Amherst (formerly Dearborn) is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Amherst County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2010 census. It is the

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 ...

of Amherst County. Amherst is part of the Lynchburg metropolitan area.

History

Amherst was founded in 1807. Originally known as "The Oaks" and "Seven Oaks", it began as a stagecoach station on the

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

to Lynchburg road. Once Nelson County was separated from Amherst County in 1807, the

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

became the seat of Amherst County. It was at this time that the village decided to rename itself in honor of French and Indian War hero

Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, (29 January 1717 – 3 August 1797) was a British Army officer and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the British Army. Amherst is credited as the architect of Britain's successful campaig ...

. Major-General Amherst had been the hero of the Battle of Ticonderoga and later served as the

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia was a British Empire, British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776. The first effort to create an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and established in 1585; the resulting Roanoke Colo ...

from 1763 to 1768. In 1847, local planter William Waller, aged 58, walked from Amherst to

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

with about 20

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

for sale. His letters home during the trip, held by the Virginia Historical Society, provide rare documentation of a slave coffle. On April 15, 1910, Amherst was incorporated by the order of the

Circuit Court Circuit courts are court systems in several common law jurisdictions. It may refer to: * Courts that literally sit 'on circuit', i.e., judges move around a region or country to different towns or cities where they will hear cases; * Courts that s ...

. A

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

was granted to the town by the General Assembly in 1950. The official town seal was created by Ward Cruea, a commercial artist from

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. His original proposal featured the "sleeping giant" (the Blue Ridge Mountain ridgeline west of Amherst), but this was rejected as it represented an area outside the town's limits. According to town legend, while a group was in the Clerk's office in the town hall engaged in conversation on the topics of the day, and looking eastward along East Court Street, it was suggested that the Amherst courthouse be used as a model for the official seal. During that era, a large letter "A" was attached to a radio antenna tower beside the telephone company building adjacent to the courthouse. This internally illuminated "A" was used as a visual navigation beacon by aircraft pilots. Approximately six months later Cruea returned to the town and delivered a framed original of a proposed seal. It incorporated the courthouse, the "A," and the town's date of incorporation. Cruea's proposal was adopted soon thereafter and became Amherst's official seal. The original seal is located on the wall of the town council chambers. One of the main landmarks of the town is the

roundabout A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...

located at the intersection of Main Street and U.S. Route 60. "The Circle," as it is affectionately referred to by Amherst residents, is the oldest traffic circle in the

Virginia Department of Transportation The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is the agency of the U.S. state, state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. VDOT is headquartered at the Virginia Department of Highways Buildin ...

system. The Village Garden Club installed and maintains the fountain and the landscaping at the circle. Another Amherst landmark is the Amherst County courthouse. An original courthouse was built in 1809 but was torn down in 1872, and the current building was built shortly thereafter. All Amherst County records have been stored there since 1761 when Amherst‑Nelson counties were divided from Albemarle County. The Thompson's Mill-Amherst Mill Complex was previously home to Amherst Milling Co. The main building is an “evolved” structure with elements dating from at least the late 19th- century. It was active in the production of

cornmeal Maize meal is a meal (coarse flour) ground from dried maize. It is a common staple food and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but it is not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', Third Editi ...

and flour before closing in 2017. In 2018, the

Virginia Department of Historic Resources 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 ...

placed the building on its

Virginia Landmarks Register The Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) is a list of historic properties 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-Atla ...

. Other important sites located in or near the town include the Bear Mountain Indian Mission School, Edgewood, 1818, Edgewood, 1858, Fairview, Forest Hill,

The Glebe The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Downtown Ottawa in the Capital Ward. As of 2016, the neighbourhood had a population of 13,055. The Glebe is bounded on the north by the Queensway, on the e ...

, Dulwich Manor, and

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Classical Rome, Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable dist ...

. These places are all 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 ...

Geography

Amherst is located at (37.576899, −79.050424). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (12.9 km²), all of it land. The town is 25 miles southeast of Lexington, 44 miles southwest from

, 20 miles northwest from Appomattox, and only 13 miles north of Lynchburg.

Demographics

As of the 2000

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 ...

, there were 2,251 people, 940 households, and 568 families residing in the town. 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 451.3 people per square mile (174.2/km²). There were 1,000 housing units at an average density of 200.5 per square mile (77.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 68.95%

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 ...

, 29.63%

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 ...

, 0.31% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races.

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 were 1.02% of the population. There were 940 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% 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, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 24.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,000, and the median income for a family was $44,181. Males had a median income of $35,714 versus $20,321 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 town was $18,457. About 13.3% of families and 18.0% 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 25.1% of those under age 18 and 26.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Amherst has many public schools which provide primary and secondary education to local children. There are also opportunities for higher learning. Amherst County School System operates the public education system in the town. The public schools in the area are: *Amherst Elementary School (K-5) *Central Elementary School (K-5) *Amherst Middle School (grades 6-8) *Amherst County High School (grades 9-12) *Monelison Middle School (grades 6-8) *Madison Heights Elementary School (K-5) *Elon Elementary School (K-5) *Temperance Elementary School (K-5) In addition, Amherst is served by the women's liberal arts college

Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's liberal arts college in Sweet Briar, Amherst County, Virginia, Amherst County, Virginia. It was established in 1901 by Indiana Fletcher Williams in ...

