Familypedia
Register
Advertisement
Amelia County, Virginia
Amelia VA - county courthouse
Amelia County Court House
Seal of Amelia County, Virginia
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Amelia County
Location in the state of Virginia
Map of the U.S
Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded 1735
Named for Princess Amelia
Seat Amelia Court House
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

359 sq mi (930 km²)
355 sq mi (919 km²)
3.3 sq mi (9 km²), 0.9
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

13,265
Congressional district 7th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website https://va-ameliacounty.civicplus.com

Amelia County is a county located just southwest of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The county is located in Central Virginia and is included in the Greater Richmond Region. Its county seat is Amelia Court House.[1]

Amelia County was created in 1735 from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties, and was named in honor of Princess Amelia of Great Britain. Parts of the county were later carved out to create Prince Edward and Nottoway counties.

As of the 2020 census, the county population was 13,265.[2]

History[]

Princess Amelia of Great Britain (1711-1786) by Jean-Baptiste van Loo

Princess Amelia of Great Britain, for whom the county is named

Amelia County was created by legislative act in 1734 and 1735[3] from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties. The county is named for Princess Amelia of Great Britain, daughter of King George II. As was customary, Amelia County was reduced by the division of territory to form newer counties as the population increased in the region; in 1754, Prince Edward County was formed from parts of Amelia County, and in 1789, Nottoway County was formed. The area was developed for plantation agriculture dependent on slave labor.

During the Civil War, Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his army spent April 4 and 5, 1865, at Amelia Court House before his surrender on April 9 to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox. The last major battle of his army was fought at Sayler's Creek, on the border of Amelia and Prince Edward counties, on April 6.

Amelia is known for its minerals, including the nation's best supply of amazonite, a green feldspar found at the Morefield mine. In the 19th century, spas were developed around its mineral springs, which were destinations for travelers.

In 1986 the Amelia County Fair sponsored a competition for the world's largest potato pancake (with apple sauce). It was constructed to raise money that year for the German American National Scholarship Fund. The pancake weighed more than two and one-quarter tons and used four truckloads of potatoes.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 359 square miles (930 km2), of which 355 square miles (920 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (0.9%) is water.[4]

Amelia County lies in the Piedmont region of Virginia, known for rolling hills and small ridges that lie between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Coastal Plain of Virginia. The county is bordered by the Appomattox River to the north and west, and Namozine Creek to the east.

Amelia County is drained by tributaries of the Appomattox. The lowest elevation in the county is Template:Convert/feet, on Lake Chesdin on the Appomattox at the eastern extremity of the county. The highest elevation is 525 feet (160 m), on SR 616 (S. Genito Road) at the community of Gills in the southwest corner of the county.[5]

Adjacent counties[]

Transportation[]

Air[]

  • Richmond International Airport is located 51 miles (82 km) northeast of Amelia County.

US Highways[]

  • US 360 US 360 (Patrick Henry Highway. Eastbound to Richmond. Westbound to Burkeville and Danville.)

State Routes[]

  • Virginia 38 SR 38 (In Amelia Court House: Virginia Street, Court Street, Washington Street, Church Street, Five Forks Road. In Amelia County: N. Five Forks Road, to SR 153.)
  • Virginia 153 SR 153 (Military Road. To US 460 US 460 and Blackstone.)
  • Virginia 307 SR 307 (Holly Farms Road. To US 460 US 460 and Farmville.)

Secondary Routes[]

  • [[Template:Infobox road/VA/link Sec|Template:Infobox road/VA/abbrev Sec]] (Chula Rd and Genito Rd. To Powhatan and Chesterfield Counties.)
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VA/link Sec|Template:Infobox road/VA/abbrev Sec]] (Grub Hill Church Rd and Royalton Rd. To US 60 US 60 and Powhatan Court House.)
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VA/link Sec|Template:Infobox road/VA/abbrev Sec]] (Dennisville Rd. To Blackstone.)
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VA/link Sec|Template:Infobox road/VA/abbrev Sec]] (Genito Rd. Serves the northwest and southwest area of Amelia County. To SR 307 near Rice.)

Rail[]

  • Norfolk Southern - freight rail service

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 18,097
1800 9,432 −47.9%
1810 10,594 12.3%
1820 11,104 4.8%
1830 11,036 −0.6%
1840 10,320 −6.5%
1850 9,770 −5.3%
1860 10,741 9.9%
1870 9,878 −8.0%
1880 10,377 5.1%
1890 9,068 −12.6%
1900 9,037 −0.3%
1910 8,720 −3.5%
1920 9,800 12.4%
1930 8,799 −10.2%
1940 8,495 −3.5%
1950 7,908 −6.9%
1960 7,815 −1.2%
1970 7,592 −2.9%
1980 8,405 10.7%
1990 8,787 4.5%
2000 11,400 29.7%
2010 12,690 11.3%
Est. 2021 13,268 [6] 16.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[12]

2020 census[]

Amelia County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[11] Pop 2020[12] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 9,233 9,687 72.76% 73.03%
Black or African American alone (NH) 2,925 2,546 23.05% 19.19%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 39 18 0.31% 0.14%
Asian alone (NH) 27 63 0.21% 0.47%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 10 50 0.08% 0.38%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 166 476 1.31% 3.59%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 290 425 2.29% 3.20%
Total 12,690 13,265 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.


2000 Census[]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 11,400 people, 4,240 households, and 3,175 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12/km2). There were 4,609 housing units, at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.57% White, 28.05% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,240 households, of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07.

The median age was 38 years, with 25.30% under 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median household income was $40,252, and the median family income was $47,157. Males had a median income of $32,315, versus $23,102 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,858. 8.40% of the population and 6.70% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.10% were under the age of 18 and 11.70% were 65 or older.

Culture[]

Seasonal Events[]

  • A countywide festival called Amelia Day is held each May on the Saturday before Mother's Day in Amelia Court House. The festival started in the 1980s to celebrate the town's founding. Vendors, local clubs, and citizens organize to enjoy music, dancing, and socializing. At the first Amelia Day in 1985, residents signed a long roll that, along with other items, was put in a time capsule and buried in the courthouse green near the Confederate War Memorial. The capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2035.
  • The Amelia County Fair is held in late summer or early fall each year at the Joe Paulette Memorial Park in Amelia Court House.[14]
  • Each October, the Amelia Frightfest, a trail haunt, opens at Tom Scott Park in Amelia Court House.
  • Every year from April to October, on the second Saturday of every month, The Time Bandits car club hosts a car show at the Truist Bank parking lot on Patrick Henry Highway.[15]

Attractions[]

  • Sayler's Creek Battlefield State Park
  • Lake Chesdin
  • Amelia Wildlife Management Area
  • Amelia Country Club

Government[]

Board of Supervisors[]

  • District 1: David M. Felts Jr. (Chairman)
  • District 2: Dexter Jones
  • District 3: Shaun Weyant, Vice Chairman (I)
  • District 4: H. Joseph Easter IV, Chairman (I)
  • District 5: Todd Robinson

Constitutional officers[]

  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Marilyn L. Wilson (D)
  • Commissioner of the Revenue: Laura Walsh (I)
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: Lee R. Harrison (I)
  • Sheriff: Rick Walker (I)
  • Treasurer: Stephanie Coleman (I)

Amelia County is represented by Republican Amanda Chase in the Virginia Senate, Republican Thomas C. Wright Jr. in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Democrat Abigail Spanberger in the U.S. House of Representatives.

United States presidential election results for Amelia County, Virginia[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,390 68.29% 2,411 30.55% 92 1.17%
2016 4,708 66.88% 2,128 30.23% 204 2.90%
2012 4,331 62.63% 2,490 36.01% 94 1.36%
2008 3,970 60.81% 2,488 38.11% 71 1.09%
2004 3,499 64.83% 1,862 34.50% 36 0.67%
2000 2,947 61.55% 1,754 36.63% 87 1.82%
1996 2,119 51.13% 1,625 39.21% 400 9.65%
1992 2,062 48.82% 1,534 36.32% 628 14.87%
1988 2,187 60.85% 1,359 37.81% 48 1.34%
1984 2,336 61.41% 1,432 37.64% 36 0.95%
1980 1,969 53.20% 1,643 44.39% 89 2.40%
1976 1,634 47.25% 1,715 49.60% 109 3.15%
1972 1,606 64.99% 778 31.49% 87 3.52%
1968 857 33.90% 830 32.83% 841 33.27%
1964 1,348 60.21% 884 39.48% 7 0.31%
1960 784 51.44% 708 46.46% 32 2.10%
1956 745 43.11% 403 23.32% 580 33.56%
1952 832 53.64% 703 45.33% 16 1.03%
1948 372 35.16% 443 41.87% 243 22.97%
1944 295 34.67% 553 64.98% 3 0.35%
1940 267 32.13% 562 67.63% 2 0.24%
1936 239 23.97% 753 75.53% 5 0.50%
1932 142 16.63% 701 82.08% 11 1.29%
1928 277 35.74% 498 64.26% 0 0.00%
1924 153 28.33% 372 68.89% 15 2.78%
1920 179 31.18% 389 67.77% 6 1.05%
1916 80 16.39% 403 82.58% 5 1.02%
1912 32 7.82% 325 79.46% 52 12.71%
1908 73 22.67% 247 76.71% 2 0.62%
1904 76 18.31% 320 77.11% 19 4.58%
1900 838 56.93% 608 41.30% 26 1.77%
1896 899 57.22% 663 42.20% 9 0.57%
1892 563 45.92% 501 40.86% 162 13.21%
1888 1,036 59.54% 704 40.46% 0 0.00%
1884 1,048 63.98% 590 36.02% 0 0.00%
1880 966 69.40% 426 30.60% 0 0.00%



Media[]

The Amelia Bulletin Monitor, a weekly newspaper, has covered the county since 1973.

