Albemarle County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 Piedmont region of 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 are ...

. 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 ...

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen ...

, which is an

independent city 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 enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,395. Albemarle County was created in 1744 from the western portion of

Goochland County Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is inc ...

, though portions of Albemarle were later carved out to create other counties. Albemarle County was named in honor of

Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle Lieutenant-General Willem (or William) Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle (5 June 1702 – 22 December 1754) was a British soldier, diplomat and courtier. He held various roles in the household of George II (1683-1760), who was a personal f ...

. Its most famous inhabitant was

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

, who built his estate home,

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

, in the county.

History

Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Albemarle County were a

Siouan Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east. Name Authors who call the ent ...

-speaking tribe called the

Saponi The Saponi or Sappony are a Native American tribe historically based in the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia.Raymond D. DeMaillie, "Tutelo and Neighboring Groups," pages 286–87. They spoke a Siouan language, related to the languages of ...

. In 1744, the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...

created Albemarle County from the western portion of

. The county was named in honor of

and titular Governor of Virginia at the time. The large county was partitioned in 1761, forming

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of ...

and

Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...

counties, at which time the county seat was moved from the formerly central Scottsville to a piece of newly central land, christened

. In 1777, Albemarle County was divided and Fluvanna County established, finalizing the boundaries of modern Albemarle County. Albemarle County is well known for its association with President and Founding Father

, who was born in the county at

Shadwell Shadwell is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , east of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping (to the west) and Ratcliff (to the east). This riverside location has mea ...

, though it was then part of

.Henry Stephens Randall, ''The Life of Thomas Jefferson'' However, his home of

is located in the county. When the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

started in 1775, Jefferson was made colonel of the Albemarle Militia. During the Civil War, the

Battle of Rio Hill The Battle of Rio Hill was a skirmish in the American Civil War in which Union cavalry raided a Confederate camp in Albemarle County, Virginia. In the early afternoon of February 28, 1864, Union Brig. Gen. George A. Custer and 1,500 Union s ...

was a skirmish in which Union cavalry raided a Confederate camp in Albemarle County, Virginia. Until the Civil War, the majority of Albemarle County's population consisted of enslaved African Americans.

Geography

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.

Waterways

The

Rivanna River The Rivanna River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. The Rivanna's tributaries ...

's south fork forms in Albemarle County and was historically important for transportation. The south fork flows in-between Darden Towe Park and Pen Park. Boat ramp access is available at Darden Towe Park. The James River acts as a natural border between Albemarle and Buckingham Counties.

Major highways

* * * * * * * *

Protected areas

Albemarle's western border with Augusta and Rockingham Counties is located within the

Shenandoah National Park Shenandoah National Park (often ) is an American national park that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the ...

Adjacent counties

Albemarle County borders 8 other counties, more than any other county in Virginia. *

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen C ...

(surrounded by Albemarle County) *

Greene County, Virginia Greene County is a county in Virginia in the eastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,552. Its county seat is Stanardsville. Greene County is part of the Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Histo ...

(north) *

Orange County, Virginia Orange County is a county located in the Central Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 36,254. Its county seat is Orange. Orange County includes Montpelier, the estate of James Madison, the ...

(northeast) *

Louisa County, Virginia Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,596. The county seat is Louisa. History Prior to colonial settlement, the area comprising Louisa County was occupied by severa ...

(east) *

Fluvanna County, Virginia Fluvanna County is a county (United States), county located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 27,249 ...

(southeast) *

Buckingham County, Virginia Buckingham County is a rural United States county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and containing the geographic center of the state. Buckingham County is part of the Piedmont region of Virginia, and the county seat is Buckingham. ...

(south) *

Nelson County, Virginia Nelson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,775. Its county seat is Lovingston. Nelson County is part of the Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statist ...

(southwest) *

Augusta County, Virginia Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its count ...

(west) *

Rockingham County, Virginia Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,757. Its county seat is the independent city of Harrisonburg. Along with Harrisonburg, Rockingham County forms the Harrisonbur ...

(northwest)

Parks and recreation

* Beaver Creek Lake *Chris Greene Lake *Darden Towe *Charlotte Y. Humphris Park *Ivy Creek Natural Area *Mint Springs Valley *Patricia Ann Byrom Forest Preserve Park *Preddy Creek Trail Park * Simpson Park * Totier Creek Park * Walnut Creek Park

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.''

2010 Census

The largest self-reported ancestry groups in Albemarle County are English 16.3%, German 16.0%, Irish 12.7%, "American" 11.4% and Italian 5.2%. 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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 98,970 people, 38,157 households, and 24,578 families residing in the county. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 137 people per square mile (52.8/km²). There were 42,122 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile (22.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.6%

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 ...

, 9.7%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.4% from two or more races. 5.5% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 38,157 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% 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 ...

living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females there were 92.69 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.59 males. 22% of Albemarle residents have a graduate or professional degree, compared with 10% nationwide. The median income for a household in the county was $63,001, and the median income for a family was $98,934. Males had a median income of $55,530 versus $52,211 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 county was $36,718. About 3.8% of families and 10.4% 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 ...

, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

35% of people working in Albemarle live in the county, while 65% commute in. 19% of those commuting in live in Charlottesville, while the remainder live in the surrounding counties. 26,800 people commute out of Albemarle for work. 48% of those commute to Charlottesville, making up 51% of Charlottesville's in-commuters. In 2018, Albemarle had a 2.7% unemployment rate, compared with a national rate of 3.9%.https://virginiaworks.com/Portals/200/Local%20Area%20Profiles/5104000003.pdf The top 10 employers as of Q2 2019 were: #

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

# County of Albemarle # Sentara Healthcare # U.S. Department of Defense # State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance # Atlantic Coast Athletic Club # Piedmont Virginia Community College # Northrop Grumman Corporation # Crutchfield Corporation #

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

36% of workers in Albemarle are employed by the government, with 898 working for the federal government, 12,476 working for the state government (including the University of Virginia), and 4,127 working for the local government.

Government

Albemarle is governed by an elected six-member Board of Supervisors. Management of the county is vested in a Board-appointed

County Executive A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...

. There are also several elected Constitutional Officers: * Clerk of the Circuit Court: John Zug (D) * Commonwealth's Attorney: James M. Hingeley (D) * Sheriff: Chan Bryant (D) The nonpartisan School Board is also elected. Its members are: *Kate Acuff (Jack Jouett Magisterial District) *Katrina Callsen (Rio Magisterial District) *Judy Le (Rivanna Magisterial District) *Graham Paige (Chair, Samuel Miller Magisterial District) *Ellen Osborne (Scottsville Magisterial District) *David Oberg (White Hall Magisterial District) *Jonno Alcaro (At-Large)

Emergency services

Earlysville Volunteer Fire Department Truck

Albemarle County has two branches of law enforcement, the Albemarle County Police Department, which handles criminal matters and is directed by the appointed police chief, Colonel Steve Sellers. The second branch is the Albemarle County Sheriff's Office, which handles civil service in the county and they are directed by the elected Sheriff Chip Harding. EMS services are provided by three volunteer rescue squads and Albemarle County Fire Rescue. The Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad, located in the City of Charlottesville, providing 24hr EMS services to the City of Charlottesville and on nights and weekends in particular areas of the county, the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, located in Crozet, and the Scottsville Volunteer Rescue Squad, located in the town of Scottsville. Albemarle County Fire Rescue operates 6 Advance Life Support ambulances, Medic 4 (Earlysville), Medic 8 (Seminole), Medic 11 (Monticello), Medic 12 (Hollymead), Medic 15 (Ivy), and Medic 16 (Pantops). Albemarle County Fire/Rescue system is a combination system that consists of seven volunteer fire stations and three career fire stations (Hollymead, Ivy and Monticello). Three of the volunteer stations (stations 3, 5, and 7) are covered 24 hours a day by volunteers. The other volunteer stations (2, 4, 6, and 8) are supplemented by career staff Monday - Friday, 6AM - 6PM. Volunteers operate these stations weeknights from 6PM - 6AM as well as weekends and holidays. The three career stations are staffed 24 hours by both career and volunteer firefighters Volunteer and career firefighters are trained and work together to provide Fire and EMS services to the population of Albemarle County. Albemarle County Fire Rescue has begun building a station (Station 16) in the eastern portion of the county near Pantops slated to open in Fall of 2018.

