Centreville, Virginia

Colonial period

Beginning in the 1760s, the area was known as Newgate due to the popularity of the conveniently located Newgate tavern. William Carr Lane operated the tavern and was co-proprietor of a nearby store with James Lane, Jr.^[6] The Lanes sold convicted servants, which may explain why the tavern had the same name as a London prison.^[7] The small stream that passed near the tavern was named the River Thames, another London association.^[8] Another reason for it being named Newgate was that it was a "new gate" to the western territories.

18th century

The town of Centerville, shortly later spelled Centreville, was established in 1792 on the turnpike road at the village of Newgate by the Virginia General Assembly in response to petitions by local landowners.^[9] The petitioners reasoned that a town on the turnpike road leading from the Northwest Territory and centrally located to Alexandria, Colchester, Dumfries, Middleburg, George Town (later Georgetown), Fauquier Court House (later Warrenton), and Leesburg would be convenient. The town acquired its name due to its central location. James Hardage Lane, one of the landowners, conceived the idea of the town as a way to provide financial support to his widow and their children.^[10] At the town's inception, it was within the boundary of Loudoun County, Virginia, and became part of Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1798 when the boundary between the two counties shifted.^[11]

Town development established a pattern of mixed residential and commercial use. Frame houses, several taverns, stores, blacksmith shops, tan yards, and a school house were constructed on the 1/2-acre town lots.

American Civil War

In the American Civil War, several battles were fought nearby including the First Battle of Manassas, the Second Battle of Manassas, and the Battle of Chantilly.

During the winter of 1861 and early 1862 the town was significantly fortified by the Confederacy and served as a supply depot for both sides at various points in the war, and is famous for being the site of the construction of the first railroad ever built exclusively for military use, the Centreville Military Railroad. Centreville was of significant strategic value due to its proximity to several important roads, while its position atop a high ridge provided a commanding view of the surrounding area. The town was frequently associated with Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby, whose partisan rangers used its hillsides and farms as a base of operations, leading to the sobriquet "Mosby's Confederacy".^{[citation needed]}

20th and 21st centuries

Like much of Northern Virginia, Centreville experienced sustained population growth in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2021, the town has grown significantly. There are numerous shopping centers built around the town center.

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 73,518, with 25,931 housing units and 25,287 households.^[30][31] The population density was 6,157.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,379.2/km²), and the housing unit density was 2,171.8 per square mile (839.2/km²).^[30]

The median age was 36.9 years; 23.1% were under 18 and 9.7% were 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.^[30]

Of the households, 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. 57.6% were married-couple households, 14.8% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 22.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[30]

The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%, with 2.5% of housing units vacant.^[30]

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.^[32]

2022 American Community Survey

According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the largest ancestry was the 10.6% who had English ancestry; 41.0% spoke a language other than English at home, and 33.4% were born outside the United States, 80.1% of whom were naturalized citizens.^[1]

The median income for a household in the CDP was $131,444, and the median income for a family was $152,605. 5.0% of the population were military veterans, and 57.2% had a bachelor's degree or higher. In the CDP 5.5% of the population was below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over, with 6.7% of the population without health insurance.^[1]

Primary and secondary schools

Residents of Centreville are zoned to schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools.

Centreville has two middle schools, Liberty Middle School and Ormond Stone Middle School. Some Centreville middle school students also go to Rocky Run Middle School.

Centreville High School, which is located within the postal boundaries of Clifton, serves much of Centreville. Some of Centreville is served by Chantilly High School and by Westfield High School, the latter opening in 2000. Both Chantilly High School and Westfield High School are located in Chantilly.

The only high school still within Centreville proper is Mountain View Alternative High School. It occupies the building formerly used by Centreville Elementary School.

Although a Loudoun County school, Cardinal Ridge Elementary has a Centreville address.

Public libraries

Fairfax County Public Library operates the Centreville Regional Library in the CDP.^[39][40]