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
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 ...
, 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 ...
or
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