Fire stations

* Crozet Volunteer Fire Department (Station 5) * Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company (Station 4) * East Rivanna Volunteer Fire Company (Station 2) * Hollymead Fire Rescue (Station 12) * Ivy Fire Rescue (Station 15) * Monticello Fire Rescue (Station 11) * North Garden Volunteer Fire Company (Station 3) * Scottsville Volunteer Fire Department (Station 7) * Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department (Station 8) * Stony Point Volunteer Fire Company (Station 6)

Rescue squads

* Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (Rescue 1) * Albemarle County Fire and Rescue Station 17 (Scottsville) * Western Albemarle Rescue Squad (Rescue 5)

Law enforcement

The Albemarle County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) and the Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD) provide law enforcement services in the county. The ACSO was created in 1745 when Joseph Thompson was appointed as the first sheriff. Then in 1895, citizens started electing sheriffs for 4-year terms. Lucian Watts was the first elected sheriff. the sheriff is Chan Bryant, the county's first woman sheriff. The ACPD was created in 1983. Prior to 1983, local county governments could create a police force by a simple vote held by their respective board of supervisors. In February 1983 the Virginia General Assembly restricted the authority of county governments to create police forces without a voter referendum. The law did not go into effect until July 1983: On May 11, 1983, before the law took effect, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance creating the Albemarle County Police Department. That original ordinance provided for a police chief and five full time officers. George W. Bailey was the first chief of police. the chief of police is Sean Reeves. The ACPD currently has 140 sworn officers, 23 civilian employees, and 3 animal control officers.

Representation & elections

Albemarle is represented by Republican Bryce Reeves and Democrat

Creigh Deeds Robert Creigh Deeds (; born January 4, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a member of the Senate of Virginia representing the 25th district since 2001. Previously, he was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Virgin ...

in the Virginia State Senate; Republicans Chris Runion,

Rob Bell Robert Holmes Bell Jr. (born August 23, 1970) is an American author, speaker and former pastor. Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan, and pastored it until 2012. Under his leadership, Mars Hill was one of the fastest ...

, and Matt Fariss and Democrat Sally L. Hudson represent the county in the Virginia House of Delegates. Republican Bob Good represents the county in the U.S. House of Representatives. For much of the second half of the 20th century, Albemarle County was heavily Republican, like most of this part of Virginia. However, the Republican edge narrowed significantly in the 1990s, in part due to the influence of the University of Virginia. In 2004,

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

carried it by two points, becoming the first Democrat to win the county since 1948. It swung hard to

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

in 2008, and since then has become one of the few Democratic bastions in central Virginia, though it is not as overwhelmingly Democratic as Charlottesville.

Education

The Albemarle County Public School System operates public education in the county. It provides education to nearly 14,000 students including preschool through high school. The Albemarle County Public School System's mission is to "establish a community of learners and learning, through relationships, relevance and rigor, one student at a time." ACPS provides 25 school facilities which include Community Lab School, a charter school that is located in the City of

, Albemarle High School, Western Albemarle High School, and Monticello High School. The School Board and the Superintendent, Dr. Matthew Haas, work closely together in operating the Albemarle County Public School System. Many private schools in Albemarle serve the county and students from surrounding areas. These include: * The Covenant School (upper campus) *Field School of Charlottesville *Free Union Country School * The Miller School of Albemarle *Montessori Community School *North Branch School *Peabody School *

Charlottesville Catholic School Charlottesville Catholic School (CCS) is a private school under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Richmond. It is a day school for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. The school is located on in unincorporated Albemarle County, Virginia, Unit ...

