Nottoway 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 in the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
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 ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 15,642. 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
Nottoway.
It is situated south of the James River, thus making it a part of the
Southside Virginia Region.
History
Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the land that would become Nottoway County was inhabited by American Indians of the Nadowa tribe, an
Iroquoian people. They lived along the county's only river, the Nadowa, an
Algonquian word meaning rattlesnake, and became associated with the area they inhabited. The name was anglicized to 'Nottoway', and from this the name of the county was derived. The people of this "
Nottoway Tribe", now numbering between 400 and 500, call themselves Cheroenhaka, meaning "People At The Fork Of The Stream".
Before the county established its own government, it was known as Nottoway Parish, a district of
Amelia County. Nottoway Parish became Nottoway County by legislative act in 1788. The county contained numerous early crossroads settlements connecting the new western frontier with the population centers of
Petersburg and
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
to the north and east and until recent times owed much of its prosperity to tobacco. First coming to Nottoway in the 1850s, railroad construction and associated industries eventually came to represent a major portion of business in the area. In the 1860 census, 73.2% of the total population of Nottoway County were slaves, the highest percentage of any Virginia county.
One of the county's larger towns,
Crewe
Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...
, owes its existence to the railroad siding established at Robertson's Switch in the 1880s. In recent decades, however, the decline of tobacco, the railroads, and
Fort Barfoot
Fort Pickett, formerly Fort Barfoot, is a Virginia Army National Guard installation, located near the town of Blackstone, Virginia. Home of the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center, Fort Pickett was originally named for the United ...
(formerly known as Fort Pickett), has presented the county, like much of
Southside Virginia, with economic difficulties and led many Nottoway families to seek jobs and homes in Richmond and other prospering cities in central Virginia.
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, the county raised two infantry companies for the
Confederate Army
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...
, the Nottoway Rifle Guards and the Nottoway Grays, Jeffress' artillery battery, and the Nottoway Company E of the
3rd Virginia Cavalry. Both infantry companies served in the
18th Virginia Infantry Regiment and saw extensive service throughout the Eastern Theatre, most notably at the
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...
where they were at the forefront of
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of his plan to break through Union lines and achieve a decisive victory in the North. T ...
. The famous charge was disastrous to the 18th Virginia, and many families in Nottoway County lost relatives in it. The 18th Regiment's colors were captured at the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge and are now displayed in Gettysburg. The county was the site of only one major skirmish, the "Battle of the Grove," which was fought near Blackstone (then known as Blacks and Whites) for control of the rail line that supplied
General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, then entrenched around Petersburg and Richmond. The war's last major battle before the surrender at
Appomattox was fought at Sayler's Creek, west of
Burkeville near the Nottaway County line, on April 6, 1865 (see article on
Burkeville).
Nottoway's three towns were incorporated in the late 1800s, all along what was to become the
U.S. Highway 460/
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
corridor that bisects the county. Industrialization blossomed at the same time, exploiting the ease of moving raw materials in and finished products out. County manufacturing often utilized the area's abundant natural resources, particularly agricultural products, timber, and wood products.
The 20th century saw an increase in the diversification of the county in its agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors. During this time, major state and federal facilities were created in the county.
Fort Pickett
Fort Pickett, formerly Fort Barfoot, is a Virginia Army National Guard installation, located near the town of Blackstone, Virginia. Home of the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center, Fort Pickett was originally named for the United ...
, established at the outbreak of World War II, is now headquarters of the Virginia National Guard.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.
Adjacent counties
*
Amelia County - north
*
Dinwiddie County - east
*
Brunswick County - southeast
*
Lunenberg County - south
*
Prince Edward County - west
Major highways
* (W & E Patrick Henry Hwy; joins with
US 460
U.S. Route 460 (US 460) is an auxiliary route of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia, at its parent route U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky, intersecting its parent rou ...
in Burkeville)
* (W & E Colonial Trail Hwy. US Bus 460 goes through Nottoway Courthouse to Blackstone.
US 460
U.S. Route 460 (US 460) is an auxiliary route of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia, at its parent route U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky, intersecting its parent rou ...
bypasses Blackstone and unites before the junction of
SR 153)
* (S. Main St & Dinwiddie Ave in Blackstone, Kenbridge Rd, Darvills Rd)
* (Christianna Hwy)
* (Watsons Wood Rd N of Crewe, unites with
US 460
U.S. Route 460 (US 460) is an auxiliary route of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia, at its parent route U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky, intersecting its parent rou ...
in Crewe, The Falls Rd S of Crewe)
* (Rocky Hill Rd)
* (Holly Farms Rd)
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.''
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 15,725 people, 5,664 households, and 3,885 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 6,373 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 57.16%
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 ...
, 40.56%
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 ...
, 0.13%
Native American, 0.39%
Asian, 0.03%
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 ...
, 1.01% from
other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 1.58% 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 5,664 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.60% were married couples living together, 15.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 22.90% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 106.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,866, and the median income for a family was $39,625. Males had a median income of $28,533 versus $19,718 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 $15,552. About 15.50% of families and 20.10% 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 27.70% of those under age 18 and 18.40% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Towns
*
Blackstone
*
Burkeville
*
Crewe
Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...
Census-designated place
*
Nottoway Court House (Nottoway)
Notable people
*
Maurice Anderson, professional football player
*
William Hodges Mann, Governor of Virginia from 1910 to 1914, and State Senator, introduced legislation to construct 350 high schools in Virginia and to close 800 rural saloons.
*
Peter Randolph (1779 – January 30, 1832) was a United States federal judge.
Politics
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Nottoway County, Virginia
References
External links
Nottoway County GovernmentCheroenhaka (Nottoway Tribe)
{{authority control
Virginia counties
1789 establishments in Virginia
Populated places established in 1789