., a private banking company in Philadelphia that controls the Shenandoah Valley Railway later in the construction of the valley of Hagerstown, Maryland. The AM & amp; O was renamed Norfolk and Western Railway (N & amp; W).
Frederick J. Kimball, a civil engineer and partner at the Clark firm, leads a new path and the new Shenandoah Valley Railway. For the intersection of the Shenandoah Valley and the Norfolk and West roads, Kimball and the board of directors selected a small Virginia village called Big Lick, on the Roanoke River. Although grateful citizens offered to rename their town "Kimball", on his advice, they agreed to name it Roanoke after the river. When N & amp; W brought people and jobs, City of Roanoke quickly became an independent city in 1884. In fact, Roanoke became a city so quickly that it earned the nickname "The Wonder City".
Kimball's interest in geology is crucial in the development of the Pocahontas coalfield in West Virginia and West Virginia. He pushes the N & amp; W through the wilds of West Virginia, north to Columbus, Ohio and Cincinnati, Ohio, and south to Durham, North Carolina and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This gives the railway route structure to be used for more than 60 years.
The Virginian Railway (VGN), a marvel of engineering in his day, was conceived and built by William Nelson Page and Henry Huttleston Rogers. Following the Roanoke River, VGN was built through the Roanoke City in the early twentieth century. This joins N & amp; W in 1959.
The opening of the coal field makes N & amp; W prosperous and the world-renowned bituminous coal Pocahontas. Transported by N & amp; W and the adjacent Virginian Railway (VGN), local coal sparked half of the world's navies. Today it's steel plants and power plants around the world.
The Norfolk & amp; West is famous for making steam locomotives at home. It's a N & amp; W which makes the company famous throughout the industry for its superiority in steam power. The Roanoke Shops, with thousands of its workforce, are well-known class A, J, and Y6 locomotive places designed, built, and maintained. The new steam locomotive was built there until 1953, long after diesel power emerged as the motive force of choice for most of the North American railroads. Around 1960, N & amp; W is the last major railroad in the United States to convert from steam power to diesel power.
The presence of trains also makes Roanoke attractive to producers. American Viscose opened a large rayon factory in Southeast Roanoke in October 1917. The factory closed in 1958, causing 5,000 unemployed workers. When N & amp; W converted to diesel, 2,000 railway workers dismissed.
Maps Roanoke, Virginia
Government
Roanoke has a weak mayoral government form. The city manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city government and has the authority to hire and fire city employees. The mayor has little, if any, executive authority and is essentially "first among the equals" in the Roanoke City Council. The mayor, however, has an oppressive pulpit when the Roanoke media often mask the looks and statements of the mayor. The current mayor of Roanoke is Sherman Lea and the current city manager is Robert S. Cowell. The city council has six members, excluding the mayor, all of whom are massively elected. A proposal for an environmentally-based council, in which mayors and deputy mayors will continue to be widely elected, was rejected by Roanoke voters in 1997, but proponents of the environmental system still argue that a large system produces a disproportionate number of board members from neighborhoods prosperous and that selecting some or all members of the board on an environmental basis will result in a more equal representation of all areas of the city. The provisions of four-year city council members reeled, so there is a biennial election. Candidates who receive the most votes are appointed as deputy mayors for the next two years.
African-American and professional-grade voting blocks in the city have made Democrats the leading party in the city in recent years.
Independent candidate David A. Bowers, a former Democratic Party member, defeated Democratic candidate Nelson Harris to Mayor in the May 2008 election with 53% of the vote. Both in the 2000 election, Republican Ralph K. Smith and in the 2004 election, Nelson Harris won by less than 40% of the vote in a competitive three-way competition.
In the May 2008 council elections, Rosen Court Judge Anita Price and Sherman Lea defeated an allied independent city council candidate including incumbent Brian Wishneff. In the May 2006 parliamentary elections, a list of three former Democrats who walked on independent slate supported by Harris defeated Democratic and Republican candidates. This election ended the long debate of the city about the fate of the Victory Stadium.
On June 27, 2016 Sherman P. Lea, Sr. take the mayor's office.
Roanoke was represented by two members of Virginia House of Delegates, Sam Rasoul (D-11th) and Chris Head (R-17th), and one member of the Virginia Senate, John Edwards (D-21st). Former Roanoke Mayor Ralph Smith won the 2007 election in the adjacent Senate 22 district after defeating Brandon Bell who was serving Republican nominee in primary election and Democrat Michael Breiner in the general election.
The city of Roanoke is located within Virginia's 6th Congress District, which also includes Lynchburg and many Shenandoah Valley. The current representative of Bob Goodlatte lives in Roanoke County; many of those holding the chair were living in or near Roanoke. The 9th Congressional District of Virginia, represented by Morgan Griffith of Salem's neighbors, has traditionally encompassed southwest Virginia but has grown into parts of Salem, Roanoke County and counties north of Roanoke to make up for population losses across districts. Robert Hurt represents many areas to the south and east of Roanoke, including the nearby Franklin County, in Virginia's 5th District Congress, which also stretches north to Charlottesville.
Politics
Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ​​42.9 square miles (111.1 km 2 ), which is 42.5 square miles (110.1 km 2 ) is ground and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km 2 ) (0.8%) is water.
Roanoke is located in the valley and ridge of the province of Virginia to the west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and to the east of the Allegheny Mountains
Inside the city limits is Mill Mountain, which stands apart from the surrounding area. The summit features Roanoke Star, Mill Mountain Zoo, Discovery Center's interpretation building, and views of the Roanoke Valley. The Appalachian Trail runs through the northern part of Roanoke County a few miles north of town, while the Blue Ridge Parkway runs just south of the city. Carvins Cove, the second largest urban park in America at 12,700-acre (51Ã, km 2 ), is located northeast of Roanoke County and Southwest Botetourt County. Smith Mountain Lake is a few miles southeast of the city. Jefferson National Forest is nearby. Roanokers and visitors to the area enjoy hiking, mountain biking, cross-country running, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and other outdoor activities.
It is located in the North Fork of Winery of Roanoke. The "North Fork of Roanoke" designation designated the American Field of Viticultural, recognizes the unique grape growing conditions present in the area. Valhalla Vineyard is located just outside the city limits of Roanoke.
The Roanoke River flows through the city of Roanoke. Several stretches of rivers flow through parks and natural settings, while others flow through industrial zones. Some creeks join the river in the city, especially Peters Creek, Tinker Creek, and Mud Lick Creek.
Climate
Although located along the Blue Ridge Mountains at altitudes exceeding 900 m (270 m), Roanoke is located in the humid subtropical climate zone (KÃÆ'¶ppen Cfa ), with four distinct seasons, but generally light; located in the USDA 7b hardiness zone, with the suburbs falling in zone 7a. Extremes in temperatures have ranged from 105  ° F (41  ° C) as recently as August 21, 1983 down to -12  ° F (-24  ° C) on 30 December 1917, although not 100  ° F (38à ,  ° C) or 0Ã, ° F (-18Ã,  ° C) is achieved in most years; the latest occurrences of each are July 8, 2012 and February 20, 2015. More typically, the region recorded an average of 7.7 days where temperatures remained at or below freezing and 25 days with temperatures of 90 ° F (32 ° ° C)) the highest every year. Normal monthly normal temperatures range from 36.6  ° F (2.6  ° C) in January to 76.7  ° F (24.8  ° C) in July.
Based on the period 1981-2010, the city averages 16.6 inches (42 cm) of snow per winter. Roanoke experienced something of a snow drift in the 2000s to December 2009 when 17 inches (43 cm) of snow fell in Roanoke in a single storm. The winter snowfall has ranged from trace counts in 1918-19 and 1919-20 to 62.7 inches (159 cm) in 1959-60; the largest single storm was thrown about three feet (0.9 m) from 16-18 December 1890.
Flooding is the main danger associated with the weather faced by Roanoke. Heavy rains, most often from the remnants of storms, flow from the surrounding area into the narrow Valley of Roanoke. The latest significant floods occurred in the fall of 2004, caused by the remains of Hurricane Ivan. The most severe floods in the city's history occurred on November 4, 1985, when a severe storm from the remains of Hurricane Juan was halted in the area. Ten people drowned in the Roanoke Valley, and others were rescued by rescue workers.
Many residents complain that they are vulnerable to allergies due to pollen from trees in the surrounding mountains. Most famous, the Wayne Newton family moved from Roanoke to the dry climate of Phoenix, Arizona because of asthma and allergies in childhood. However, there has been no clinical research to establish that this condition is more common in Roanoke than in other cities with the same vegetation and climate.
Nearby Areas
Within its limits, Roanoke is divided into 49 individually defined environments.
Transportation
Road
Interstate 581 is the main road north-south through the city. It is also the only interstate interstate 81 interstate passing north of the city limits. Interstate 581 is a concurrency with US Route 220, which continues as Roy L. Webber Expressway from downtown Roanoke, where the I-581 designation ends, south to State Route 419. Routes 220 connect Roanoke to Martinsville, Virginia and Greensboro, North Carolina. The proposed Interstate 73 will generally parallel Route 220 between Roanoke and Greensboro and will likely be concurrent with I-581 through the city. The main east-west highway is US Route 460, named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue. Route 460 connects Roanoke to Lynchburg. Route 11 US passes through the city, mainly as Brandon Avenue and Williamson Road, which is a center of automotive-based commercial development after World War II. Other major roads include US Route 221, State Route 117 (known as Peters Creek Road), and State Route 101 (known as Hershberger Road). The Blue Ridge Parkway also briefly runs adjacent to the city border.
Roanoke is divided into four quadrants: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southwest (SW), and Southeast (SE). Mailing addresses for locations in Roanoke include two letter abbreviations after a street name. For example, the Center at the Square complex in downtown Roanoke has the address "1 Market Square SE."
Airport
Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport is located in the northern part of the city and is the main passenger and cargo airport for Southwest Virginia.
