Amelia County, Virginia
Amelia County is a county located just southwest of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The county is located in Central Virginia and is included in the Greater Richmond Region. Its county seat is Amelia Court House.[1]
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. 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.[2]
History
[edit | edit source]_by_Jean-Baptiste_van_Loo.jpg){kind=link}
Amelia County was created by legislative act in 1734 and 1735[3] from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties. The county is named for Princess Amelia of Great Britain, 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, Confederate general 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, a green feldspar 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
[edit | edit source]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 359 square miles (930 km2), of which 355 square miles (920 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (0.9%) is water.[4]
Amelia County lies in the Piedmont region of Virginia, known for rolling hills and small ridges that lie between the Blue Ridge Mountains 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 of the Appomattox. The lowest elevation in the county is 158 feet (48 m), on Lake Chesdin on the Appomattox at the eastern extremity of the county. The highest elevation is 525 feet (160 m), on SR 616 (S. Genito Road) at the community of Gills in the southwest corner of the county.[5]
Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Powhatan County – north
- Chesterfield County – east
- Dinwiddie County – southeast
- Nottoway County – south
- Prince Edward County – southwest
- Cumberland County – west
Transportation
[edit | edit source]Air
[edit | edit source]- Richmond International Airport is located 51 miles (82 km) northeast of Amelia County.
- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (Patrick Henry Highway. Eastbound to Richmond. Westbound to Burkeville and Danville.)
State Routes
[edit | edit source]- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (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.)
- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (Military Road. To Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found and Blackstone.)
- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (Holly Farms Road. To Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found and Farmville.)
Secondary Routes
[edit | edit source]- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (Chula Rd and Genito Rd. To Powhatan and Chesterfield Counties.)
- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (Grub Hill Church Rd and Royalton Rd. To Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found and Powhatan Court House.)
- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (Dennisville Rd. To Blackstone.)
- Error: package.lua:80: module 'Module:Road data/strings/USA/VA' not found (Genito Rd. Serves the northwest and southwest area of Amelia County. To SR 307 near Rice.)
Rail
[edit | edit source]- Norfolk Southern – freight rail service
Demographics
[edit | edit source]Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[6] | Pop 1990[7] | Pop 2000[8] | Pop 2010[9] | Pop 2020[10] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 5,108 | 5,905 | 8,007 | 9,233 | 9,687 | 60.77% | 67.20% | 70.24% | 72.76% | 73.03% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,164 | 2,809 | 3,183 | 2,925 | 2,546 | 37.64% | 31.97% | 27.92% | 23.05% | 19.19% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 4 | 14 | 32 | 39 | 18 | 0.05% | 0.16% | 0.28% | 0.31% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 22 | 13 | 19 | 27 | 63 | 0.26% | 0.15% | 0.17% | 0.21% | 0.47% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [11] | x [12] | 2 | 0 | 0 | x | x | 0.02% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 17 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50 | 0.20% | 0.01% | 0.04% | 0.08% | 0.38% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [13] | x [14] | 61 | 166 | 476 | x | x | 0.54% | 1.31% | 3.59% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 90 | 45 | 91 | 290 | 425 | 1.07% | 0.51% | 0.80% | 2.29% | 3.20% |
| Total | 8,405 | 8,787 | 11,400 | 12,690 | 13,265 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 13,265. The median age was 46.1 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.8 males age 18 and over.[15][16]
The racial makeup of the county was 73.7% White, 19.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.2% of the population.[16]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 5,206 households in the county, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 5,704 housing units, of which 8.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.8% were owner-occupied and 18.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%.[15]
2000 Census
[edit | edit source]As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 11,400 people, 4,240 households, and 3,175 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 4,609 housing units, at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.57% White, 28.05% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic 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 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 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 for the county was $18,858. 8.40% of the population and 6.70% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.10% were under the age of 18 and 11.70% were 65 or older.
Culture
[edit | edit source]Seasonal Events
[edit | edit source]- 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.[19]
- 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.[20]
Attractions
[edit | edit source]- Sayler's Creek Battlefield State Park
- Lake Chesdin
- Amelia Wildlife Management Area
- Amelia Country Club
Government
[edit | edit source]Board of Supervisors
[edit | edit source]- District 1: David M. Felts Jr. (Chairman)
- District 2: Dexter Jones
- District 3: Benjamin "Benji" Morris
- District 4: H. Joseph Easter IV
- District 5: Todd Robinson (Vice Chairman)
Constitutional officers
[edit | edit source]- 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, and Republican Bob Good in the U.S. House of Representatives.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 32 | 7.82% | 325 | 79.46% | 52 | 12.71% |
| 1916 | 80 | 16.39% | 403 | 82.58% | 5 | 1.02% |
| 1920 | 179 | 31.18% | 389 | 67.77% | 6 | 1.05% |