St. Anne's-Belfield School St. Anne's-Belfield School is a co-educational, independent boarding and day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The school is located on in Charlottesville, Virginia, US, near the campus of the University of Virginia. History The ...

* Tandem Friends School Some students attend several private schools in the City of Charlottesville.

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Jefferson-Madison Regional Library system serves Albemarle, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson counties and City of Charlottesville. The library system is within Region 6 of Virginia Library Association (VLA) regions. Service area According to the F ...

is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Albemarle.

Communities

The city of

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

d within Albemarle County. Under Virginia law in effect since 1871, all municipalities in the state incorporated as cities are legally and politically

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

of any county. (Population according to the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

)

Many of these unincorporated areas have Charlottesville addresses.

Notable people

* Samuel Addison Bishop, born in Albemarle County, was a settler of the Owens Valley and is the namesake of Bishop Creek in Inyo County, California.

Notable residents

* Chilton Allan (1786–1858), born in Albemarle County,

United States Congressman 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 ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

* Rev Samuel Black, Albemarle County's first Presbyterian minister. Built Sam Black's Tavern * Dabney Smith Carr (1802–1854), born in Albemarle County, founder of

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...

''Baltimore Republican and Commercial Advertiser'', United States minister to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

* Christopher Henderson Clark (1767–1828),

from Virginia *

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American Surveying, surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier duri ...

(1752–1818), surveyor, soldier, and Revolutionary War hero and older brother of

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Miss ...

born in Albemarle County * William Coleman, Olympic equestrian team member 2012 *

Edward Coles Edward Coles (December 15, 1786 – July 7, 1868) was an American planter and politician, elected as the second Governor of Illinois (1822 to 1826). From an old Virginia family, Coles as a young man was a neighbor and associate of presidents ...

(1786–1868), born in Albemarle County,

Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...

Rita Dove Rita Frances Dove (born August 28, 1952) is an American poet and essayist. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first African American to have been appointed since the positi ...

(1952- ), former

United States Poet Laureate The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...

and winner of the

Pulitzer Prize for poetry The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually for Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first presented in 1922, and is given for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, published ...

, living in Albemarle County since 1989 *Greensville Dowell (1822–1876), born in Albemarle County, noted physician, professor, and author *

Kathryn Erskine Kathryn Erskine is an American writer of children's literature. She won the 2010 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 2012 Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award for her novel, '' Mockingbird''. Life Erskine's family travele ...

, National Book Award-winning novelist *

James T. Farley James Thompson Farley (August 6, 1829January 22, 1886) was a United States Senator from California. Early life He was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, and moved to Missouri at an early age. Drawn by the discovery of gold and hastened by a d ...

(1829–1886), born in Albemarle County,

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

*James Walker Gons (1812–1870), born in Albemarle County,

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...

church

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, later converting to

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

, editor and publisher of church's ''Christian Intelligencer'', educator. *

John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas) is an American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th district of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his popular legal thrillers. According to the Ame ...

, author of ''The Whistler'' and ''A Time to Kill'' *

Claude Hall Claude Hall (September 4, 1932 – July 7, 2017) was an American journalist and a writer for and longtime radio-TV editor of ''Billboard''. In 1965, Hall coined the term "easy listening" to describe the sound of WPIX-FM, a radio station then ...