Rel
The city is known for its rail history. By the 1960s, Norfolk and the Western and Southern Railway ran three day trains to New York City; trains leave for various destinations to the west and south: Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans. From October 1, 1979 to October 31, 2017, Roanoke does not have a passenger train service. In August 2013, it was announced that the Amtrak service as part of the Northeast Region will be extended from Lynchburg to Roanoke by 2017. The platform development for this new service begins in Autumn 2016. On October 31, 2017, nearly 40 years without passenger service, Amtrak continued service to Roanoke. Before the return passenger train service, the bus service, Smart Way Connector, is aligned with Amtrak's schedule to connect riders to Kemper Street Station in Lynchburg. Roanoke will stop at the Transdominion Express passenger train system currently under study by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Roanoke is the main hub of the Southern Norfolk railway system. In 2006, the railway announced plans to build an intermodal rail base in the community of Lafayette, Virginia, neighboring County Montgomery; However, opposition by local residents encouraged Norfolk Southern to consider other potential sites. In 2007, former Roanoke mayor David A. Bowers urged Roanoke to offer a site for the page. Shortly thereafter, Salem's neighbors proposed a site in the industrial estate of the city. In 2008, Norfolk Southern determined that Lafayette's location was the only practical place. The Commonwealth of Virginia can also upgrade the Southern Norfolk rail line parallel to Interstate 81 from Roanoke through the Shenandoah Valley to encourage more shipments to be shipped by train.
Transportation Request Management
Roanoke City is served by RIDE Solutions, a regional transportation demand management agency that provides carpool matching, bicycle advocacy, transit assistance, and telework assistance to businesses and residents in the region.
Demographics
In the 2000 census, there were 94,911 people, 42,003 households, and 24,235 families living in the city. Population density in 2000 was 2,213.2 people per square mile (854.6/km ²). There are 45,257 housing units with an average density of 1,055.3 per square mile (407.5/km²). City's racial makeup is 69.38% White, 26.74% African American, 0.20% Native Americans, 1.15% Asia, 0.02% Pacific Islands, 0.72% of other races, and 1.78 % of two or more races. Hispanic or Latin of any race is 1.48% of the population.
There are 42,003 households where 25.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% are married couples living together, 16.5% have unmarried female households present, and 42.3% is not family. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone 65 or older. The average household size is 2.20 and the average family size is 2.86.
In cities, the population is spread by 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% years or more. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 women, there are 88.3 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there are 84.3 men.
The average income for households in the city is $ 30,719, and the average income for families is $ 37,826. Men have an average income of $ 28,465 versus $ 21,591 for women. The per capita income for the city is $ 18,468. Approximately 12.9% of families and 15.9% of the population are below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under the age of 18 and 11.3% of those aged 65 and older.
Education
The local public school distribution is Roanoke City Public Schools. Two public high schools of public registration in Roanoke City are Patrick Henry High School, located in the Raleigh Court area, and William Fleming High School, located in Northwest Roanoke. Six public high schools in Roanoke City are Woodrow Wilson, James Madison Secondary School, and Stonewall Jackson, who feed to Patrick Henry High School; and Lucy Addison, William Ruffner, and James Breckinridge, who fed to William Fleming High School. The learning academy of Noel C. Taylor is a combined secondary and secondary school that serves students with individual educational needs.
Private non-parish schools in Roanoke City include High School, which provides classes from grades nine to twelve; and New Vista Montessori, which provides classes from grades three to nine. Private non-parish schools outside Roanoke City, but in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area, including North Cross School, which provides pre-kindergarten education through the twelfth grade.
Private parish schools in Roanoke City include the North Cross and Roanoke Catholic, providing classes from kindergarten to the twelfth grade; and Roanoke Adventist Preparatory, which provides classes from kindergarten to eighth grade. Private parish schools outside Roanoke City, but in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area, including Roanoke Valley Christian Schools, Faith Christian School, Mineral Springs Christian School, Christian Parkway Academy and Life Academy, all in Roanoke County.
Two four-year private institutions are located in neighboring areas - Roanoke College in Salem city, and Hollins University in Roanoke County. Virginia Tech is located in neighboring Montgomery County. It has opened a higher education center in downtown Roanoke in collaboration with other colleges and universities, and Virginia Tech Foundation owns the Roanoke Hotel. Virginia Tech also opened a new medical school in South Roanoke in collaboration with Carilion Clinic, a regional non-profit health care organization based in Roanoke. Virginia Western Community College is located in the city of Roanoke, such as Jefferson College of Health Sciences.
Economy
The Roanoke economy is evolving around Norfolk and the Western Railroad, with a strong emphasis on manufacturing. Roanoke's economic history also includes the characteristics of the Sun Belt since it once became the center of the garment industry. The surrounding areas rely on rural traditional industries in the South such as textiles and furniture manufacturing, which are losing jobs for offshore outsourcing. Although Virginia is the right to work state, unions have traditionally represented workers in many large companies in the region of Roanoke and southwest Virginia.
Roanoke used to be the headquarters of Norfolk and Western Railway until the merger with Southern Railway created Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982. Norfolk Southern continues to operate its marketing headquarters and some maintenance facilities in Roanoke. Wachovia Bank, later known as First Union, acquired the Roanoke-based Dominion Bank in 1993 and maintained operations and customer service centers in Roanoke. Other companies have been acquired by companies headquartered elsewhere, including such as Roanoke Electric Steel and Hayes, Seay, Mattern and Mattern (HSMM) architectural and engineering companies that have been acquired by AECOM multi-national conglomerate. Roanoke's economic and population growth rates are less than the state and national average since the 1960s. The immediate Roanoke region has a low unemployment rate, but a worker's brain drain can not find a job satisfactory and underemployment is sometimes referred to as an explanation.