| 1924 | 153 | 28.33% | 372 | 68.89% | 15 | 2.78% |
| 1928 | 277 | 35.74% | 498 | 64.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 142 | 16.63% | 701 | 82.08% | 11 | 1.29% |
| 1936 | 239 | 23.97% | 753 | 75.53% | 5 | 0.50% |
| 1940 | 267 | 32.13% | 562 | 67.63% | 2 | 0.24% |
| 1944 | 295 | 34.67% | 553 | 64.98% | 3 | 0.35% |
| 1948 | 372 | 35.16% | 443 | 41.87% | 243 | 22.97% |
| 1952 | 832 | 53.64% | 703 | 45.33% | 16 | 1.03% |
| 1956 | 745 | 43.11% | 403 | 23.32% | 580 | 33.56% |
| 1960 | 784 | 51.44% | 708 | 46.46% | 32 | 2.10% |
| 1964 | 1,348 | 60.21% | 884 | 39.48% | 7 | 0.31% |
| 1968 | 857 | 33.90% | 830 | 32.83% | 841 | 33.27% |
| 1972 | 1,606 | 64.99% | 778 | 31.49% | 87 | 3.52% |
| 1976 | 1,634 | 47.25% | 1,715 | 49.60% | 109 | 3.15% |
| 1980 | 1,969 | 53.20% | 1,643 | 44.39% | 89 | 2.40% |
| 1984 | 2,336 | 61.41% | 1,432 | 37.64% | 36 | 0.95% |
| 1988 | 2,187 | 60.85% | 1,359 | 37.81% | 48 | 1.34% |
| 1992 | 2,062 | 48.82% | 1,534 | 36.32% | 628 | 14.87% |
| 1996 | 2,119 | 51.13% | 1,625 | 39.21% | 400 | 9.65% |
| 2000 | 2,947 | 61.55% | 1,754 | 36.63% | 87 | 1.82% |
| 2004 | 3,499 | 64.83% | 1,862 | 34.50% | 36 | 0.67% |
| 2008 | 3,970 | 60.81% | 2,488 | 38.11% | 71 | 1.09% |
| 2012 | 4,331 | 62.63% | 2,490 | 36.01% | 94 | 1.36% |
| 2016 | 4,708 | 66.88% | 2,128 | 30.23% | 204 | 2.90% |
| 2020 | 5,390 | 68.29% | 2,411 | 30.55% | 92 | 1.17% |
| 2024 | 5,776 | 71.76% | 2,214 | 27.51% | 59 | 0.73% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Media
[edit | edit source]The Amelia Bulletin Monitor, a weekly newspaper, has covered the county since 1973.
Education
[edit | edit source]Public Primary and secondary schools
[edit | edit source]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
[edit | edit source]Communities
[edit | edit source]There are no incorporated communities in Amelia County.
Census-designated places
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]- Ammon
- Chula
- Clementown Mills
- Coverly
- Deatonville
- Denaro
- Earls
- Fieldstown
- Giles Mill
- Gills
- Haw Branch
- Jetersville
- Little Patrick[22][23]
- Lodore
- Mannboro
- Maplewood
- Masons Corner[24]
- Mattoax
- Morven
- Namozine
- Otterburn
- Paineville
- Pontons/Ponton's/Pointons[25] Store[26]
- Rodophil
- Scotts Fork
- Truxillo
- Winterham
Historic sites
[edit | edit source]The following sites in Amelia County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
- 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
[edit | edit source]- William S. Archer, born in Amelia County, United States Senator from Virginia[27]
- Van T. Barfoot (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 and first Governor of Alabama[27]
- Jesse Bragg, Negro-league baseball player
- William Cocke (1747–1828), born in Amelia County, first United States Senator from Tennessee[27]
- Henry William Connor (1793–1866), born near Amelia Court House, elected United States Congressman from North Carolina[27]
- Rosa Dixon Bowser (1855-1931), born in Amelia County, first African American Teacher hired in Richmond, Virginia. 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, he captured Thomas Burke, a court-martial judge and Governor of North Carolina. One of only three individuals excluded from the amnesty after the Revolutionary War, Fanning moved to New Brunswick in present-day Canada for resettlement.[27]
- William Branch Giles, (1762–1830), born in Amelia County. Planter, United States Congressman, United States Senator, and Governor of Virginia[27]
- 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[27]
- Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie (c.1840s–c.1920s), born into slavery in Amelia County.[28] She became a noted musician, teacher and composer, founding a musical conservatory in Corpus Christi, Texas.
- 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.
- 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
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "Amelia County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ↑ History of Amelia County Archived December 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Geographic Names Information System".
- ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Virginia - Table 15 - Persons by Race: 1980 and Table 16 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 13-24. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2026 – via WayBack Machine.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Virginia: Tables 3-6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 13-51. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 24, 2021 – via WayBack Machine.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Amelia County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Amelia County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Amelia County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ↑ Amelia County Fair, official website. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ↑ "Cruise-In hosted by the Time Bandits Car Club on April 10, 2021".
- ↑ David Leip. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ↑ Ralph H. Lutts. "Like Manna From God: The American Chestnut Trade in Southwestern Virginia", Environmental History 9, No. 3 (2004): 497–525. American Society for Environmental History, Chicago; and the Forest History Society, Durham, NC. Reprinted in Environmental History and the American South: A Reader, page 271. Paul Sutter, Christopher J. Manganiello, eds. University of Georgia Press, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ↑ Beverly Belcher Woody. "Family | Patrick Pioneers – Mary Dunkley and friends", The [Stuart, VA] Enterprise, June 21, 2023. Mountain Media, LLC, Patrick County, VA. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ↑ State road sign denoting Masons Corner, Google Street View, April 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ↑ USGS Topographic Map for Amelia Court House, VA ("Topo Map" layer selected). TopoZone, Locality LLC. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- ↑ Convenience Centers, Amelia County, VA, official government website. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
- ↑ Scruggs, Lawson Andrew (1893). Women of Distinction: Remarkable in Works and Invincible in Character. Raleigh, North Carolina: L. A. Scruggs. p. 247. OCLC 4255360.
External links
[edit | edit source]- 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
Template:Amelia County, Virginia Template:Greater Richmond Region Template:Virginia