Raphine, Virginia

Unincorporated community in Virginia, United States

Raphine

Unincorporated community

A picturesque scene in Raphine, Virginia

Raphine

Location within the state of Virginia

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Raphine

Raphine (the United States)

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Coordinates: 37°56′14″N 79°13′58″W﻿ / ﻿37.93722°N 79.23278°W﻿ / 37.93722; -79.23278
Country| United States
State| Virginia
County| Rockbridge
Elevation

| 1,503 ft (458 m)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code|

24472[1]

Area code| 540

Raphine is an unincorporated community in Rockbridge County in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S. state of Virginia.[2]

## History[edit]

The name "Raphine" was chosen in honor of James Edward Allen Gibbs (1829-1902), a local farmer who patented a novel single-thread chain-stitch sewing machine on June 2, 1857. Gibbs had named his home in the area ("Raphine Hall"), and the new railroad station ("Raphine"), after the ancient Greek word "rhaphis", meaning "needle.".[3][4] In partnership with James Willcox, Gibbs formed the Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company. Willcox & Gibbs commercial sewing machines are still made and used in the 21st century.

Nearby, the McCormick plantation[5]Walnut Grove, was the home of Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884)'s family, including parents and brothers. His father owned more than 500 acres.

McCormick became famous as the inventor of the mechanical reaper in 1831. He moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1847, and was the founder, with his brother Leander, of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. It became part of International Harvester Corporation in 1902. Donated to the state of Virginia in the 1960s, the McCormick property was used as a test farm for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (better known as "Virginia Tech").

Surviving as important structures of their historic period, Walnut Grove, the Kennedy-Lunsford Farm, and Kennedy-Wade Mill are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]

## Publications[edit]

* The Rockbridge Advocate[7] (monthly magazine)
* The News-Gazette (weekly newspaper)
* Rockbridge Weekly (weekly newspaper)

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Raphine ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
2. ^ "Raphine, Virginia". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. ^ "Rhaphis Meaning in Bible - New Testament Greek Lexicon - New American Standard".
4. ^ "Willcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine's founder James Edward Allen Gibbs".
5. ^ Frank S. Melvin (June 30, 1972), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: McCormick (Cyrus) Farm and Workshop / Walnut Grove (PDF), National Park Service
6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
7. ^ The Rockbridge Advocate

* v
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Municipalities and communities of Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States

County seat: Lexington

Towns|

* Glasgow
* Goshen

Map of Virginia highlighting Rockbridge County

CDPs|

* East Lexington
* Fairfield

Other
communities|

* Brownsburg
* Collierstown
* Gilmore Mills
* Marlbrook
* Mechanicsville
* Natural Bridge
* Natural Bridge Station
* Raphine
* Rockbridge Baths
* Steeles Tavern‡
* Vesuvius

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* Virginia portal
* United States portal

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