The city of Roanoke has created an initiative to address the brain drain of territories such as a database to match job seekers who want to stay in the Roanoke area with employers looking for candidates. In addition, careers and a fair lifestyle have been held shortly after Christmas in recent years to show the professional and social opportunities in the area to those who visit family for the holidays. Also, young professional organizations such as Valley Forward and Newva Connects have emerged.
However, Roanoke's economy has a strong power. The city is a health and retail healthcare center in a large area, which encourages the expansion of the Carilion Health System and Valley View Mall. Advance Auto Parts is headquartered in Roanoke and has grown through the acquisition of another chain to become one of the largest auto parts retailers in the country. Norfolk Southern remains a great company. FreightCar America employs several hundred people to assemble rail cars in hired stores from Norfolk Southern and has shut down a plant in Johnstown, Pennsylvania partly because of lower costs for Roanoke facilities. Recently, the company laid off Roanoke employees and said it planned to temporarily shut down the plant. The corporate office of Virginia Transformer Corporation (a leading transformer manufacturing company of the United States) and utility company RGC Resources is located in this city. General Electric and TMEIC produce large propulsion systems for power stations and factories at their joint facilities in Salem. ITT manufactures night vision goggles at its plant in Roanoke County, and several of its employees have started other companies such as Optical Cable Corporation. The proximity of the automotive assembly plant in the South has attracted manufacturers including Dynax, Koyo, Metalsa, and Yokohama, formerly Mohawk Tire. Roanoke's location allows delivery within a day to most markets in the southeast, northeast, mid-atlantic, and Ohio Valley, making it a distribution center for companies like Orvis, Elizabeth Arden, and Hanover Direct. United Parcel Service (UPS) has major facilities at Roanoke Regional Airport. While the city of Roanoke has lost its population, suburbs in Roanoke County, Botetourt County south, and the areas of Bedford County and Franklin County near Smith Mountain Lake have grown.
Kroger operates the Mid-Atlantic regional office at 3631 Peter's Creek Road NW in Roanoke.
Top entrepreneurs
According to Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of Roanoke 2011, the top companies in the city are:
Media
Roanoke is the media center for many of Southwest Virginia and parts of Southern West Virginia.
The city's daily newspaper, The Roanoke Times, has been published for 120 years and edited for many years in the 20th century by renowned editor John W. Eure. The current owner of the newspaper is Berkshire Hathaway. The average weekday circulation is slightly above 90,000 with Sunday's circulation of around 103,000. In 2002, it was set as the most widely read daily newspaper in the country, according to the 2002 Scarborough Report. Of 162 newspapers in the US metropolitan area, The Roanoke Times ranked first in the percentage of adults reading their daily newspaper. It ranked first again in 2006. The Roanoke Times founded the website in 1995 and has developed a web portal on Roanoke.com.
The Roanoke Times previously published Blue Ridge Business Journal serving the business community in Roanoke and surrounding areas, but publications ceased publication in 2010 and folded into the Sunday Business Publication newspaper as The Ticker . Valley Business Front is a monthly publication that targets the business community in the region. The weekly Roanoke Tribune was founded in 1939 by Fleming Alexander and includes the city's African-American community. Main Street Newspapers publishes weekly newspapers for nearby communities such as Salem, Vinton, Southwest Roanoke County and Botetourt County. Play by Play is a monthly publication dedicated to local and regional sports.
The Roanoke Star-Sentinel is a weekly newspaper covering the city of Roanoke. The South Roanoke Circle is an independent monthly newspaper for the South Roanoke neighborhood.
The Roanoker is a regional bi-monthly lifestyle magazine published by Leisure Publishing, which also publishes the monthly magazine Blue Ridge Country.
Broadcast
Television
Roanoke and Lynchburg are grouped in the same television market, which is currently ranked # 67 in the United States with 440,398 households. There are affiliates for all networks as well as independent stations.
Other stations on the market include Fox affiliates WFXR Fox 21/27 in Roanoke, PBS WBRA-15 affiliate at Roanoke, Liberty University WLHG-43 in Lynchburg, independent WFFP-TV-24 in Danville, and ION Television WPXR-38 affiliate in Roanoke.
Radio
The following is a partial list of radio stations in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market, which has a population of 412,300 and is ranked # 115 in the US.
Art, history and culture
EventZone was created in 2003 by merging various existing event organizers. EventZone is in charge of helping festivals and new events in the Downtown "Roanoke" event zone, defined as limited by Williamson Road, 6th Street, SW, Roanoke Civic Center and Rivers Edge Park.
Roanoke festivals and cultural events include Chili Cook-Off, Festival in the Park, Local Color Festival, Henry Street Festival, Big Lick Blues Festival, Strawberry Festival, and Mill Mountain Star are red, white and bright blue (previously illuminated in red following a drunken driving of fatalities in the Roanoke Valley, whilst illuminated white on April 22, 2007 as a memorial to the Virginia Tech Massacre on April 16, 2007) at Mill Mountain, which is visible from many points in the city and surrounding valleys.
Museum
Center in the Square opened in downtown Roanoke on December 9, 1983 near the city market as part of the city's revitalization efforts. The Center, a converted warehouse, houses the West Virginia Museum of History, which contains exhibits and artifacts related to the history of the area and has a library of materials available to scholars and the public. The center is also home to the Virginia Science Museum and the Hopkins Planetarium. The Science Museum maintains a permanent installation of neon sign art featuring local Mark Jamison works, PBS special subject Slash Coleman "The Neon Man and Me."
Formerly housed at the Center in the Square, the Taubman Art Museum has now emptied the Center and opened a new facility at 110 Salem Avenue SE. This art museum features nineteenth and twentieth-century American art, contemporary and modern art, decorative art, and paper work, and presents exhibitions of both regional and national significance. The new 75,000-square-foot facility (7,000 m 2 ) was designed by Los Angeles-based architect Randall Stout, who previously worked under Frank Gehry. The new room opened on 8 November 2008. The design of this facility sparked a debate in the community between those who felt it was a bold and refreshing addition to Roanoke and those who felt the unusual and irregular designs that featured sharp corners contrasted sharply with the existing buildings.. Some are also concerned about the cost of the facility as many of Roanoke's regional artistic organizations face financial challenges. The Taubman family, who founded Advance Auto Parts, contributed $ 15.2 million to the project. As a result, the museum was named The Taubman Museum of Art.
The Virginia Transport Museum has many locomotives built in Roanoke, including Norfolk and Western J class # 611 and Norfolk & amp; Western 1218 steam engine, and other locomotives and sled. The museum also exhibits exhibits that include flights, cars, and buses.
The former Roanoke passenger train station headquarters hosted the O. Winston Link Museum dedicated to the late steam-era railroad photography of O. Winston Link since 2004.
Harrison Museum of African-American Culture is dedicated to the history and culture of the African-American community of Roanoke and is currently located in a former school in the Gainsboro section of Roanoke. Gainsboro, originally Gainesborough for the founder of Major Kemp Gaines, was originally a separate community filing a municipal status petition in 1835. The Harrison Museum will move to the Center in Square after the Center's renovation is complete.
Art
The Berglund Center (originally called the Roanoke Civic Center ) auditorium and the newly renovated theater, now known as the Roanoke Performing Arts Theater, the host concert, the Broadway theater show, the Miss Virginia contest , and other events. The first permanent artwork in the city funded by Art Percentage Ordinance stands in front of the theater. Dedicated in 2008, a 30 foot (9.1 m) stainless steel sculpture, "In My Hands," by Baltimore artist Rodney Carroll is one of more than 100 works in the city's public art catalog.
The Shaftman Performance Hall, which opened in May 2001 and is located at the Jefferson Center, has become an important part of Roanoke art show. Shaftman Hall organizes regular seasons of concerts and other shows from fall to spring as well as entertainment and other lectures. Jefferson Center previously served Roanoke as Jefferson High School and now also serves as an office and showroom for cultural organizations.
In November 2006, the former Dumas Hotel reopened as Dumas Art and Culture Development Center. The hotel is located in the First Street NW segment commonly known as Henry Street. Located opposite the railway line from downtown Roanoke, Henry Street serves as the commercial and cultural center of the African American community of Roanoke before desegregation. The Dumas Hotel hosts hosts like Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole as they perform in Roanoke. The renovated Dumas Center features an auditorium with over 180 seats, Downtown Music Lab: a recording studio and a music education center for teenagers, Dumas Drama Guild, and the Roanoke Opera office. Virginia City Theater City of Virginia
The Roanoke Times writes: "Between Staunton, Virginia and Abingdon, Virginia, and especially in the Roanoke Valley, we have an unusual number of theaters instantly happening at the same time - with unusual variations.This basically feels like a live- The Crooked Road, Virginia theater - which makes us wonder why somebody is not trying to market it that way.Over time after time, Roanoke has been billed as "Virginia's Music City." We're also, to say, "Virginia City Theater. "
Roanoke Children's Theater is Roanoke's professional children's theater. This can be found inside the new Taubman Art Museum in downtown Roanoke. Theater provides four performances a year devoted to family hearing. The theater expanded their programs in various art outreach programs across the valley and beyond.
Mill Mountain Theater, a regional theater, is located on the first floor of Center in the Square. As the name suggests, this theater originally located at Mill Mountain from 1964 to 1976 when its original facility was destroyed by fire. The theater has a main stage for mainstream performances and a smaller black box theater called Waldron Stage which hosts both newer and more experimental games along with other live events.
Grandin Theater at the Grandin Village of Southwest Roanoke regularly airs home art movies, family features and mainstream movies. The Grandin Theater is home to the Mill Mountain Theater from 1976 to 1983.
Virginia Western Theater has performed at the Whitman Auditorium at Virginia Western Community College, and has performed original and famous theater productions since 1968.
Roanoke has also been home to Showtimers Community Theater since 1951. Showtimers was formed in the summer of 1950, by a group of people who wanted to present amateur summer production. Over the years, Showtimers has produced over 300 different shows, ranging from standard, classical to modern and avant-garde theater; of comedies designed solely to entertain for serious 'thought pieces' on social issues; from intimate small music to big-name famous shows on Broadway. Currently, Showtimers presents six performances per year.
The famous Star City Playhouse in Roanoke. "The owners have more than 50 years of combined experience working in and around the theater on Broadway in New York and maintaining an impressive collection of costumes and extensive pieces that have been donated over the years through Marlow's contacts from New York."
