SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2012 SESSION

12104194D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 291
Offered January 30, 2012
Commending the City of Charlottesville on its 250th anniversary.
----------
Patron—Toscano; Senator: Deeds
----------

WHEREAS, the City of Charlottesville proudly celebrates its historic 250th anniversary in 2012; and

WHEREAS, the history of Charlottesville reaches back in time to when Monacan Indians resided in a town known as Monasukapanough, located five miles north of the present center of the city; and

WHEREAS, travelers came to the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains via Three Notch’d, or Three Chopt, Road, which followed an Indian trading path; and

WHEREAS, by the mid-1700s, many early settlers had received patents for land in Albemarle County, in which the village of Charlottesville would later be formed; and

WHEREAS, in 1762, one year after the division of Albemarle County to form several new counties, Charlottesville was founded by an Act of the General Assembly to be Albemarle’s county seat, with a gridded town plan that included a public square with a courthouse; and

WHEREAS, as the town’s population grew, enterprising citizens opened businesses around the courthouse, as other neighborhoods such as Vinegar Hill, Belmont, Starr Hill, and Fifeville eventually developed in other spots among the hilly terrain; and

WHEREAS, in 1819 Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia west of the town, aiding in a gradual expansion of population and business activity to Main Street and westward; and

WHEREAS, Charlottesville underwent more growth and expansion when the predecessor lines of what became the Chesapeake & Ohio and Southern Railroads came to the area in the mid-1800s; and

WHEREAS, Charlottesville held its first mayoral election in 1854, endured the Civil War relatively unscathed, and, importantly, was incorporated as an independent city in 1888; and

WHEREAS, the twentieth century brought a renewed era of expansion and prosperity to Charlottesville, while the purchase and restoration of Monticello by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation helped draw tourists to the area; and

WHEREAS, today, the City of Charlottesville consistently ranks as one of the top places in America to live, work, and retire; boasts one of the top universities in the nation; and has proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains for outdoors enthusiasts, as well as artists’ studios and entertainment venues that draw residents and visitors alike; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Charlottesville have planned a yearlong series of community events to commemorate their rich history and celebrate their diverse citizenry; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the City of Charlottesville on the occasion of its historic 250th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Satyendra Huja, mayor of the City of Charlottesville, as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of the City’s rich history and best wishes for a bright and prosperous future for all its citizens.