Ashland, Virginia

History

The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad initially developed the town in the 1840s as a mineral springs resort with a racetrack. The town was named "Ashland" after native son Henry Clay's estate in Kentucky and was officially incorporated on February 19, 1858. The area had been known as "The Slashes", sometimes translated as "swamp", but which also reflected the small ravines that formed in the sandy clay soil after hard rains.

Confederate troops trained on the former racetrack early in the American Civil War , but the war and its aftermath devastated Ashland. Randolph–Macon College (founded 1830) moved to Ashland in 1868 and began using buildings of a hotel as well as building additional structures.

The railroad lines rebuilt and the town continued to expand. Even before the war, the railroad began offering monthly passes to Richmond to people buying lots and building houses in Ashland. When tycoon Jay Gould established an electrified interurban line between Ashland and Richmond in 1907, the town became an early streetcar suburb of Richmond. However, the line maintained by The Richmond and Chesapeake Bay Railway did not survive and was sold at auction to Oliver Jackson Sands, Jr. and Jonathan Bryan. They established the Richmond-Ashland Railway Company in 1919 which operated until 1938. A former car barn in Ashland is one of the few remaining vestiges of the line.

Construction of U.S. Route 1 on the former Washington (or Richmond) Road, and later I-95, further shaped the town character and development.[[File:Ashland, Virginia.png|thumb|left|[[Ashland station (Virginia)|Ashland station]]]]

One of Virginia's oldest churches is 5 mi southeast of Ashland: Slash Church, built as the Upper Church of St. Paul's Parish in 1729 remains a house of worship, though now used by the Disciples of Christ. Ashland itself originally had a Free Church, shared by various Protestant denominations. Several denominations built churches shortly after the Civil War, but many have been torn down. The town's current Episcopal church is St. James the Less, on the other side of the railway line from Slash Church and whose congregation received monthly clergy visitations in the 1850s, and which in 1958 sold its 1866-consecrated and once-moved building as well as the old rectory (which still remains today, in private ownership) in order to build a larger one on the town's outskirts. The Disciples of Christ also had a historic church on Center Street (built 1900) that was replaced in 1985. Historic churches still within the town's (and historic district's) boundaries include Ashland Baptist Church (1860, now the Hanover Arts and Activities Center); Shiloh Baptist Church (1866, originally Freedmens Baptist Church), Duncan Memorial Chapel (Methodist, 1879), St. Ann's Catholic Church (built 1892, remodeled 1925) and Ashland Presbyterian Church (1875-1881). Gwathmey Baptist Church (1892) is a mile nearer Richmond and (like the former St. James the Less Church), within 50 feet of the railroad tracks. The town now also has an Eastern Orthodox congregation, St. Andrew's (2001), and a messianic Jewish congregation (Beth Shalom Ministries, 2004).

On October 19, 2002, Ashland made national news as the site of one of the D.C. sniper attacks. 37-year-old Jeffrey Hopper was shot at 8:00 pm in the parking lot of a Ponderosa Steakhouse as he and his wife left the restaurant. A ransom demand note the snipers left nearby was instrumental in identifying them.

The local newspaper, The Herald-Progress, published its final edition on March 29, 2018.

Geography

Ashland is located near the center of Hanover County at (37.759361, −77.477226). U.S. Route 1 passes through the east side of the center of town, leading north 8 mi to Doswell and south 16 mi to Richmond. Interstate 95 passes through the town limits further to the east, with access from Exit 92. I-95 leads north 38 mi to Fredericksburg and 90 mi to Washington, D.C., while to the south it leads 16 miles to Richmond and 40 mi to Petersburg. Virginia State Route 54 goes through the center of Ashland as England Street and Thompson Street, leading east 6 mi to U.S. Route 301 at Hanover, the county seat, and northwest 13 mi to Montpelier.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ashland has a total area of 18.6 sqkm, of which 0.08 sqkm, or 0.43%, are water. Ashland is drained to the north by tributaries of the South Anna River, part of the Pamunkey and York River watershed, and to the south by tributaries of the Chickahominy River, part of the James River watershed.

Climate

The climate in this area is humid subtropical (Cfa) and is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cold winters. Average monthly temperatures range from 36.4 °F in January to 77.4 °F in July. The hardiness zone is 7a.

|Jan record high F = 82 |Feb record high F = 82 |Mar record high F = 92 |Apr record high F = 96 |May record high F = 97 |Jun record high F = 101 |Jul record high F = 103 |Aug record high F = 105 |Sep record high F = 105 |Oct record high F = 96 |Nov record high F = 88 |Dec record high F = 80 |year record high F = 105 |Jan record low F = −18 |Feb record low F = −11 |Mar record low F = 4 |Apr record low F = 15 |May record low F = 28 |Jun record low F = 37 |Jul record low F = 43 |Aug record low F = 41 |Sep record low F = 33 |Oct record low F = 19 |Nov record low F = 10 |Dec record low F = -4 |year record low F = -18 | access-date = July 5, 2021}} | access-date = July 5, 2021}}

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 7,565 people with 2,660 households in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 64.2% White, 21.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% Asian, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.5% of the population.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,521. The per capita income for the town was $26,227. About 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line.

