Amelia County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located just southwest of Richmond in the

Commonwealth of 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 ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The county is located in Central Virginia and is included in the Greater Richmond Region. 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 Amelia Court House. Amelia County was created in 1735 from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties and was named in honor of

Princess Amelia of Great Britain Princess Amelia of Great Britain (Amelia Sophia Eleonore; 10 June 1711 (Old Style and New Style dates, New Style) – 31 October 1786) was the second daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, Queen Caroline. Born in ...

. Parts of the county were later carved out to create Prince Edward and Nottoway counties. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 13,265.

History

Amelia County was created by legislative act in 1734 and 1735 from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties. The county is named for

, daughter of King George II. As was customary, Amelia County was reduced by the division of territory to form newer counties as the population increased in the region; in 1754, Prince Edward County was formed from parts of Amelia County, and in 1789, Nottoway County was formed. The area was developed for plantation agriculture dependent on slave labor. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

, Confederate

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Robert E. Lee and his army spent April 4 and 5, 1865, at Amelia Court House before his surrender on April 9 to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox. The last major battle of his army was fought at Sayler's Creek, on the border of Amelia and Prince Edward counties, on April 6. Amelia is known for its minerals, including the nation's best supply of

amazonite Amazonite, also known as amazonstone, is a green tectosilicate mineral, a variety of the potassium feldspar called microcline. Its chemical formula is KAlSi3O8, which is Polymorphism (materials science), polymorphic to orthoclase. Its name is ta ...

, a green

feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...

found at the Morefield mine. In the 19th century, spas were developed around its mineral springs, which were destinations for travelers. In 1986 the Amelia County Fair sponsored a competition for the world's largest potato pancake (with apple sauce). It was constructed to raise money that year for the German American National Scholarship Fund. The pancake weighed more than two and one-quarter tons and used four truckloads of potatoes.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. Amelia County lies in the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

region of Virginia, known for rolling hills and small ridges that lie between the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

and Coastal Plain of Virginia. The county is bordered by the Appomattox River to the north and west, and Namozine Creek to the east. Amelia County is drained by

tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...

of the Appomattox. The lowest elevation in the county is , on Lake Chesdin on the Appomattox at the eastern extremity of the county. The highest elevation is , on SR 616 (S. Genito Road) at the community of Gills in the southwest corner of the county.

Adjacent counties

* Powhatan County – north * Chesterfield County – east * Dinwiddie County – southeast * Nottoway County – south * Prince Edward County – southwest * Cumberland County – west

Transportation

Air

* Richmond International Airport is located northeast of Amelia County.

US Highways

* (Patrick Henry Highway. Eastbound to Richmond. Westbound to Burkeville and Danville.)

State Routes

* (In Amelia Court House: Virginia Street, Court Street, Washington Street, Church Street, Five Forks Road. In Amelia County: N. Five Forks Road, to SR 153.) * (Military Road. To and Blackstone.) * (Holly Farms Road. To and Farmville.)

Secondary Routes

* (Chula Rd and Genito Rd. To Powhatan and Chesterfield Counties.) * (Grub Hill Church Rd and Royalton Rd. To and Powhatan Court House.) * (Dennisville Rd. To Blackstone.) * (Genito Rd. Serves the northwest and southwest area of Amelia County. To SR 307 near

Rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

Rail

* Norfolk Southern – freight rail service

Demographics

2020 census

2000 Census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 11,400 people, 4,240 households, and 3,175 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 4,609 housing units, at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 70.57%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 28.05%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.28% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.25% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 4,240 households, of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07. The

median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...

age was 38 years, with 25.30% under 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males. The median household income was $40,252, and the median family income was $47,157. Males had a median income of $32,315, versus $23,102 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $18,858. 8.40% of the population and 6.70% of families 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 ...

. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.10% were under the age of 18 and 11.70% were 65 or older.

Culture

Seasonal Events

* A countywide festival called Amelia Day is held each May on the Saturday before Mother's Day in Amelia Court House. The festival started in the 1980s to celebrate the town's founding. Vendors, local clubs, and citizens organize to enjoy music, dancing, and socializing. At the first Amelia Day in 1985, residents signed a long roll that, along with other items, was put in a time capsule and buried in the courthouse green near the Confederate War Memorial. The capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2035. * The Amelia County Fair is held in late summer or early fall each year at the Joe Paulette Memorial Park in Amelia Court House. * Each October, the Amelia Frightfest, a trail haunt, opens at Tom Scott Park in Amelia Court House. * Every year from April to October, on the second Saturday of every month, The Time Bandits car club hosts a car show at the Truist Bank parking lot on Patrick Henry Highway.