Virginia Virginia Music City
Roanoke has long been home to various types of music. The oldest music club was formed in 1908, and bluegrass music, choral, classical, rock and traditional music and musicians of all types and formats have been accepted here.
Blue Ridge Rocks is a group that organizes varied schedules for music events in the Roanoke area. The site was started by a small group of music lovers living in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Roanoke and Southwest Virginia are also home to "The Crooked Road", a 300-mile journey including 19 districts, four towns and 54 cities presenting and preserving the local music heritage. The Crooked Road music can be felt through the sentimental country songs, fiddle and banjo songs, folk songs, crisp bluegrass harmony, and gentle gospel singing.
Opera Roanoke was founded in 1976 as the Southwest Virginia Opera Society, the Roanoke Opera has collaborated with the best talent in our region, across the state and from cultural centers across the nation. Under the direction of Victoria Bond, Craig Fields, Steven White, and Scott Williamson, the Roanoke Opera has maintained a reputation for displaying outstanding productions featuring some of the world's best opera singers. Metropolitan Opera stars Eleanor Steber and Irene Dalis were among the company's early artistic advisers. Although they did not do so, they guided many young artists in the early years of the company as a community organization.
Roanoke Ballet Theater. The Roanoke Ballet Theater (RBT) promotes the dance's heritage, development and enjoyment by offering pre-professional and professional dance instruction and performances in the diverse West Virginia community. This is a nonprofit dance school, providing excellent instruction in ballet, pointe, modern, tap, jazz, and special classes for all ages and skill levels. RBT maintains professional performing companies and student members who undertake and tour throughout the year.
Children's Choir Roanoke Valley. Open to children aged 7-18, the RVCC includes four choirs, each focusing on a specific level of development and music. Students enter the program through a private audition with the Director and placed into A Choir, B Choir, B Choir, or Concert Choir. Auditions are held every spring.
The Roanoke Valley Fiddle and Banjo Club are dedicated to preserving local and regional bluegrass, old and gospel music since 1968. The website has a special page on "Music Around Roanoke".
The Roanoke Valley Choral Society, or "RVCS", is a special outlet for talent in Roanoke. The Roanoke Valley Choral Society was formed in 1985 with the merging of former Chorus Roanoke Valley and Virginia Choral Society. The original Roanoke Valley Chorus dates to the early 1960s, and the Virginia Choral Society began operations in the early 1970s. Since 1985 Roanoke Valley Choral Society has appeared to the audience in Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas. In addition to the creative staff, all individuals associated with RVCS are volunteers, contributing their time and talents.
The Roanoke Valley Shag Club started in 1989, and has more than 200 members. The "shag dance" comes from "Carolina shag," which is a dance partner mostly done for beach music.
The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1952. Also known as "RSO", it has a special youth and student activities. The Roanoke Youth Symphony has three ensembles: The Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra (RYSO); String Ensemble and Ensemble Flute. The Roanoke Symphony Chorus was founded in 1999 under the direction of Dr. John Hugo. There was an earlier organization called Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, mentioned in the Roanoke Times in February 1942: "Something unique in the nation's theater circle is the Civic Theater of Roanoke, formed from five Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera organizations, Academy Players, Civic Choirs , Children's Theater Community and Roanoke Symphony Orchestra - for better production purposes from local dramas and concerts altogether. "
The Southwest Virginia Ballet (SVB) has served the community for 25 years and serves more than 10,000 children and adults annually. SVB continues to serve as a training ground for regional dancers who may seek careers in the field of dance or dance. In its 25 years of history, SVB characteristics continue to include professional instruction, free membership, free costume, and local participation; in that case, many dance schools are represented in the membership of the company. SVB Program Minds and Motion (6 years) and Dance Espanol (3 years). These programs have a huge impact of reaching over 200 Roanoke City 4th graders every year and more than 340 Martinsville City School students of all ages in Henry County.
The Thursday Morning Music Club was founded in 1908, and is the oldest operating club in the Roanoke Valley. The Club operates for charitable and educational purposes to create wider appreciation music, foster the development of individual talents, and provide wider musical entertainment throughout the area. It aims to encourage and develop individual musical talents, to grow and promote music entertainment, and to provide social and educational centers. Donor Mmember and fundraising events provide an annual scholarship to the Junior Club and club Dance divisions. The division includes: Virtuoso Club (Ages 12 to 18); Whole Notes Club (Ages 6 to 11) and Foot Records (Dance Division).
The dancers of Lake Square and Moonlight Square Square Dancers are chapters of Virginia Square Dancers.
American Amateur Ballroom Dancer Association, Roanoke Valley Chapter. It sponsors various dances including, Latin, big band, swing, and contemporary and offers instruction in styles like waltz, tango, swing, cha-cha-cha, rumba and crowd.
Club Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM )
Since the beginning of the 19th century, Roanoke has attracted specialists in the fields of Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to support rail and transport industries. Unlike other cities with large universities that can overwhelm local interest groups, Roanoke residents began to form their own clubs and social associations to support their hobbies and special interests from these harsh sciences. The following clubs do not have university or government support.
American University Women's Association, Roanoke Valley Branch. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a national network of over 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches. For 130 years, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on fundamental issues of the day - education, social, economic, and political. AAUW enhances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. The money collected was given to fund scholarships not only given to high school girls, but the women who had decided to return to college to get a degree. AAUW funded STEM conferences for girls to draw their interest in careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Roanoke Valley Chapter also supports their parent organization, AAUW, for their graduate school scholarship for women.
