Lawrenceville is a town in
Brunswick County,
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 population was 1,438 at the 2010 census. Located by the
Meherrin River
The Meherrin River is a long 6th order tributary to the Chowan River that joins in Hertford County, North Carolina.
A twenty-foot-high dam on the river creates a reservoir in Emporia. For most of its length, the Meherrin is not large enough f ...
, 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 ...
of
Brunswick County.
In colonial times, Lieutenant
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Alexander Spotswood had a stockade built nearby, called
Fort Christanna
Fort Christanna was one of the projects of Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood, who was governor of the Virginia Colony 1710–1722. When Fort Christanna opened in 1714, Capt.
Robert Hicks was named captain of the fort and he relocated his family ...
, where converted Native American allies were housed and educated.
Historically black
Saint Paul's College, founded in 1888 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church, operated here until 2013. Lumber,
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
, livestock, and other farm products are grown in the area. In a county along the southern border of the state, the town is near the northernmost area for cotton growing.
History
The county was an area of tobacco production in colonial times, and later mixed farming, both dependent on enslaved African-American workers. In addition to Fort Christanna and
St. Paul's College, the
Brunswick County Courthouse Square,
Gholson Bridge, and
Lawrenceville Historic District
Lawrenceville Historic District is a national historic district located at Lawrenceville, Brunswick County, Virginia. It encompasses 326 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, 3 contributing structures, and 1 contributing object in the ce ...
are significant points of interest.
The first recorded foray by the colonists into what is now Brunswick County occurred in 1650.
1700s
Explorers left Fort Henry (Petersburg) to follow the Occoneeche trail on an expedition for trading with the Indians to the south. By 1714 the area was known well enough that it was selected by Governor Alexander Spotswood as the site of Fort Christanna, a trading depot and school for Indian children.
In 1720 the General Assembly passed an act for “erecting the Counties of Spotsylvania and Brunswick” which directed “That five hundred pounds…be paid by the Treasurer to Nathaniel Harrison, esq., Jonathan Allen, Henry Harrison, and William Edwards, gentlemen… for a church, courthouse, prison, pillory and stocks, where they shall think fit.”
The first courthouse was constructed circa 1732 on a site near Cochran. Moved to the east in 1746, the county seat was moved again in 1783 to be established at the present site. A wood-frame courthouse, described by a visitor in 1835 as “a very handsome building” was built in 1784 on the site now occupied by the Brunswick County Museum.
1800s
The Town was created officially by an act of the General Assembly on 22 January 1814. The act directed that twenty acres of land belonging to Peggy Williams be laid off into lots and be known as Lawrenceville. Legend has it that the name was inspired by a famous racehorse, Lawrence, owned by a prosperous landowner who had built a nearby race track at the end of the eighteenth century.
By 1836 the town was served by at least two stage routes as noted on the Tourist's Pocket Map of the State of Virginia published that year. One ran north and south between Petersburg and Warrenton, N. C., daily. The other, east and west between Lawrenceville and Halifax Courthouse three times a week.
The coming of the railroad in 1890 gave an impetus for growth. Establishment of the Atlantic and Danville shops in Lawrenceville provided the town with a significant industrial base. The mercantile buildings along Main and Hicks Streets were transformed from one and two story wood-frame buildings into two and three story brick masonry buildings over the next four decades. Residential areas quickly developed to satisfy the demand for housing. In 1907 the population was described as about 2,000 “law-abiding and God-fearing people.
Incorporation
In 1846 the town was described thus: “It is a neat village, pleasantly situated on a branch of the Meherrin River, and contains 2 churches and about 25 dwellings.” One of the churches, St. Andrew's Episcopal, constructed in 1829, continues to serve its parishioners as the oldest public building extant in Lawrenceville.
Richard H. Sharp gave land on Church Street in 1847 for construction of the Lawrenceville Methodist Church. The original building was replaced by the present sanctuary in 1906.
The Greek Revival courthouse, which remains on Courthouse Square, was constructed in 1854 to succeed the late 18th century structure. County court records were maintained on the first floor there until completion of the adjacent Clerk's Building in 1893. These two buildings are included in the Brunswick County Courthouse Square nomination approved for inclusion in the National Register in 1974.
Incorporation for the Town of Lawrenceville was achieved in 1874. Mr. Charles E. May later recalled the town of that era as “a very small village consisting of a courthouse, a few small stores, two blacksmith shops, a shoe maker’s shop and several dwellings.”
In 1888 James Solomon Russell, an Episcopal priest born into slavery in 1857, established a parish school for black children. By 1893 the school was incorporated and became the Saint Paul's Normal and Industrial School. Dr. Russell's efforts were blessed with continuing success. The school became Saint Paul's College in 1957 and attracts students from around the globe. Three of the early buildings remaining on campus have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Recent Decades
A bond issue passed in 1912 to fund construction of a water filtration plant and distribution system, a gravity sewage system, and an electric generating plant. The newly organized volunteer fire department constructed a firehouse on Sharp Street adjacent to the then new 100,000 gallon elevated water tank. The original fire alarm bell was moved to the grounds of the Municipal Building on Main Street in 1980 where it rests with an old road marker of 1819 inscribed “45 miles from the Brunswick Courthouse to Petersburg.”