Attractions

* Sayler's Creek Battlefield State Park * Lake Chesdin * Amelia Wildlife Management Area * Amelia Country Club

Government

Board of Supervisors

*District 1: David M. Felts Jr. (Chairman) *District 2: Dexter Jones *District 3: Shaun Weyant, Vice Chairman (I) *District 4: H. Joseph Easter IV, Chairman (I) *District 5: Todd Robinson

Constitutional officers

*Clerk of the Circuit Court: Marilyn L. Wilson (D) *Commissioner of the Revenue: Laura Walsh (I) *Commonwealth's Attorney: Lee R. Harrison (I) *Sheriff: Rick Walker (I) *Treasurer: Stephanie Coleman (I) Amelia County is represented by Republican John McGuire in the Virginia Senate, Republican Lee Ware in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses 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 Republican Bob Good in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Media

'' The Amelia Bulletin Monitor'', a weekly newspaper, has covered the county since 1973.

Education

Public Primary and secondary schools

Amelia County is served by the Amelia County Public Schools. * Amelia County High School * Amelia County Middle School * Amelia County Elementary School

Private Primary and secondary Schools

* Amelia Academy

Communities

There are no incorporated communities in Amelia County.

Census-designated places

* Amelia Court House

Unincorporated communities

Ammon Ammon (; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''ʻAmān''; '; ) was an ancient Semitic languages, Semitic-speaking kingdom occupying the east of the Jordan River, between the torrent valleys of Wadi Mujib, Arnon and Jabbok, in present-d ...

* Chula * Clementown Mills * Coverly * Deatonville * Denaro * Earls * Fieldstown * Giles Mill * Gills * Haw Branch * Jetersville * Little Patrick * Lodore * Mannboro * Maplewood * Masons Corner * Mattoax * Morven * Namozine * Otterburn * Paineville * Pontons/Ponton's/Pointons Store * Rodophil * Scotts Fork * Truxillo * Winterham

Historic sites

The following sites in Amelia County are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: * Barrett–Chumney House * Dykeland * Egglestetton * Farmer House * Haw Branch * Ingleside * St. John's Church (Grub Hill Church) * Sayler's Creek Battlefield * Wigwam * Winterham Plantation

Notable people

* William S. Archer, born in Amelia County, United States Senator from

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 ...

Van T. Barfoot Van Thomas Barfoot (born Van Thurman Barfoot; June 15, 1919 – March 2, 2012) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II. Early life ...

(1919–2012), U.S. Army Colonel and a U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient * William Wyatt Bibb, born in Amelia County, United States Senator from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and first

Governor of Alabama A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

* Jesse Bragg, Negro-league baseball player * William Cocke (1747–1828), born in Amelia County, first United States Senator from

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

* Henry William Connor (1793–1866), born near Amelia Court House, elected United States Congressman from North Carolina * Rosa Dixon Bowser (1855-1931), born in Amelia County, first African American Teacher hired in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. Established the Virginia Teacher's Reading Circle, which became the Virginia State Teachers Association, * David Fanning, (1755–1825), born in Amelia County. A Loyalist officer during 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, he captured Thomas Burke, a court-martial judge and

Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...

. One of only three individuals excluded from the amnesty after the Revolutionary War, Fanning moved to

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

in present-day Canada for resettlement. * William Branch Giles, (1762–1830), born in Amelia County. Planter, United States Congressman, United States Senator, and

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...

* David Greenhill Member of the Colonial House of Burgesses * Edmund Harrison (1764–1826), Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (1802–1803) * John Winston Jones, (1791–1848), born in Amelia County.

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House or House speaker, is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United ...

* Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie (c.1840s–c.1920s), born into slavery in Amelia County. She became a noted musician, teacher and composer, founding a musical conservatory in

Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi ( ; ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, Texas, Nueces County with portions extending into Aransas County, T ...

. * Robert Russa Moton (1867–1940), noted African American educator. He was born in Amelia County but was raised in Rice in nearby

Prince Edward County, Virginia Prince Edward County is located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 21,849. Its county seat is Farmville, Virginia, Farmville. History Formation an ...

. * Mary Virginia Terhune (1830–1922), born in Amelia County. A prolific and bestselling author in both fiction and non-fiction, the first woman elected to the Virginia Historical Society

References

External links

* https://va-ameliacounty.civicplus.com/ – Official Amelia County Government website * https://web.archive.org/web/20191115180811/http://ameliabusinessdirectory.com/ – Amelia Business Directory
Amelia Co. Christmas 1784

''The Amelia Bulletin Monitor''
– Amelia County's newspaper * http://www.ameliadayfestival.com/ – Amelia Day website * https://ameliacountyfair.com/ – Amelia County Fair website {{authority control Virginia counties Populated places established in 1735 1735 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies