Charlotte County is a United States county located in the south central part of the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is the town of Charlotte Court House. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 11,529. Charlotte County is predominantly

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

with a population density of only 26.5 persons per square mile.

History

European settlement of the future county began in the early 18th century, and early settlers included mostly

English people The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language in England, English language, a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language, and share a common ancestry, history, and culture. The Engl ...

, with some French

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

, Scotch-Irish, and a modest population of

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

. After approximately fifty years of European settlement, the

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776. It existed during the colonial history of the United States in the Colony of Virginia in what was then British America. From 1642 to 1776, the Hou ...

established and incorporated Charlotte County in 1764 from part of Lunenburg County. The new county was named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Queen and wife of King George III of Great Britain. The county residents later became staunch supporters of independence and the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

and Founding Father

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. May 18, 1736une 6, 1799) was an American politician, planter and orator who declared to the Virginia Conventions, Second Virginia Convention (1775): "Give me liberty or give m ...

was one of its most famous residents. His grave and the national memorial dedicated to him are located in Charlotte County. Residents of Charlotte County were heavily involved in the

. County delegates supported resolutions against the Stamp Act of 1765, and the county government was the second governing body to declare independence from English rule. In addition, Charlotte militia units fought under General Robert Lawson during the Yorktown campaign, which effectively led to the end of the American War of Independence. Finally, the final resting place and national memorial to revolutionary hero

is at Red Hill Plantation. Charlotte County has also played a role in other wars on American soil. An artillery company from Charlotte played a key role in the Battle of Craney Island during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. Also, a significant battle in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

occurred in Charlotte and Halifax counties during the Battle of Staunton River Bridge, which resulted in a victory for the Confederacy.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water. The county is bounded on the southwest by the

Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the ...

, locally known as the "Staunton River". The terrain is hilly.

Adjacent counties

* Prince Edward County – north * Lunenburg County – east * Mecklenburg County – southeast * Halifax County – southwest * Campbell County – west * Appomattox County – northwest

Major highways

* (Farmville Rd on the extreme northside of the county; joins US 360 in Keysville and separates in Wylliesburg * (Kings Hwy) * (Lunenburg County Rd on the extreme eastside; Front St & Church St in Keysville; George Washington Hwy; joins SR 47 in Charlotte Court House and becomes David Bruce Ave; Patrick Henry Hwy) * (Thomas Jefferson Hwy; forks from SR 40 and becomes LeGrande Ave; Tollhouse Hwy; Drakes Main St in Drakes Branch; Craftons Gate Hwy * (Highway Fifty-Nine) * (Jeb Stuart Hwy)

Demographics

2020 census

Elected officials

Board of Supervisors

*Gary D. Walker (R), District A – Charlotte Court House, Chairman — Term expires 12/31/27 *Hazel Bowman-Smith, District B - Wylliesburg/Red Oak — Term expires 12/31/25 *Noah Davis (I), District C – Drakes Branch— Term expires 12/31/27 *Robert L. "Butch" Shook, Jr. (I), District D – Keysville — Term expires 12/31/25 *Henry Carwile, District E - Cullen/Red House — Term expires 12/31/27 *Walter T. Bailey, District F – Aspen/Phenix, Vice Chairman — Term expires 12/31/25 *Derek Toombes, District G-Bacon/Saxe— Term expires 12 /31/27 The Board of Supervisors is the legislative policy making body for the county. It considers and adopts policies regarding administration, budget, finance, economic development, health, planning, public safety, childcare, recreation, sanitation and waste removal. The Board appropriates funds for all functions, including the schools, Social Services, Law Enforcement and operation of courts. The Board's regularly scheduled meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30 pm in the Board of Supervisors Room of the County Administration Building, 250 LeGrande Avenue, Suite A, (PO Box 608) Charlotte Court House, Virginia, 23923.

Sheriff

Royal Freeman (I) is the sheriff. Freeman is responsible for overseeing criminal investigations, calls for service, court room security, service of civil process and the operation of the Charlotte County jail.

Circuit Court Clerk

The clerk is Annette Clowdis (I). Clowdis manages the records for the Judicial Circuit. In addition, Colley manages the records for the Judicial Circuit and serves as general record keeper for the county, recording all documents relating to land transfers, deeds, mortgages, wills, divorces and other statistics that date back to 1765.

Commissioner Of Revenue

Naisha P. Carter (I) is the Commissioner of the Revenue. Carter maintains the county tax maps, assesses the amount of tax owed on property and prepares the real estate and personal property tax book for Charlotte County. Carter also serves as a Virginia DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) Select Office which provides title and registration services, license plate sales, and other services.

Commonwealth's Attorney

William E. Green, Jr. (I) is the Commonwealth's Attorney. The Charlotte County Commonwealth Attorney represents the citizens of the County in the prosecution of violations of state and local laws & is responsible for the enforcement of criminal law within the county.

Treasurer

Patricia P. Berkeley (I) is the Treasurer. The Charlotte County Treasurer is responsible for the collection, custody and disbursement of all county funds. The Treasurer's Office is where taxes are paid and dog licenses are purchased.

Administration

*Daniel Witt, County Administrator *Monica Elder, Assistant County Administrator *Norma Tuck, Finance Director *Heather Brown, Purchasing Agent/Office Assistant *Vanessa Waddell, Administrative Assistant The Charlotte County Administration Office is responsible for carrying out the day-to-day operations of the county in accordance with the policies of the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors. The Administration Office oversees the general operations of the county, personnel management, budget preparation, funds management, purchasing, economic development, property management, compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, planning, and zoning.

School Board

*Rick Brown-County Seat *Carmalita Escoto, District A (Charlotte Court House) *Teresa Dunaway, District B (Wylliesburg/Red Oak) *Gloria Talbott, District C (Drakes Branch) *R.B. "Jay" George (Vice Chairman), District D (Keysville) *Scotty Hamlett, District E (Cullen/Red House) * Dr. Elise A. Gree, District F (Phenix/Aspen) *Lauren Willis, District B (Bacon/Saxe) *Dana Ramsey, Clerk of the Board

Voter Registrar

Jenni P. Booth

Politics

Communities

Towns

* Charlotte Court House * Drakes Branch * Keysville * Phenix

Unincorporated

* Cullen *

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

* Madisonville * Randolph * Red House * Red Oak * Wren * Wylliesburg

Notable people

* David K. E. Bruce – diplomat and politician * Isaac Dabbs – politician *

– politician and Founding Father * William Hoffman- famous author * John McCargo- former NFL player for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

* John Randolph – politician * Joe Reed- NFL player for the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

* A. Leo Weil – lawyer

References

External links

Charlotte County
{{authority control Virginia counties 1764 establishments in the Colony of Virginia Populated places established in 1764