Hanover is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in

Hanover County Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the western ...

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 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is the

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 ...

and is located at the junction of U.S. Route 301 and State Route 54 south of the

Pamunkey River The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York Rive ...

. While historically known as Hanover Courthouse, the

U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...

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 ...

Postal Service The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...

and residents refer to it as "Hanover". The population as of the 2010 census was 252.

Courthouse

Its most notable structure is the

Hanover County Courthouse Hanover County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located in the community of Hanover Courthouse, the county seat of Hanover County, Virginia. Built about 1735, it is one of the nation's oldest courthouses still in use for that purpose. It is ...

, designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. The attorney

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...

practiced law here and argued the

Parson's Cause The "Parson's Cause" was a legal and political dispute in the Colony of Virginia often viewed as an important event leading up to the American Revolution. Colonel John Henry, father of Patrick Henry, was the judge who presided over the court case ...

. It is within the

Hanover County Courthouse Historic District Hanover County Courthouse Historic District is a national historic district located at Hanover Courthouse, Hanover County, Virginia, USA. The district includes four contributing buildings in the county seat of Hanover Courthouse. They are the ...

, which includes the

Hanover Tavern The Hanover Tavern in Hanover Courthouse, Virginia, is located in Hanover County and is one of the oldest taverns in the United States. History The first tavern was licensed at the site beginning in 1733. Hanover Tavern has been serving county ...

. Rebuilt in 1791 on the site of a Revolutionary-era tavern, the tavern was adapted in 1953 as the

Barksdale Theatre Barksdale Theatre merged with Theatre IV in 2012 to become Virginia Repertory Theatre.Prestidge, HollyRichmond Times Dispatch May 20, 2012; Barksdale, Theatre IV merging Retrieved 2012-05-27Cushing, NathanRVA News May 20, 2012; Barksdale and Thea ...

, the nation's first

dinner theatre Dinner theater (sometimes called dinner and a show) is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. "Dinner and a show" can also refer to a restaurant meal in combination with live concert music, where pat ...

. Barksdale was Virginia's first performing arts organization to seat integrated audiences. St. Paul's Episcopal Church was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1994. The Hanover County Courthouse is an operating courthouse. Located along U.S. Route 301, it is across the green from the Hanover Tavern. The courthouse is the third oldest courthouse still in use in the United States. Some local historians cited the courthouse as built in 1735, but the state historical society notes it was built between 1737 and 1742.

Geography

Hanover is located in northeastern Hanover County, south of the

, which forms the border with Caroline County. U.S. Route 301 passes through the center of the CDP, leading south to the center of Richmond and north to

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...

Virginia State Route 54 State Route 54 (SR 54) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Patrick Henry Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 33 (US 33) in Montpelier east to US 301/ SR 2 in Hanover Courthouse. ...

leads west to Ashland. 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 Hanover CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.09%, are water. Via the Pamunkey River, the community is part of the York River watershed.

Notable people

Robert C. Nicholas Robert Carter Nicholas (January 10, 1787 – December 24, 1856) was a United States senator from Louisiana. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and also served as Secretary of State of Louisiana and Louisiana's Superintendent of Education. Ea ...

, US senator *

, Statesman & founding father

References

External links

Hanover County Economic Development

{{Authority control Census-designated places in Hanover County, Virginia County seats in Virginia