The Star City Brewers Guild ("SCBG" or "the Guild") is the only homebrewers club officially recognized by the AHA American Homebrewers Association. SCBG serves the Roanoke Valley and the surrounding area and includes remote members such as Lynchburg, Martinsville, and Blacksburg, Virginia. The fellowship as a group, and as an individual member, has a recognizable presence in the Roanoke Valley as a knowledgeable supporter for brewing good quality and brewed beers, Homebrewing and brewed crafts (Mikrobrewery).
Purpose of Roanoke Valley Minerals & amp; Gem Society is to promote education, information, skills development, exploration, specimen exchange and library maintenance in Mineralogy, Crystallography, Paleontology, Geology, and other allied earth science. Website: http://www.rvmgsoc.org/
Roanoke Robotics & amp; Makers Club of Southeastern Virginia builds robots and all sorts of things. This club hosts friendly & amp; workshops where members learn from each other. WEB: http://www.meetup.com/Roanoke-Robotics/
The Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society. The goal of the Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society is scientific and educational and is directed towards the advancement of understanding and appreciation of astronomy and related science among members of the Society and the wider community. Web: http://www.rvasclub.org
Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club is a nonprofit dedicated service club dedicated to the advancement and enjoyment of amateur radio. This club has been serving southwestern Virginia since 1932. WEB: http://w4ca.com/
Sports
Professional
Virginia Squires of ABA 1971-1972 is the only major league sports team that regularly plays at home in Roanoke. During the 1971-1972 season, Squires separated home games between Richmond, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, and Roanoke. Julius Erving played his professional rookie season with Squires in 1971-1972.
Small league baseball has been more successful in building and maintaining a fan base than any other minor league team Roanoke Valley. In the 1940s and early 1950s, Roanoke was home to a B grade farm team from the Boston Red Sox. Since 1955, Salem's neighbors have hosted the local small league baseball team, currently the Salem Red Sox of the High Class A Carolina League. The team had previously been affiliated with Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies and was known as Landslide to become an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, whose ownership group purchased Avalanche in 2007, for the 2009 season.
The Little League Hockey has a history in Roanoke Valley dating from the 1960s. It reached the peak of popularity in the mid to late 1990s with Roanoke Express from ECHL. Team attendance decreased due to lack of post-season success and management fluctuation. The Express folded after the 2003-04 season.
2005-06 Awakening by UHL's Roanoke Valley Vipers failed after one season. The team has a losing record and a midwestern-based league can not revive the interest of local fanbase. The team was formed to provide travel partners for the UHL franchise in Richmond which also folded after the 2005-06 season.
In 2016, professional hockey returns to Roanoke after ten years when Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the Southern Professional Hockey League starts playing.
The Roanoke Dazzle of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and Roanoke Steam of the af2 (football arena) folded up after never progressing consistently. The presence of Dazzle is similar to other inaugural franchises in the league. It was one of the last two teams left in his hometown. Over the years, Roanoke also has soccer teams and semi-professional football men and women.
Amateur
Higher Education
For several years, Roanoke, with Richmond and Norfolk, was one of the sites that was nominally neutral for the annual basketball game between Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies. During much of the 1970s to the 1990s, the University of Virginia dominated the competition and therefore tended to have greater fan representation, despite Roanoke's short distance to the Virginia Tech home in Blacksburg. In the late 1990s, schools started holding these games at their own campus facilities.
Virginia Hockey Hockey Team has been using the Roanoke Civic Center as its regular season home spot, from 2006 until now. In 2010, the ice hockey team Roanoke College started using the Roanoke Civic Center as its home place as well.
From the 1940s to the late 1960s, Roanoke's Victory Stadium hosted the annual Thanksgiving Day match between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Military Institute and other high-profile college football games. From 1946 to 1950, Victory Stadium also hosted South Oldest Rivalry between the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina.
Preps
Patrick Henry High School is a member of the Western Valley AAA District. The Patriots won the AAA Group title in men's basketball in 1988 and 1992, football in 1973, and men's tennis in 2004. George Lynch and Curtis Staples were among the athletes who had attended school.
William Fleming High School is also a member of the Western Valley AAA District. The Colonel has established a strong program in men's and soccer balls with the Group AA Country championship in men's basketball in 2007 and two state runner-up seasons in both sports over the past 15 years. Lee Suggs graduated from Fleming.
Roanoke Catholic High School is a member of the Virginia Independent School Athletics Association. The Celtics won the VISAA football championship in 1994 and recently deployed a strong men's basketball team, often with foreign players, and has produced a college player like J.R. Reynolds Virginia. The Celtics have won 3 VIS Basketball championships in recent years.
North Cross School is also a member of the Virginia Independent School Athletics Association. The Raiders won the VISAA football championship in 2007, the VISAA football championship in 2008, and the VISAA wrestling championship in 2009. The Raiders have won 3 basketball championships, four soccer championships, and many other state awards in recent years.