Education[]

Public Primary and secondary schools[]

Amelia County is served by the Amelia County School District.

  • Amelia County High School
  • Amelia County Middle School
  • Amelia County Elementary School

Private Primary and secondary Schools[]

  • Amelia Academy

Communities[]

There are no incorporated communities in Amelia County.

Census-designated places[]

  • Amelia Court House

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Ammon
  • Chula
  • Clementown Mills
  • Coverly
  • Deatonville
  • Denaro
  • Earls
  • Fieldstown
  • Giles Mill
  • Gills
  • Haw Branch
  • Jetersville
  • Little Patrick
  • Lodore
  • Mannboro
  • Maplewood
  • Masons Corner
  • Mattoax
  • Morven
  • Namozine
  • Otterburn
  • Paineville
  • Pontons/Ponton's Store[17]
  • Rodophil
  • Scotts Fork
  • Truxillo
  • Whites Store
  • Winterham

Historic sites[]

The following sites in Amelia County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

  • Barrett-Chumney House
  • Dykeland
  • Egglestetton
  • Farmer House
  • Haw Branch
  • Ingleside
  • St. John's Church (Grub Hill Church)
  • Sayler's Creek Battlefield
  • Wigwam
  • Winterham Plantation

Notable residents[]

  • William S. Archer, born in Amelia County, United States Senator from Virginia[18]
  • Van T. Barfoot (1919-2012), U.S. Army Colonel and a U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
  • William Wyatt Bibb, born in Amelia County, United States Senator from Georgia and first Governor of Alabama[18]
  • Jesse Bragg, Negro-league baseball player
  • William Cocke (1747–1828), born in Amelia County, first United States Senator from Tennessee[18]
  • Henry William Connor (1793–1866), born near Amelia Court House, elected United States Congressman from North Carolina[18]
  • David Fanning, (1755–1825), born in Amelia County. A Loyalist officer during the American Revolutionary War, he captured Thomas Burke, a court-martial judge and Governor of North Carolina. One of only three individuals excluded from the amnesty after the Revolutionary War, Fanning moved to New Brunswick in present-day Canada for resettlement.[18]
  • William Branch Giles, (1762–1830), born in Amelia County. Planter, United States Congressman, United States Senator, and Governor of Virginia[18]
  • Edmund Harrison (1764–1826), Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (1802–1803)
  • John Winston Jones, (1791–1848), born in Amelia County. Speaker of the United States House of Representatives[18]
  • Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie (c.1840s-c.1920s), born into slavery in Amelia County.[19] She became a noted musician, teacher and composer, founding a musical conservatory in Corpus Christi, Texas.
  • Robert Russa Moton (1867–1940), noted African American educator. He was born in Amelia County but was raised in Rice in nearby Prince Edward County, Virginia.
  • Mary Virginia Terhune (1830-1922), born in Amelia County. A prolific and bestselling author in both fiction and non-fiction, the first woman elected to the Virginia Historical Society

References[]

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  2. ^ "Amelia County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US51007. Retrieved January 30, 2022. 
  3. ^ History of Amelia County Archived 2010-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html. 
  5. ^ "Geographic Names Information System". https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/summary/1497787. 
  6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html. 
  7. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html. 
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/va190090.txt. 
  10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  11. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Amelia County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51007&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2. 
  12. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Amelia County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51007&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  14. ^ Amelia County Fair. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  15. ^ "Cruise-In hosted by the Time Bandits Car Club on April 10, 2021". https://pistonrepublic.com/events/cruise-in-hosted-by-the-time-bandits-car-club-amelia-court-house-va-04-10-2021. 
  16. ^ David Leip. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  17. ^ Convenience Centers, Amelia County, Virginia, official government website. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963. 
  19. ^ Scruggs, Lawson Andrew (1893). Women of Distinction: Remarkable in Works and Invincible in Character. Raleigh, North Carolina: L. A. Scruggs. pp. 247. OCLC 4255360. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.aa0014724744;view=1up;seq=1. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 37°20′N 77°59′W / 37.34, -77.98


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Amelia County, Virginia. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
Advertisement