Public services

Ashland is governed by a five-member town council, and day-to-day activities are run by a town manager, appointed by the town council. Hanover County handles stormwater pollutant removal and filtration. The town's library is part of the multi-county Pamunkey Regional Library System, although additional libraries are at the courthouse and Randolph Macon College.

The Ashland Volunteer Fire Company, formed in 1890 and one of the oldest in the county, is still located on 501 Archie Canon Drive. It remained a volunteer-led company until 2016 when Hanover County Fire-EMS began providing additional service. Public safety efforts are also supported by The Ashland Volunteer Rescue Squad. Founded in 1950, they have been supporting the community from their station on 203 Duncan Street until an ambulance engine caught fire in 2025. Despite the damage to the building, they continue to support Ashland and the surrounding area until repairs are complete. The Ashland Police Department has 30 sworn full-time officers and is Law Enforcement Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).

Transportation

Ashland's major highway connection is to I-95 at exit 92, via Virginia State Route 54. Commercial airline service is provided at Richmond International Airport, 26 mi distant, and general aviation is served by Hanover County Municipal Airport, 5 mi south of downtown.

Ashland's railroad station is served by Amtrak Northeast Regional trains bound for Richmond, Newport News and Norfolk, as well as points north such as Washington, D.C., and beyond on the Northeast Corridor to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Other Amtrak long-distance trains, such as the Silver Meteor and Auto Train to Florida, pass through Ashland without stopping on the CSX railroad's double-track mainline that bisects the downtown business district. As those trains approach Ashland, onboard announcers point out the Randolph–Macon College campus and the houses and businesses facing the tracks.

Proposals in the 2016 "DC2RVA" study to improve rail service between Washington, D.C., and Richmond by expanding the existing double-track railroad to triple-track have prompted concerns about its impact on the prized ambiance of downtown Ashland. The Main Street merchants' association said at a hearing that the additional track would result in "incalculable” loss to the city's "charm, the quaintness, and the aesthetic values".

Local attractions and events

Ashland's tourist information center is located at the Ashland railroad station. Bloomberg Business in 2009 named Ashland "Best Place to Raise your Kids" in Virginia. In 2014, Movoto.com named Ashland one of America's 10 best small towns.

Pufferbelly Park, located behind the Ashland Police Department,{{cite web

For nearly 35 years, Ashland's main festival has been the "Strawberry Faire" in June, at which vendors from around the state sell a variety of different items (with a strawberry theme). Festivities include a Strawberry Faire Pageant for Little Miss and Mister Strawberry, as well as live performances by local artists. Ten Hanover County Schools students each year receive Strawberry Faire scholarships.

The "Ashland Musical Variety Show" is a biennial talent show held in odd years. It features songs and skits performed by area residents and raises funds for the Hanover Arts & Activities Center in Ashland. It started in 1982.

Another festival is the family-friendly annual "Ashland Train Day," usually held on the last Saturday in April. Vendors can be found from around the country up and down Railroad Avenue. With the Quiet Zone rules in suspension, visitors are treated to frequent CSX freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains sounding off. During the event, Railroad Ave and England St are blocked off from vehicle traffic.

The Ashland Theatre sits on England Street and first opened in 1948 until its closure in the 1990s. The Ashland Theatre reopened its doors in 2018 after being completely renovated. It is run by the Ashland Theatre Foundation, a non-profit organization. The building is distinguished by its vintage appearance and neon lights. It offers an array of activities such as movies, concerts, book signings, and more.

Mr. Jingles is a cross-dressing man who rides a bicycle through the town while playing music; he pedals thirty miles daily.

In popular culture

Scenes from the 1995 film Major Payne were shot at Ashland's railroad station.

In November 2025, a raccoon broke into the Ashland ABC liquor store and passed out drunk after consuming alcohol. The story made international news.

References

References

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10. "By Train to the Center of the Universe". Richmond Magazine.
11. "Richmond and Chesapeake Bay Railway Car Barn". Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
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23. Staff, WTVR CBS 6 Web. (2025-02-28). "New information released into Ashland Volunteer Rescue Squad building fire".
24. "Garden Grove Spring 2025 Awarded Agencies {{!}} CALEA® {{!}} The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.".
25. "About Us {{!}} Ashland, VA - Official Website".
26. Truong, Debbie. (February 7, 2016). "Ashland not on board with one option for high-speed railway". [[Richmond Times-Dispatch]].
27. (August 1, 2014). "These Are The 10 Best Small Towns In America". Movoto Blog.
28. "Ashland Strawberry Faire".
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33. (2015-07-23). "PHOTOS: Ashland man now lives life as a woman".
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35. "Raccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floor". Associated Press.