Crozet, Virginia

Crozet /ˌkroʊˈzeɪ/ is a census-designated place (CDP) in Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is situated along the I-64 corridor approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Charlottesville and 21 miles (34 km) east of Staunton. Originally called "Wayland's Crossing," it was renamed in 1870 in honor of Colonel Claudius Crozet, the French-born civil engineer who directed the construction of the Blue Ridge Tunnel. The corner stone of Crozet is believed to have been Pleasant Green, a property also known as the Ficklin-Wayland Farm, located just about 100 30 yards from the actual Wayland Crossing. Claudius Crozet is said to have lodged in that property while surveying the land that today honors his name.[2][3] The population of Crozet was 5,565 at the 2010 census. Crozet is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Crozet
Census-designated place
Crozet
Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Coordinates: 38°4′12″N 78°42′6″W
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
CountyAlbemarle County
Area
 • Total3.7 sq mi (9.7 km2)
 • Land3.7 sq mi (9.7 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total5,565
 • Density1,500/sq mi (570/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
GNIS feature ID2389381[1]

Geography

Crozet is located at 38°4′12″N 78°42′6″W (38.069922, −78.701576).[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.7 km2 (3.7 mi2), all land.

Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2010, there were 5,565 people, 2,119 households, and 1,522 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,504.1 people per square mile (573.7/km2). There were 2,229 housing units at an average density of 602.4/sq mi (229.8/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.2% White, 4.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.

There were 2,119 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the CDP, the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 88 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $68,608, and the median income for a family was $85,976. Males had a median income of $53,415 versus $41,292 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $32,266. About 4.6% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Schools
Western Albemarle High School
J. T. Henley Middle School

Crozet is served by Western Albemarle High School, J. T. Henley Middle School, Brownsville Elementary School, Meriwether Lewis Elementary School, Murray Elementary School and Crozet Elementary School. All schools in Crozet are part of Albemarle County Public Schools. They are situated along Highway 250 and nearby to Interstate 64.

Western Albemarle High School is a public high school serving the central area of Albemarle County. The school was opened in September 1977. It is situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains on a 75-acre (30 ha) site and has an approximate enrollment of 1,100 students. The school's athletic mascot is the Warrior. The school is known for its strong academic, as well as athletic performances.[6]

J. T. Henley Middle School is a middle school, located on approximately 30 acres (12 ha) of land, that feeds into Western Albemarle High School. It was first opened in 1966. The school was built using the same blueprints as Jack Jouett Middle School. However, after a renovation/addition in 1999, the two schools differ slightly in design. Henley has a capacity of 690 students, although as of 2006 only 597 students were enrolled with 72 faculty members. By 2020, the student enrollment neared 1,000. The school's athletics mascot is the Hornets, and the current Principal is Dr. Beth Costa.

Directly opposite from Henley Middle School, on the same side of Route 250, is Brownsville Elementary, which shares an entrance from the highway with the middle school. Brownsville Elementary students graduate from the school to attend Henley Middle School.

Crozet Elementary School (the newer building) is located in rural Crozet on Crozet Avenue, across the street from the original Crozet Elementary building. Named after Claudius Crozet, the school feeds into J. T. Henley Middle School. Crozet Elementary teaches kindergarten-5th grade. It has about 402 students.

Other schools that feed into Henley are Meriwether Lewis Elementary and Murray Elementary, both of which are located in the vicinity of Ivy, Virginia.

Crozet is represented on the Albemarle County School Board by two elected members, David Oberg, who represents the White Hall Magisterial District and Jonathan Alcarro, the At-Large member of the School Board. Both Mr. Oberg and Mr. Alcarro were elected to four year terms in November 2015.

Library

Crozet is also home to a branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library System. The Crozet Library was housed in a railway depot which was built in 1923 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.[7] The new Crozet Library is [http://realcrozetva.com/2012/12/10/bricking-of-the-crozet-library/ now open. The Crozet/Western Albemarle Library, now open 52 hours each week, is a permanent public space that encourages and nurtures intellectual freedom and curiosity, and supports JMRL’s mission to help its communities grow, learn and connect. The building is designed to provide a collection of over 75,000 books. In addition to being an anchor for an active, growing community, the library stands as a permanent testament to the County and citizenry's dedication to lifelong learning.[8]

Recreation
Mint Springs Valley Park in Autumn

Because of Crozet's location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its natural scenery is one of its distinguishing features. Outdoor activity is popular among residents and visitors.

  • Crozet Park is a 22-acre (89,000 m2) 501(c)(3) non-profit recreational facility where various sports organizations local to Albemarle County come to play and practice throughout the year. It has fields for baseball, T-ball and soccer, as well as a year-round swimming pool, recreation center, three 36-foot QuickStart Tennis courts and several playgrounds.
  • Mint Springs Valley Park contains three lakes and 502 acres (2.03 km2) of land, and boasts an extensive network of hiking trails which offer beautiful views of the surrounding area. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the park's artificial beach is opened to the public and staffed with lifeguards.
  • Beaver Creek Lake consists of 115 acres (0.47 km2) land and 104 acres (0.42 km2) water. Though no swimming is allowed, electric powered boats and crafts are welcomed. Beaver Creek Lake is stocked with sunfish, channel catfish, and largemouth bass.
  • The Crozet Gators Swim Team attracts roughly 300 members and became the Jefferson Swim League champions for the first time in 2013.