, historian who wrote definitive biography of Abel Parker Upshur

Obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

of Claude Hampton Hall (1922-2001), ''Bryan-College Station, Texas, Eagle'', April 4, 2001 * John Harvie (1742–1807), born in Albemarle County, member of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

and

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

from 1785 to 1786 * Samuel Hopkins (1753–1819), born in Albemarle County,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

officer and United States Congressman from

, third President of the United States and former Governor of Virginia * Sarah Garland Boyd Jones (1866–1905), physician *

Jack Jouett John Jouett Jr. (December 7, 1754 – March 1, 1822) was an American farmer and politician in Virginia and Kentucky best known for his ride during the American Revolution. Sometimes called the "Paul Revere of the South", Jouett rode to warn Tho ...

(1754–1822), born in Albemarle County, known as the "

Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist, Sons of Liberty member, and Patriot and Founding Father. He is best known for his midnight ride to a ...

of the South", influential in organizing Kentucky as a separate state, Virginia and Kentucky state legislator *

Fiske Kimball Sidney Fiske Kimball (1888 – 1955) was an American architect, architectural historian and museum director. A pioneer in the field of architectural preservation in the United States, he played a leading part in the restoration of Monticel ...

(1888–1955),

architectural historian An architectural historian is a person who studies and writes about the history of architecture, and is regarded as an authority on it. Professional requirements As many architectural historians are employed at universities and other facilities ...

, founder of the

University of Virginia School of Architecture The University of Virginia School of Architecture is the graduate school of architecture at the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school offers master's, doctoral and limited bachelor's programme ...

Ben King (cyclist) Benjamin T. "Ben" King (born March 22, 1989) is an American professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . King turned professional in 2008. Personal Born in Richmond, Virginia, King spent his adolescence in North Garde ...

, professional cyclist * Walter Leake (1769?-1825), born in Albemarle County,

from Mississippi and later governor of that state *

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, wit ...

(1774–1809), born in Albemarle County,

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

, governor of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

, and one of the leaders of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

Howie Long Howard Matthew Moses Long (born January 6, 1960) is an American sports analyst and former professional football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons as a defensive end, spending his entire career with the Raider ...

, former NFL player with the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

Joseph Martin Joseph Martin may refer to: Military * Joseph Martin (general) (1740–1808), American Revolutionary War general from Virginia *Joseph Plumb Martin (1760–1850), American soldier and memoir writer * Joseph M. Martin (born 1962), U.S. Army officer ...

(1740–1808), Revolutionary War general and explorer; namesake of

Martinsville, Virginia Martinsville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,485. A community of both Southside and Southwest Virginia, it is the county seat of Henry County, althou ...

* Dave Matthews of the

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

* David Meriwether, born in Albemarle County,

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

officer, member

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...

, Major General - Georgia Militia *

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

, fifth President of the United States and former Governor of Virginia *

(1799–1870), born in Albemarle County,

from New York *

Lottie Moon Charlotte Digges "Lottie" Moon (December 12, 1840 – December 24, 1912) was a Southern Baptist missionary to China with the Foreign Mission Board who spent nearly 40 years (1873–1912) living and working in China. As a teacher and evangelist s ...

(1840–1912), Southern Baptist missionary to China; Southern Baptists worldwide take up a Christmas offering every year for international missions in her name *

John Milbank Alasdair John Milbank (born 23 October 1952) is an English Anglican theologian and is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Nottingham, where he is President of the Centre of Theology and ...

, English Philosopher and Theologian *

Sissy Spacek Mary Elizabeth Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for four Britis ...

, actress * Peter Threewits (1725-1770), born in Sussex County, Virginia state legislator * Bebe Williams,

Xeric Award The Xeric Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation based in Northampton, Massachusetts, which for twenty years awarded self-publishing grants to comic book creators, as well as qualified charitable and nonprofit organizations. The Xeric Fou ...

cartoonist/artist Art Comics Daily

References

External links

* *
Architecture of Jefferson Country – images of historic buildings of Albemarle County (from UVA Libraries)
{{authority control Virginia counties 1744 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Counties on the James River (Virginia) Community Remembrance Project