Stuarts Draft, Virginia

Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was the territory of the Shawnee; none of their settlements are known to have existed in Stuarts Draft. Two non-resident tribes were frequent visitors to the area: the Delaware from the north and the Catawba from the south. At the time, this was the "outermost limits of Virginia". Stuart settled about three miles east of Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church which he helped found in 1744. These early settlers built houses and cleared the land for farming. The Stuart property was purchased by John Harper in 1800, with some parts being owned by Joseph McComb and Jacob Farror at a later date. In the 1960s, Stuarts Draft entered the modern industrial era with the opening of Draftco and the J. K. Porter plant (now NIBCO). This was followed by a Hershey Company plant and McKee Foods in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Manufacturing significantly increased the population and development of Stuarts Draft. In 2017 and 2018, the community held a series of public meetings to create a Stuart Draft Small Area Plan. The process included elected officials and consultants. Spanning 2019 through 2039, the resulting plan addresses land use, development, and transportation needs. It also defines areas for urban development (business, industrial, public use, and residential) and agricultural and rural conservation. Notes ==Geography==

The Stuarts Draft CDP is located in southeast Augusta County on the northwestern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The South River is a tributary of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Major streams in Stuarts Draft include Barterbrook Branch, Cole's Run, Deep Pond Run, Falling Rock Creek, Folly Mills Creek, Goose Creek, Johns Runs, Loves Run, Pine Run, and Stony Run. The George Washington National Forest is at the southern border of Stuarts Draft. Mineral deposits in the national forest include clay, gravel, iron, manganese, and sand. The Stuarts Draft CDP includes agricultural conservation areas and rural conservation areas. The temperature ranges are from 26 °F to 86 °F; it is rarely below 11 °F or above 93 °F. ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Stuarts Draft had a population of 12,142. The median age was 43.1 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.4 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 4,924 households in Stuarts Draft, of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.1% were married-couple households, 14.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. ==Economy==

According to the 2020 U.S. census, the median household income in the Stuarts Draft CDP is $63,679, the average household income is $$75,788, and the per capita income is $27,975. In 1969, NIBCO (formerly J. K. Porter), a manufacturer of wrought copper fittings for the flow control industry, opened its manufacturing plant in Stuarts Draft. Hollister Incorporated, which develops and manufactures medical devices and products, opened its facility in Stuarts Draft in 1979. Other manufacturers moving to Stuarts Draft in the 1970s include Ply-Gem Siding Group (formerly Alcoa) and Rexnord (formerly P. T. Components). It employees more than 1,300 people. In February 2022, some Hershey employees started a campaign to join the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers’ union (BCTGM) to gain better working conditions. In March 2022, Hershey's workers voted against unionization at the Stuarts Draft plant. It manufactures Little Debbie snack cakes. The Target Mid-Atlantic Distribution Center in Stuarts Draft has a footprint of . It was listed as the eighth largest tilt-up building in the world by the American Tilt-Up Association. It grows houseplants exclusively for the consumer brand Proven Winners. ==Arts and culture==

Events and festivals Sweet Dreams is a family-friendly, day-long festival held in Stuarts Draft Park each summer since around 2004. Architecture Stuarts Draft has a historic commercial district located along Draft Avenue, formerly Main Street. Two properties in Stuarts Draft are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dating to , the Bare House is a Greek Revival and Italianate style brick house, located off Wilda Road. Its related two-story stone mill, now in ruins, operated from 1795 through 1850. There is also a large mortise-and-tenon frame granary. There is also a Craftsman style farmhouse (1901) at 239 Stuart Avenue. Churches Churches located in Stuarts Draft include: Bible Truth Church, Calvary United Methodist Church, Destiny Family Center (Assemblies of God), Finley Memorial Presbyterian Church, Good Shepard Church of the Nazarene, Greenmonte Mennonite Church, Pilgrim Christian Fellowship (Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship), Rankin United Methodist Church, Rejoicing Life Church (International Church of the Foursquare Gospel), Ridgeview Baptist Church (Baptist Bible Fellowship International), Sherando United Methodist Church, Steadfast Church of God in Christ (Pentecostal), Stuarts Draft Baptist Church (Southern Baptist Convention), Stuarts Draft Christian Fellowship, Stuarts Draft Good Shepherd (Nazarene), Stuarts Draft Mennonite Church, Valley Baptist Church (Independent), and White Hill Church of the Brethren. ==Sports==

Stuarts Draft has a summer baseball league team, the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks. The team plays at The Diamond Club, leased to it by Augusta County. ==Parks and recreation==

Kate Schneider Park is operated by the Stuarts Draft Ruritans and provides three lit baseball fields, one unlit baseball field, a pavilion, and a large horseshoes court. Friendship Park provides a single-lit baseball field. Billed as "America's Finest Inland Beach", it featured 250 campsites, cabins, horseback riding, tennis courts, a volleyball and softball field, shuffleboard, a fishing pond, a beach area, and a sand-bottom swimming lake. Shenandoah Acres reopened in 2015 as Sun Retreats Shenandoah Valley; the new owners expanded the facilities to 315 campsites and added an arcade. Covering , it is the largest recreation development in the George Washington National Forest area. The Stuarts Draft Library opened in October 2017; it is part of the Augusta County Library system. ==Government==

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors governs Stuarts Draft as part of Augusta County. The community's representative is elected from the South River Magisterial District. ==Education==

Stuarts Draft includes four Augusta County Schools: Guy K. Stump Elementary School, Stuarts Draft Elementary School, Stuarts Draft Middle School, and Stuarts Draft High School. ==Infrastructure==

Transportation Public transit Brite Bus provides public transportation through its Stuarts Draft Link. Primary routes Major highways in Stuarts Draft include U.S. Route 340 (Stuarts Draft Highway). Health care Stuarts Draft has a variety of primary and specialty care medical practices, including offices affiliated with the University of Virginia Health System and Augusta Health. Augusta Health is a research affiliate of the Duke Cancer Institute. Utilities The Augusta County Service Authority provides public water through the South River Water System and sewer service through the Stuarts Draft Waste Water Treatment Plant. Dominion Energy and Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative provide electricity to the area. Public safety The Stuarts Draft Volunteer Fire Company and Stuarts Draft Rescue Squad provide public safety services to Stuarts Draft. ==Notable people==

• Shonn Bell, professional football player • John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition • George Harris, professional wrestler • James Patton, merchant, pioneer frontiersman, and soldier • Susan Swecker, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia • Brian Whitesell, NASCAR team manager • Kenneth R. Whitesell, vice admiral in the United States Navy ==References==