Irvington
National Register of Historic Places

Irvington

Irvington, Lancaster County, Virginia
Listed
December 8, 2000
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
00000895

About this property

Irvington is a town on the Rappahannock River in Lancaster County, Virginia, United States. The population was 474 at the 2020 census. Located on a peninsula known as the Northern Neck, it has been designated a historic district. From 1871 until 1893, the town was called "Carter's Creek Wharf" or simply "Carter's Creek", since steamboats docked at the relatively deep water confluence of a tributary that had much earlier been called "Cossotomen Creek" and later "Carter's Creek" after early settler John Carter, Sr., the father of the powerful colonial era politician King Carter, who was the Virginia agent for the Northern Neck Proprietary. The town formally adopted the name "Irvington" to honor Baltimore native Captain Levin Irvington following a 1891 referendum, since mail had been often confused between this town and that of Center Cross in relatively nearby Essex County. The original Chesapeake Academy, 1889–1907, was located in Irvington. The historic district, Irvington, also known as Carters Creek, is a 1,107.2-acre (448.1 ha) area that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. In 2000, it included 149 contributing buildings, 3 contributing sites and one other contributing structure. Irvington is located at 37°39′41″N 76°25′9″W (37.6615, −76.4191). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), of which 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.9 km2) (18.13%) is water. According to the 2020 census, there were 474 people, 368 total housing units with 248 occupied, and 260 families in the town. Of the total residents, 454 were white, 10 were mixed race, 10 were Hispanic or Latino, 6 were black, 2 were Native American, 1 was Asian, and 1 was some other race. 89.2% of residents owned a house instead of renting. The median age in Irvington was 58.6 years. 35.5% of the population was 65 of older. 10.4% of the population was a veteran, with 91.7% of those being male. 56.7% of the residents had a bachelor's degree or other form of higher education. The median household income was $118,750. The median income for families was $157,500. For married-couple families it was $174,375, and $57,632 for non-family households. 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, 13% of which were age 65 and older. According to the 2000 census, the population density was 449.0 people per square mile (173.2/km2). There were 325 housing units at an average density of 216.8 per square mile (83.7/km2). Irvington is the home of the marine resort The Tides Inn. On King Carter Drive is the Steamboat Museum, which details the history of the steamboats that traveled the Chesapeake Bay and stopped in Irvington.

Location

Irvington, Lancaster County, Virginia
37.65938, -76.42382

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTMARITIME HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

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Questions about this property

When was Irvington listed on the National Register?

Irvington was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 8, 2000.

What type of historic resource is Irvington?

Irvington is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Irvington?

The period of significance for Irvington is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Irvington?

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