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Patrick County, Virginia
Bull Mountain
Bull Mountain in Patrick County
Seal of Patrick County, Virginia
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Patrick County
Location in the state of Virginia
Map of the U.S
Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded 1791
Named for Patrick Henry
Seat Stuart
Largest town Stuart
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

486 sq mi (1,259 km²)
483 sq mi (1,251 km²)
2.8 sq mi (7 km²), 0.6
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

17,608
Congressional district 9th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.co.patrick.va.us
Patrick County Confederates

July 4, 1900, Patrick County, Virginia

Patrick County is a county located on the central southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,608.[1] Its county seat is Stuart.[2] It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region and the more mountainous Southwest Virginia.

History[]

Patrick County was formed in 1791, when Patrick Henry County was divided into Patrick County and Henry County. Patrick Henry County was named for Patrick Henry, and was formed in 1777.

Prior to the formation of Patrick County, one of the Virginia colony's first frontier forts lay within the boundaries of what was then Halifax County on the banks of the North Mayo River. The location of Fort Mayo, now marked by a Virginia state historic marker, lies within present-day Patrick County. One of a number of such forts built by Virginia colonists from the Potomac River south to North Carolina, it was commanded by Captain Samuel Harris in 1756, the year in which George Washington made a tour of Fort Mayo and several other forts on the Virginia frontier. Fort Mayo was the southernmost of the Virginia frontier forts and saw action during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) between the English and French and associated Native American allies.

One of Patrick County's most prominent early settlers was Col. Abraham Penn (sometimes written Abram Penn), born in 1743 in what is today Amherst County, Virginia. Penn qualified as Lieutenant in the Amherst County militia in June 1768, and led a company under Col. Andrew Lewis at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774.[3] Penn later moved with his wife Ruth (née Stovall) to present-day Henry County, Virginia, where he patented lands at the later site of Beaver Creek Plantation. Penn served on the Committee of Safety for both Henry and Pittsylvania counties, and as a delegate to the Virginia General Assembly from Henry County.

Eventually selling those lands to the Hairston family, Penn moved with his family a few miles farther west to what is today Patrick County, where he built his plantation home Poplar Grove. During the American Revolution, Col. Penn ordered the muster of some 300 militiamen under his command to march south to aid General Nathanael Greene at the battle of Guilford Court House. Historians question whether the troops arrived in time for the fighting.[4][5]

It is documented that Penn commanded militia in the Battle of Eutaw Springs.[6][7][8] Penn was later present at Yorktown to witness the surrender of the British forces under General Cornwallis.

Col. Penn was one of the organizers of Patrick County, which he served many years as a justice. The unincorporated community of Penn's Store is named for Col. Penn and his descendants.[9][10] The Abram Penn Highway in Patrick County is named for Col. Penn, who died in 1801.

Poplar Grove home of Col Abram Penn Patrick County Virginia

Poplar Grove, Patrick County home of Col. Abram Penn

On October 24, 2004, a private corporate plane crashed on Bull Mountain, killing all eight passengers and two crew, including Busch Series racer Ricky Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports lead engine builder Randy Dorton.[11]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 486 square miles (1,260 km2), of which 483 square miles (1,250 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.6%) is water.[12]

Patrick County has two defined physiographic provinces lying within its boundaries. One-third of Patrick County is in the rolling Piedmont region, and the remaining two-thirds are in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Blue Ridge Parkway forms the county's western border with Carroll and Floyd counties to the north.

Adjacent counties[]

National protected areas[]

  • Blue Ridge Parkway (part) including Rocky Knob Recreation Area (part)
US58inPatrickCounty

US 58 in Patrick County

Major highways[]

  • US 58 US 58
  • Blue Ridge Parkway shield Blue Ridge Parkway
  • Virginia 8 SR 8
  • Virginia 40 SR 40
  • Virginia 57 SR 57
  • Virginia 103 SR 103

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1800 4,331
1810 4,695 8.4%
1820 5,089 8.4%
1830 7,395 45.3%
1840 8,032 8.6%
1850 9,609 19.6%
1860 9,359 −2.6%
1870 10,161 8.6%
1880 12,833 26.3%
1890 14,147 10.2%
1900 15,403 8.9%
1910 17,195 11.6%
1920 16,850 −2.0%
1930 15,787 −6.3%
1940 16,613 5.2%
1950 15,642 −5.8%
1960 15,282 −2.3%
1970 15,282 0%
1980 17,647 15.5%
1990 17,473 −1.0%
2000 19,407 11.1%
2010 18,490 −4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010[17] 2020[18]

2020 census[]

Patrick County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[17] Pop 2020[18] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 16,680 15,577 90.21% 88.47%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,085 831 5.87% 4.72%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 50 24 0.27% 0.14%
Asian alone (NH) 42 43 0.23% 0.24%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 3 0.00% 0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 8 72 0.04% 0.41%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 181 491 0.98% 2.79%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 444 567 2.40% 3.22%
Total 18,490 17,608 100.00% 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.

2010 Census[]

As of the 2010 census,[19] there were 18,490 people, 8,081 households, and 5,410 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile (16/km2). There were 10,083 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.10% White, 5.9% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 2.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the 2000 Census, there were 8,141 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,705, and the median income for a family was $36,232. Males had a median income of $25,391 versus $18,711 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,574. About 9.60% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.

Distinctions[]

Part of the Rocky Knob American Viticultural Area, as defined by the federal government, is located in Patrick County. Patrick County was also a setting for the ministry of Reverend Bob Childress whose life was chronicled in the book "The Man Who Moved a Mountain".

Tourism[]

Patrick County is one of the great tourist areas of Virginia. The county has one of Virginia's seven remaining covered bridges (Bob White covered bridge washed away in September 2015), rises from 900 feet to well over 3,000 feet, providing panoramic views. Patrick County is Virginia's Gateway to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and is only minutes from Mabry Mill, the most photographed destination on the parkway. It is also the home of Fairy Stone State Park.The county hosts the longest running beach music festival on the East coast, is home to the legendary NASCAR team the Wood Brothers, and many more attractions each year provide a wide range of activities for every group of every age.

MabrysMill

Mabry's Mill

Patrick County is featured on the Virginia is For Lovers website.

The Bob White Covered Bridge once located in Woolwine washed away by Flood Waters in September, 2015. Bob White Covered Bridge Washes Away

Education[]

Patrick County Public Schools has seven total public schools, of which four are for grades K-7, one is for grades K-3, one is for grades 4–7, and Patrick County High School is for grade 8-12.[20] One school, Stuart Elementary was recognized in 2008 as receiving the Governor's VIP award. Recently two schools, Stuart Elementary and Woolwine Elementary were designated as Distinguished Title I schools. In 2006, Patrick County Public Schools was listed as an outperforming school district, one of 12 in the state of Virginia, by Standard and Poor's. All of the schools have received "full accreditation" status by the State of Virginia and all schools have met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Communities[]

Town[]

  • Stuart

Census-designated place[]

  • Patrick Springs

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Ararat
  • Claudville
  • Critz
  • Fairystone
  • MayberrySee Mayberry#The name "Mayberry".
  • Meadows of Dan
  • Penns Store
  • Russell Creek
  • Vesta
  • Woolwine

Notable residents[]

  • Confederate cavalry commander Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart was born at the Laurel Hill Farm[21] in Patrick County on February 6, 1833.
  • Herb Hash was a Major League Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Hash has been inducted into the University of Richmond Baseball of Fame. He was born in Woolwine.
  • Gerald L. Baliles served as Governor of Virginia from 1986 through 1990.
  • Mary Sue Terry served as Attorney General of Virginia from 1986 until 1993, the first female Attorney General in Virginia history.
  • Robert Lee Tudor, a member of the New York State Assembly from 1913 to 1917, was born in Critz in 1874.
  • Martin Clark, author and Virginia Circuit Court judge.
  • Brad Clontz was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • Wood Brothers Racing, the NASCAR Racing Team.
  • Tim Goad, former American Football League Defensive Tackle for the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.
  • Richard Joshua Reynolds, founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., was born at Rock Spring Plantation, near present-day Critz, Va. on July 20, 1850.
  • J.J. Webster, served as County Commissioner for Rockingham County, North Carolina, was born in Patrick County in 1898.

Government[]

Patrick County is governed by an elected five-member Board of Supervisors. Management of the County is vested in a Board-appointed County Administrator.

Patrick County Board of Supervisors
Name Party First Election District
style="background-color:#ffffcc;" width=10px | " |  Jane Fulk (Chair) Ind 2017 Dan River
style="background-color:#ffffcc;" width=10px | " |  Crystal Harris (Vice Chair) Ind 2005 Smith River
style="background-color:Template:Independent (United States)/meta/color;" width=10px | " |  Clyde DeLoach Ind 2019 Blue Ridge
style="background-color:#FF3333;" width=10px | " |  Clayton Kendrick Rep 2019 Mayo River
style="background-color:#FF3333;" width=10px | " |  Denise Stirewalt Rep 2019 Peters Creek

There are also five elected Constitutional Officers:

  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Sherri Hazlewood
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: Stephanie Vipperman
  • Sheriff: Dan Smith
  • Commissioner of Revenue: Janet Rorrer
  • Treasurer: Sandra Stone
United States presidential election results for Patrick County, Virginia[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 7,485 78.51% 1,954 20.50% 95 1.00%
2016 6,454 75.71% 1,768 20.74% 303 3.55%
2012 5,622 68.07% 2,417 29.27% 220 2.66%
2008 5,491 64.37% 2,879 33.75% 161 1.89%
2004 5,507 67.04% 2,572 31.31% 136 1.66%
2000 4,901 66.36% 2,254 30.52% 230 3.11%
1996 3,547 52.39% 2,301 33.98% 923 13.63%
1992 3,521 48.98% 2,465 34.29% 1,203 16.73%
1988 3,990 64.06% 2,093 33.60% 146 2.34%
1984 4,703 70.47% 1,908 28.59% 63 0.94%
1980 3,436 56.12% 2,382 38.90% 305 4.98%
1976 2,349 43.69% 2,740 50.96% 288 5.36%
1972 2,951 73.35% 942 23.42% 130 3.23%
1968 2,187 41.46% 1,105 20.95% 1,983 37.59%
1964 1,468 38.88% 2,306 61.07% 2 0.05%
1960 1,362 44.98% 1,655 54.66% 11 0.36%
1956 1,345 43.93% 1,677 54.77% 40 1.31%
1952 1,314 45.75% 1,554 54.11% 4 0.14%
1948 648 35.22% 760 41.30% 432 23.48%
1944 706 33.68% 1,383 65.98% 7 0.33%
1940 514 25.71% 1,479 73.99% 6 0.30%
1936 726 31.29% 1,588 68.45% 6 0.26%
1932 486 26.23% 1,342 72.42% 25 1.35%
1928 1,191 57.43% 883 42.57% 0 0.00%
1924 783 40.53% 1,138 58.90% 11 0.57%
1920 1,230 51.53% 1,154 48.35% 3 0.13%
1916 815 48.22% 872 51.60% 3 0.18%
1912 434 29.13% 698 46.85% 358 24.03%
1908 1,092 60.07% 723 39.77% 3 0.17%
1904 616 44.54% 737 53.29% 30 2.17%
1900 1,281 55.33% 1,026 44.32% 8 0.35%
1896 1,140 55.91% 886 43.45% 13 0.64%
1892 873 39.08% 1,288 57.65% 73 3.27%
1888 1,022 44.92% 1,239 54.46% 14 0.62%
1884 700 41.37% 992 58.63% 0 0.00%
1880 318 20.83% 1,209 79.17% 0 0.00%



See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Patrick County, Virginia

References[]

  1. ^ "Patrick County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US51141. Retrieved January 30, 2022. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Serving under Capt. Penn during his militia service under Col. Andrew Lewis was a young lieutenant Joseph Martin, for whom Martinsville, Virginia was later named.
  4. ^ "The Henry County Militia and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse: Colonel Penn's Militiamen Arrive Too Late," Guilford Courthouse National Military Park Historical Publication 05-07
  5. ^ The National Park Service, while conceding that tradition places the Henry County militia at the battle, claims that no documentary evidence places the unit there. The NPS says, "how many, if any, were in the battle is unknown."[1] Archived 2017-02-09 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Judith Parks America Hill, A History of Henry County, Virginia, with Biographical Sketches of Its Most Prominent Citizens, Reissued by Heritage Books, 2009 ISBN 0-7884-2302-9
  7. ^ Virginia G. Pedigo; Lewis Gravely Pedigo (1933). History of Patrick and Henry Counties, Virginia. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company. ISBN 0-8063-8010-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=hoED4I9WdvkC&q=%22george+waller%22+shackleford&pg=PA72. 
  8. ^ The first organizer of militia troops from Henry and Pittsylvania Counties, Col. Penn issued an order on March 11, 1781, ordering his regiment of militia to leave Beaver Creek to reinforce General Nathanael Greene at Guilford Court House. Penn's order may have allowed his regiment to reach the battle in time for the engagement four days later, on March 15, 1781. [2]
  9. ^ Warren Skidmore, Donna Kaminsky, Lord Dunmore's Little War of 1774, Charles County, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2002
  10. ^ The professor and novelist Robert Penn Warren is a descendant of Col. Abraham Penn.
  11. ^ "Ten die in crash of Hendrick plane". Usatoday.Com. October 26, 2004. https://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2004-10-24-missing-plane_x.htm. 
  12. ^ "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. 
  13. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html. 
  14. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  15. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/va190090.txt. 
  16. ^ "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. 
  17. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Patrick County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51141&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2. 
  18. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Patrick County, Virginia". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51141&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  19. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  20. ^ "Home - Patrick County Public Schools" (in en-US). http://www.patrick.k12.va.us/. 
  21. ^ Laurel Hill Farm
  22. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Template:Patrick County, Virginia

Coordinates: 36°41′N 80°17′W / 36.68, -80.29


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Patrick 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.
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