Dinwiddie County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,947. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie County is part of the

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, VA

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

The first inhabitants of the area were Paleo-Indians, prior to 8000 BC. They are believed to have been nomadic hunter-gatherers following animal migrations. Early stone tools have been discovered in various fields within the county. At the time of European contact, Native Americans made their homes in the region. Dinwiddie County was formed May 1, 1752, from

Prince George County Prince George County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 43,010. Its county seat is Prince George, Virginia ...

. The county is named for Robert Dinwiddie,

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia The lieutenant governor of Virginia is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The lieutenant governor is elected every four years along with the governor and attorney general. The office is currently held by Winsome Earle S ...

, 1751–58. The county raised several militia units that would fight in the American Revolution. Dinwiddie County was the birthplace of Elizabeth (Burwell) Hobbs Keckly, a free black dressmaker who worked for two presidents' wives: Mrs.

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

and later Mary Todd Lincoln.

Thomas Day Thomas Day may refer to: Sports * Tom Day (rugby union) (1907–1980), Welsh rugby union player * Tom Day (American football) (1935–2000), American football player * Tom Day (footballer) (born 1997), English footballer Others * Thomas Day (wri ...

was also a native; he was well known later at

Milton, North Carolina Milton is a town in Caswell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 166 at the 2010 census. It is adjacent to the Virginia International Raceway, just across the state line in Virginia. The town's name was derived from its beginn ...

, as a free black cabinetmaker. Another native son was Dr. Thomas Stewart, perhaps America's first free black 18th-century rural physician.''Virginia Gazette'' Nov. 1778 as found in Freeafricanamericans.com During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

the

Battle of Lewis's Farm The Battle of Lewis's Farm (also known as Quaker Road, Military Road, or Gravelly Run) was fought on March 29, 1865, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia near the end of the American Civil War. In climactic battles at the end of the Richmond–Petersbu ...

was fought along Quaker Road t. 660 It took place on March 29, 1865. This was the first in several attempts by Union General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

to cut

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

's final supply line—the Southside Railroad—in the spring of 1865. Here the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

forces led by Brig. Gen.

Joshua L. Chamberlain Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (born Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain, September 8, 1828February 24, 1914) was an American college professor from Maine who volunteered during the American Civil War to join the Union Army. He became a highly respected and ...

engaged Confederates under Maj. Gen.

Bushrod R. Johnson Bushrod Rust Johnson (October 7, 1817 – September 12, 1880) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War and an officer in the United States Army. As a university professor he had been active in the state militias of Kentucky and Tenness ...

. After sharp fighting, the Union troops entrenched nearby along the Boydton Plank Road, and Johnson withdrew to his lines at White Oak Road. The Union army cut the rail line four days later, after capturing Five Forks on April 1, 1865, at the Battle of Five Forks. Several other engagements were fought in Dinwiddie County, including the

Battle of Dinwiddie Court House The Battle of Dinwiddie Court House was fought on March 31, 1865, during the American Civil War at the end of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign and in the beginning stage of the Appomattox Campaign. Along with the Battle of White Oak Road which ...

Battle of Sutherland's Station The Battle of Sutherland's Station was an American Civil War conflict fought on April 2, 1865, in Dinwiddie, Virginia during the Appomattox Campaign. Union columns converged on Petersburg on April 2, pushing through a large section of the Co ...

, and Battle of White Oak Road. The

Dinwiddie County Historical Society Dinwiddie County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,947. Its county seat is Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie County is part of the Richmond, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The ...

currently occupies the historic

Dinwiddie County Court House Dinwiddie County Court House is a historic courthouse building located at the junction of U.S. 1 and VA 619 in Dinwiddie, Dinwiddie County, Virginia. It was built in 1851, and is a two-story, brick temple-form building in the Greek Revival style ...

Civil War battles

Battle of Peebles' Farm The Battle of Peebles's Farm (or Poplar Springs Church or Poplar Grove Church) was the western part of a simultaneous Union Army, Union offensive against the Confederate States Army, Confederate works guarding Petersburg, Virginia, Petersburg ...