The city has built a football stadium on a separate campus in schools to replace the Victory Stadium, which was destroyed in the summer of 2006. The Patriot Stadium opened for the 2007 season and an unnamed stadium on William Fleming's campus will be open for the 2008 season The field at the Patriot Stadium was named after Merrill Gainer, who trained Patrick Henry to the 1973 state championship.
Individual sports
The Roanoke Valley Chess Club was formed in 1947 in Roanoke, and is the oldest chess club in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For over 60 years, the Roanoke Valley Chess Club has served to bring and support chess activities to the region, and hold regular events. These events include the US Chess Federation Grand Prix tournament. The club also hosts annual volunteer events during the Roanoke Festival in the Park, the Grandin Court Block Party, the Tons of Fun, and more.
Festival
Roanoke and the surrounding community hosted the annual Commonwealth Games in Virginia, an Olympic-style amateur sports festival. Starting in 2010, Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway is scheduled to be held in the city.
Economic statistics: Roanoke MSA
Roanoke, VA MSA is the US Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in Virginia as determined by the Office of Management and Budget of the United States (OMB) as of June 2003.
Note: Since the state's constitutional change in 1871, all cities in Virginia are independent cities and they are not legally located in any country. OMB regards these independent cities as districts-equivalent for the purpose of defining MSA in Virginia. Each MSA is listed by region, then city, each in alphabetical order, and not by size.
Roanoke, VA MSA:
- Botetourt County
- Craig County
- Franklin County
- Roanoke County
- Kota Roanoke
- Kota Salem
- Kota Vinton
Nickname
Many businesses and organizations adopt "Star City" in their name, after Mill Mountain Star. The older "Wizarding City" is still in use, most prominently by Ford's Roanoke dealers. The original name of the city "Big Lick" is often used in strange contexts.
Roanoke's status as the largest city in the mountainous region led to the nickname "The Capital of the Blue Ridge".
Twin Cities
Roanoke has seven twin cities, as defined by Sister Cities International:
Famous people
Born in Roanoke:
- Astrophysicist and Nobel Laurent John C. Mather, one of the 100 Most Influential People in TIME Magazine in 2009
- NASA astrophysicist, Beth A. Brown
- United States Ambassador to Romania, Nicholas Taubman
- American Artist John Alan Maxwell
- Tony Atlas wrestler
- Twin NFL Ronde Barber and Tiki Barber (Roanoke County) players
- MLB players outside Billy Sample
- Tai Collins models and actresses
- Former US Treasury Secretary Henry H. Fowler
- Antoinette Hale painter
- Former Secretary of Defense of the United States Louis A. Johnson
- Well-known medical patient Henrietta Lacks
- NBA basketball player, George Lynch (city)
- Actor John Payne
- Former Curtis Staples (city) basketball player
- The former NHL Defenseman Eric Weinrich
- NFL football player Lee Suggs
- Former Arsenal football player Danny Karbassiyoon
- Former tennis player K. J. Hippensteel
- NFL footballer John St. Clair
- Lois Weaver, Guggenheim won artist, activist, writer, director, and Professor of Contemporary Performance at Queen Mary University of London
- Walter Muir, International Chess Master of Correspondence
- Former Major League Baseball player, George Canale
- George E. Bushnell, Michigan Supreme Court Judge
- Professional wrestler Jim Harrell, better known as Boris Zhukov
- Don Pullen, an American jazz pianist
Dibesarkan di Roanoke:
- Penyanyi Wayne Newton
- Pendiri McAfee, John McAfee
- Pemain basket NBA J. J. Redick (Roanoke County)
- Wayne LaPierre, CEO National Rifle Association
One time residents:
- Former South African Professional Johan Kriek
- Author of Nelson S. Bond
- Oliver Hill's civil rights lawyer
- Nidal Malik Hasan, the killer in Fort Hood 2009 shooting
- Dramawan Kermit Hunter
- Samuel W. Martien, a cotton grower and a Louisiana politician, spent his last years at his home in Roanoke
- The mathematician and Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash
- Commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party (neo-Nazi) Bill White
- American early African American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux
- Comedian and actress Whitney Cummings
- NASCAR Legend, Pioneer and Curtis Turner's Hall of Famer
- Dr. Harry Penn (1902-1963), dentist and civil rights activist
- Reverend Fleming Alexander (1888-1980), minister, entrepreneur and publisher of the Roanoke Tribune
- Dr. John Henry Pinkard (1865-1934), businessman, banker, and herbal doctor
Landmarks and points of interest
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Grandin Village
- Historical Station # 1
- Hollins University
- Hotel Roanoke
- Mill Mountain Zoo
- O. Winston Link Museum
- Roanoke Star
- St. Andrew Catholic Church, State and National Markets
- Taubman Art Museum
- Virginia's Explore Park
See also
- List of Historic Historic Places of Interest in Roanoke, Virginia
References
Bibliography
External links
- Temporary AIR Exhibition
- The history of the Roanoke Fire Department dates from the 1880s to the present, with the latest news and links
- Old Roanoke - Photography history of Roanoke Virginia
- Center on Square
- A brief history and modern panoramic photo of the Roanoke Civil War Round Table
- Taubman Art Museum
- "Roanoke City". County and City Records . Richmond: Library of Virginia.
- Items associated with Roanoke, Virginia, various dates (via the American Digital Public Library)
- Roanoke Public Libraries. "Virginia Room". City of Roanoke. (Local history collection)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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