Lawrenceville continued as the major market center for the rich agricultural areas of Brunswick County as evidenced by the tobacco warehouses, cotton gins, creameries, etc. which came and went during the first half of the twentieth century.
In 1924 the streets were paved with concrete. Sale of the electric generating plant in 1925 provided money for replacing the wood plank sidewalks with concrete. During the depression years of the thirties, federal funds were used to build a baseball field and a swimming pool.
The town now is engaged in a beautification project which involves replacing downtown sidewalks with brick and installing new streetlights. The new Albertis S. Harrison, Jr., Courthouse housing Brunswick's Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts was dedicated on 18 April 1999. Documentation and field work has been completed for the Lawrenceville Historic District and the nomination was submitted in the fall of 1999.
Downtown Lawrenceville is now 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 ...
.
The historic district connects with the developing Tobacco Heritage Trail, a segment of the national rails to trails movement, which attracts horseback riders, bikers, joggers, wildlife enthusiasts, and hikers.
Geography
According to the
United States 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 town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.4 km
2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,275 people, 376 households, and 209 families living in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,391.1 people per square mile (535.1/km
2). There were 459 housing units at an average density of 500.8 per square mile (192.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 33.25%
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 ...
, 64.63%
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 ...
, 0.31%
Native American, 0.24%
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 ...
, and 1.57% from two or more races.
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 ...
or
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 were 1.41% of the population.
There were 376 households, out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.3% under the age of 18, 33.2% from 18 to 24, 17.5% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,594, and the median income for a family was $41,875. Males had a median income of $31,583 versus $18,056 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $12,353. About 12.7% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Town of Lawrenceville serves as the county seat for Brunswick County, Virginia.
The Town of Lawrenceville operates under the council-manager form of government, in accordance with Title 15.2, Chapter 6 of the Code of Virginia.
Notable people
*
Duke Brett
Herbert James "Duke" Brett (May 23, 1900 – November 25, 1974) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of two seasons (1924–25) with the Chicago Cubs. For his career, he compiled a 1–1 record, with a 3.97 ...
, former Major League Baseball pitcher
*
George Coke Dromgoole, who represented
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 ...
in the
United States 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, was born in Lawrenceville.
*
Thomas Emmerson, Tennessee judge and first mayor of
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...
, was born here.
*
E. Franklin Frazier
Edward Franklin Frazier (; September 24, 1894 – May 17, 1962), was an American sociologist and author, publishing as E. Franklin Frazier. His 1932 Ph.D. dissertation was published as a book titled ''The Negro Family in the United States'' (19 ...
, sociologist and author of the classic ''Black Bourgeoisie,'' taught at
St. Paul's College.
*
Albertis Harrison
Albertis Sydney Harrison Jr. (January 11, 1907 – January 23, 1995) was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party associated with Virginia's Byrd Organization, he was the List of Governo ...
, state
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
from 1962 to 1966, was a native of Lawrenceville, where he practiced law.
*
John Hartwell Marable
John Hartwell Marable (November 18, 1786 – April 11, 1844) was an American politician who represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives.
Biography
Marable was born near Lawrenceville, Virginia, on November 18, 1786. He pur ...
, who represented
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
in the House of Representatives, was born here.
*
David Nolan David Nolan may refer to:
* David Nolan (politician) (1943–2010), co-founder of the United States Libertarian Party
* David Nolan (American author)
David Nolan is an American author, civil rights activist, and historian.
Biography
Nolan was b ...
, author and historian, worked for the Virginia Students Civil Rights Committee in Lawrenceville in the 1960s.
*
Chandler Owen
Chandler Owen (April 5, 1889 – November 2, 1967) was an African-American writer, editor and early member of the Socialist Party of America. Born in North Carolina, he studied and worked in New York City, then moved to Chicago for much of his c ...
, co-editor, with
A. Philip Randolph
Asa Philip Randolph (April 15, 1889 – May 16, 1979) was an American labor unionist and civil rights activist. In 1925, he organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first successful African-American led labor union. In ...
of ''
The Messenger,'' attended
St. Paul's College.
*
Goronwy Owen (1723-1769) author of
Welsh poetry, Vicar of St Andrews Episcopal Church in Lawrenceville, and local cotton and tobacco plantation owner
*
Peter B. Starke, former
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
general in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. Buried near Lawrenceville, where he owned a plantation.
*
Bryant Stith
Bryant Lamonica Stith (born December 10, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently a men's assistant basketball coach at University of North Carolina Green ...
, former
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
and
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
basketball player.
References
{{authority control
Towns in Virginia
Towns in Brunswick County, Virginia
County seats in Virginia