Stephens City, Virginia

Stephens City, Virginia is a town in Frederick County, Virginia.  The town had a population of 2,016 at the time of the 2020 census.

 History 
The German Protestants from Heidelberg, Germany were the founders of the town. Their leader was Peter Stephens. He came from Pennsylvania in 1732. Stephens would buy some land from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. The land was set out in parcels at first. Later, it was made into "Stephensburgh" in 1758 by Peter's son Lewis.

By the start of the Revolutionary War, "Stephensburg" was often called simply "Newtown".

The town was almost burned by Union forces during the Civil War. This was when Union forces were attacked by Newtown residents. Major Joseph K. Stearns of the 1st New York Cavalry disobeyed an order from a higher ranking General and saved the town.

The town was again renamed "Stephens City" in 1880. This happened after a row with the United States Postal Service.

Today, the town is a busy place of throughfare with Interstate 81 and US Route 11. The center of the town is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

References

Other websites
 Official Website of the Town of Stephens City

Category:Towns in Virginia