Fredericksburg.
1 Town (2020 pop. 10,875), Gillespie co., S central Texas, in
the Texas Hill Country near the Pedernales River; inc. 1928. Located in an
agricultural (cattle, peaches, wine, lavender) and quarrying (granite, sand,
gravel) region, the city produces animal feed, processed foods, and
millwork. Tourism is important, with visitors drawn by the architecture,
customs, and language that still recall the German settlers of 1846 and by
hunting and fishing nearby. The National Museum of the Pacific War, Pioneer
Museum, and Bauer Toy Museum are there; Admiral Chester Nimitz was born in Fredericksburg.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is to the north; the LBJ Ranch, part of
the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is to the east.
2 Independent city (2020 pop. 27,982), N Va., on the
Rappahannock River, midway between Washington, D.C., and Richmond; settled
1671, laid out 1727, inc. as a town 1781, as a city 1879. A city filled with
historic interest, Fredericksburg attracts tourists. It is also a farm trade
center with some light industry. Historic buildings include the home of Mary
Washington (1772–89), the mother of George Washington;
“Kenmore,” the home of George Washington's sister; the Rising
Sun Tavern (c.1760); the law office of James Monroe; and the home of John
Paul Jones. Fredericksburg is the seat of the Univ. of Mary Washington.
Nearby are Wakefield
(Washington's birthplace), Ferry Farm (the site of his boyhood home), and
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial
National Military Park (see National Parks and Monuments,
tablenational parks and monuments,
table), commemorating the Civil War battles of
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Spotsylvania Courthouse (see Wilderness campaign).
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