. Central Virginia Community College has a small center in Amherst that serves the community in higher education.

Local economics

Amherst has several places of business and commerce that provide products and jobs for the community. Major employers in and near the town include the Ambriar and Mountainview Shopping Centers,

Clorox The Clorox Company (formerly Clorox Chemical Company) is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. As of 2024, the Oakland, California-based company had approximately 8,000 employees worldwide. N ...

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...

machinery manufacturer Buffalo Air,

, clock manufacturer Hermle, and Greif paper mill.

Town services

Amherst provides services for the town (and in some cases outside the corporate limits) including: *Water services *Sewer services *Refuse collection *Street lights (on a request-by-request basis)

Transportation

There is no public transportation in Amherst. All forms of transportation and transportation services are privately owned. ;Air service Lynchburg Regional Airport is located along U.S. 29 approximately 20 miles south of Amherst. Falwell Aviation, Inc., a general utility airport is located on U.S. 29 in the City of Lynchburg. Both airports are used by small aircraft for business and pleasure flying. Commercial passenger service is available at Lynchburg Regional, and Falwell Aviation has facilities for the landing of small private jet aircraft. Air freight service is available from Lynchburg Regional. Other air services are available nearby in Charlottesville, Roanoke, Richmond and Washington, D.C., and Durham, North Carolina. ;Rail service Norfolk Southern's north-south mainline between Washington, D.C., and Birmingham, Alabama, passes through Amherst. This line serves Glad Manufacturing. Passenger service to Amherst was discontinued some years ago, but the Amtrak Crescent, using the NS mainline, passes through the town on its daily trip between Washington, D.C., and New Orleans and may be boarded at Lynchburg and Charlottesville. ;Bus service Greyhound Bus Company has flag stop passenger service in Amherst, stopping for passengers as necessary while traveling U.S. Route 29. ;Trucking service Amherst is served by several interstate and intrastate motor freight companies located throughout Central Virginia. These freight companies provide extensive coverage throughout the eastern United States and many areas of the Midwest and Canada. Carrier service is provided by United Parcel Service, Purolator, Emery, Courier Express and Federal Express.

Major highways and roads

There are two major highways in Amherst: U.S. Route 29 and U.S. Route 60. ;U.S. Route 29 A multi‑lane highway passing from Baltimore, Maryland, through Amherst and southward to Pensacola, Florida. About 15 miles south of town, Route 29 intersects with U.S. Route 460, a major east-west highway, Interstate 64 which intersects with U.S. Route 29 about 45 miles north of the town. There are two routes relating to U.S. Route 29 running through Amherst which are U.S. 29 and U.S. 29 Business. U.S. 29 Business was the former route of U.S. 29 but a bypass around the downtown area was constructed which made the former routing obsolete. ;U.S. Route 60 A two-lane highway through Amherst, is an east-west highway stretching from the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach to the Pacific Ocean at Los Angeles. Route 60 provides both a direct route of travel from Amherst to the state capitol in Richmond and is the area's link with Interstate 81, a north‑south interstate that passes through the Shenandoah Valley.

Healthcare

Amherst does not have an emergency room (those in need of emergency health service utilize Centra's Lynchburg General Hospital), but Amherst does have several healthcare offices and organizations including *Amherst Rescue Squad (Emergency Medical Service) *Fairmont Crossing (Nursing Home, Health Rehabilitation) *Amherst UVA Dialysis Facility *Harman Eye Center *Central Virginia Family Dentistry *Amherst Family Dental Care In 2014, Centra announced that it plans to open a new ambulatory care facility in Amherst.

Tourism

Amherst has many different attractive outdoor spots that are very tourist-friendly. These attractions provide beautiful natural entertainment and are good places for fishing, hiking, picnics, and other outdoor pleasures. These locations include: * Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area *

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

*Panther Falls *Station Creek Falls *Long Mountain Wayside/

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

*Thrashers Lake Park *Stonehouse Lake Park *Mill Creek Lake Park *Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail *Sweet Briar College Trails *Coolwell Park *James River Heritage Trail *Riverridge Park *Monacan Park *ATV Trails *James River Foot Bridge/

Notable people

* Black Herman, African American stage magician during the

Jim Crow laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...

era * David B. Mintz, Methodist circuit rider minister for Amherst in 1802

References

{{authority control Towns in Amherst County, Virginia County seats in Virginia 1807 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1807 Towns in Virginia