* Battle of White Oak Road * Battle of Five Forks *

Geography

Dinwiddie is located in southern Virginia, southwest of the independent city of

Petersburg Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to: Places Australia *Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia Canada * Petersburg, Ontario Russia *Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg United States *Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...

, which separated from the county (and adjacent Prince George County) in 1871. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water. It is located between two US Army forts, Fort Lee to the east and Fort Pickett to the west.

Adjacent counties

* Chesterfield County – north * Petersburg City – northeast *

– east * Sussex County – southeast * Greensville County – south * Brunswick County – southwest *

Nottoway County Nottoway County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,642. Its county seat is Nottoway. It is situated south of the James River, thus making it a part of the Southside Virginia Regio ...

– west *

Amelia County 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. Ameli ...

– northwest

National protected area

Petersburg National Battlefield Petersburg National Battlefield is a National Park Service unit preserving sites related to the American Civil War Siege of Petersburg (1864–65). The Battlefield is centered on the city of Petersburg, Virginia, and also includes outlying compon ...

(part)

Major highways

* * * * * * *

Demographics

2020 census

''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 of 2000, there were 24,533 people, 9,107 households, and 6,720 families residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 9,707 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 64.55%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 33.66%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.31%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.40% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 9,107 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 13.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 30.90% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $41,582, and the median income for a family was $47,961. Males had a median income of $32,860 versus $24,346 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,122. About 6.60% of families and 9.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Board of Supervisors

* District 1: Harrison A. Moody (D) * District 2: Mark E. Moore (I) * District 3: William D. Chavis (I) * District 4: Daniel D. Lee (I) * District 5: Brenda K. Ebron-Bonner (D)

Constitutional officers

* Clerk of the Circuit Court: John Barrett Chappell, Jr. (D) * Commissioner of the Revenue: Lori K. Stevens (R) * Commonwealth's Attorney: Ann Cabell Baskervill (I) * Sheriff: D.T. "Duck" Adams (D) * Treasurer: Jennifer Caraway Perkins (D) Dinwiddie is represented by Republican

Frank Ruff Frank Miller Ruff Jr. (born September 22, 1949) is an American politician. A Republican, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates 1994–2000 and was elected to the Senate of Virginia in November 2000. He the 15th district, which includ ...

and Democrat

Joe Morrissey Joseph Dee Morrissey (born September 23, 1957) is an American Democratic politician, businessman, and former lawyer who won election to both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly from districts including Richmond or surrounding Henrico ...

in the Virginia Senate, Democrats Lashrecse Aird and

Roslyn Tyler Roslyn C. "Roz" Tyler ( née Cain; born July 18, 1961, in Greensville County, Virginia) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. Since 2006 she has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. From 2006 to 2022, she represented the ...

in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

, and Democrat

A. Donald McEachin Aston Donald McEachin ( ; October 10, 1961 – November 28, 2022) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 4th congressional district from 2017 until his death in 2022. His district was based in ...

in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Communities

The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the

independent cities An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

and Colonial Heights with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes.

Town

* McKenney

Census-designated places

* Dinwiddie (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

Ammon Ammon (Ammonite: 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''ʻAmān''; he, עַמּוֹן ''ʻAmmōn''; ar, عمّون, ʻAmmūn) was an ancient Semitic-speaking nation occupying the east of the Jordan River, between the torrent valleys of Arnon and Jabbok, in p ...

Carson Carson may refer to: People *Carson (surname), people with the surname *Carson (given name), people with the given name Places ;In the United States * Carson, California, a city * Carson Township, Fayette County, Illinois *Carson, Iowa, a city * ...

* Church Road * DeWitt * Darvils * Ford *

Sutherland Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...

* Wilsons

Education

Appomattox Regional Library Appomattox Regional Library system serves the city of Hopewell and Prince George and Dinwiddie counties in Virginia. The library system is within Region 2 of Virginia Library Association (VLA). Service area According to the FY 2014 Institute o ...

serves as the public library for the area.

References

External links

Dinwiddie County official website
{{authority control Virginia counties 1752 establishments in Virginia Greater Richmond Region