Berryville, Virginia
| Berryville, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
The Clarke County Courthouse in Berryville
|
|
 Location of Berryville in Virginia |
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| Coordinates: 39°9′4″N 77°58′57″W / 39.15111°N 77.98250°WCoordinates: 39°9′4″N 77°58′57″W / 39.15111°N 77.98250°W | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |
 Virginia
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| County |
 Clarke
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| Area | |
| • Total | 2.3 sq mi (5.9 km2) |
| • Land | 2.3 sq mi (5.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,185 |
| • Density | 1,847/sq mi (713.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 22611 |
| Area code(s) | 540 |
| FIPS code | 51-06968 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1498453 |
| Website | www |
Berryville is an incorporated town in and the county seat of Clarke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,185 at the 2010 census, up from 2,963 at the 2000 census.
Berryville was founded by European Americans at the intersection of the Winchester Turnpike and Charlestown Road. The land was first granted by the Crown to Captain Isaac Pennington in 1734, and George Washington surveyed it on October 23, 1750. In 1754 Pennington sold it to Colonel John Hite.
According to legend, Daniel Morgan would engage in combat with young toughs at the intersection, having first piled large stones nearby to use as ammunition in case of need. Because of this story, and a rowdy tavern nearby, the area was first given the informal name of "Battle Town".
Hite sold the tract in 1765 to his son-in-law, Major Charles Smith. Smith named his estate "Battle Town", and on the site of the former tavern he built a clapboard homestead. This structure still stands on what is now Main Street and is now known as "The Nook".
Daniel Morgan returned to the area after distinguishing himself in the Revolution, living at Saratoga, and briefly at Soldier's Rest. He was one of the frequent (and reputedly most quarrelsome) patrons of the new tavern (where now stands the Battletown Inn).
Major Smith's son, John Smith, in 1797 sold 20 acres (81,000 m2) of his inheritance to Benjamin Berry and Sarah (Berry) Stribling, who divided it into lots for a town. It was established as the town of Berryville on January 15, 1798.
By 1810, the town had at least 25 homes, three stores, an apothecary (pharmacy), two taverns, and an academy (school). It was not much larger when it was designated as the county seat of newly formed Clarke County in 1836. An 1855 gazetteer described it as "a small town" that "has some trade, and contains an academy and 1 or 2 churches."
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Wikipedia