Economy

Historically, Crozet was strategically important as a depot and transportation hub for the local apple and peach growing industries.[9][10] Morton Frozen Foods had its flagship manufacturing plant located in Crozet from August 1, 1953 until the late 1990s.[11] In 2000, food packaging company, ConAgra Foods, who last owned the brand, closed the plant, laying off more than 600 employees.[12] Today Musictoday, acquired in 2014 by San Francisco-based Delivery Agent Inc., an interactive entertainment-commerce firm, operates out of the building,[13][14] as does Starr Hill Brewery.

Culture
Crozet Volunteer Fire Department Engine 52 truck during a local parade.

Traditionally a railroad town with farming and orchards, Crozet has become much more culturally diverse since the turn of the century (2000). Many of the new residents are outdoor enthusiasts. Home based, online employment is common and many work professional jobs in nearby Charlottesville. Wineries and breweries have blossomed in the area providing tourism and employment.

Each year, Crozet holds an Independence Day celebration, which consists of a parade through the downtown area, a carnival in Crozet Park lasting for several days, and a sizeable fireworks show to bring the festivities to a close.

Crozet Park also hosts the semiannual Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival on Mother's Day weekend and the second weekend of October. It has been held in Claudius Crozet Park for the past 36 years, and has recently partnered with the local YMCA. This event typically features live entertainment, local food trucks, and local breweries and wineries. It is attended by artists all over Virginia, as well as all along the east coast.[15]

[16] The 2007 comedy film Evan Almighty (the sequel to Bruce Almighty) was partially filmed in Crozet. The ark seen in the movie, as well as the set for Evan's neighborhood, was constructed there.[17] The film set was situated on a plot of land across from Western Albemarle High School, Old Trail, which later became a popular housing subdivision.

2007 marked the start of the (now defunct) Crozet Music Festival an all day festival with local musicians such as Terri Alard, Sons of Bill, Trees on Fire, etc. coming out to support SAm Park

Crozet has been home to the Starr Hill Brewery since 2005, having relocated from nearby Charlottesville.

Author Rita Mae Brown has written a mystery series commonly called the 'Mrs. Murphy series' that takes place in Crozet.

A new complex of luxury apartments and various restaurants and shops was recently built in downtown Crozet. Called the Piedmont Place, it houses restaurants like Smoked Kitchen and Tap and The Rooftop. It also houses Morsel Compass, Crozet Creamery, and Over the Moon Bookstore.[18]

The future of Crozet

Over the past fifteen years, Crozet has seen an increasing rate of housing development, in part because of nearby Charlottesville's reputation as a desirable location,[19] but also because Albemarle County named Crozet as a designated growth area. While parts of the County are growing significantly, 95% of the County remains designated as rural.

In 2001, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved a framework dubbed the "Crozet Master Plan",[20] developed by a local architect and regional planning firm, in order to regulate development patterns and provide a public forum for discussing the topic. The Master Plan allows the population of Crozet to grow to over 12,000 people by the 2020s—more than four times the 2001 population. By 2013, the population had swelled to over 7000. These numbers have alarmed some long-time residents who are accustomed to the rural tranquility of Crozet, and over a thousand people have petitioned the county to cut down on the number of planned households. Another change coming to Crozet involves the redevelopment of the old Barnes Lumber property which encompasses much of the downtown section.[21]

The Crozet Historic District was listed the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.[22]

Notable people
  • Muhammad Ali, boxer, owned a farm outside Crozet.
  • Billy Wagner, baseball player.
  • Dr. Rita Mae Brown, MFH, lives in the area.
gollark: I don't think that function exist.
gollark: Yes.
gollark: You must use metric. ALWAYS.
gollark: For all the many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many problems of the UK's NHS, it is in many ways better than the even messier mess of America.
gollark: Oh. Right. You must be in America or something.

References
  1. "Crozet Census Designated Place". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  2. James, Phil. "Secrets of the Blue Ridge: Pleasant Green: Crozet History 101” Crozet Gazette. Crozet, October 5, 2018
  3. An Interview with Jane Warwick O’Neill (Graham). Richmond, March 2019, by Phil James and Eduardo Montes-Bradley. In the interview, Mrs. Jane Warwick O’Neill, who lived at Pleasant Green into her high school years in the mid-1930s identified the room where, according to her family’s oral tradition, Col.Crozet stayed while in the vicinity
  4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  6. "Western Albemarle High School". www2.k12albemarle.org. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  7. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library - Crozet. Accessed on June 26, 2006.
  8. ] http://www.jmrl.org/br-crozet.htm
  9. http://lodgeatoldtrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Lodger-17-Web-Edition.pdf
  10. "Secrets of the Blue Ridge: Virginia Mountain Peaches | Crozet Gazette". www.crozetgazette.com. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  11. "A New Life for Morton Frozen Foods? | Crozet Gazette". www.crozetgazette.com. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  12. "The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  13. Jaquith, Waldo. "MusicToday Expanding to ConAgra Plant « cvillenews.com". Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  14. "San Francisco firm buys Crozet-based Musictoday; 50 new jobs announced". The Daily Progress. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  15. "About Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival". Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival. 2015-02-28. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  16. "Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival". Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  17. "Evan Almighty wraps up in Crozet". The Hook. June 15, 2006.
  18. "Local Market". Piedmont Place Crozet. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  19. "'Mr. Jefferson would be proud': Charlottesville is No. 1". USA Today. March 29, 2004.
  20. Master Plan Narrative, County of Albemarle. Accessed on June 25, 2006.
  21. Puccio, Lindsay (1 March 2006). "Residents Upset About Crozet Development". Newsplex.com. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  22. "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 11/26/12 through 11/30/12. National Park Service. 2012-12-07.
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