Amelia County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located just southwest of

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

in the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. 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 civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

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 Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain (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 Queen Caroline. Early life Princess Amelia was bor ...

. 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 or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 polici ...

, Confederate

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...

and his army spent April 4 and 5, 1865, at Amelia Court House before his surrender on April 9 to General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

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 polymorphic to orthoclase. Its name is taken from that of the Amazon Rive ...

, a green

feldspar Feldspars are 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 ''plagioclase'' (sodium-calcium) felds ...

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 United States Census Bureau (USCB), 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 Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. Amelia County lies in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

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

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virg ...

and Coastal Plain of Virginia. The county is bordered by the

Appomattox River The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in central and eastern Virginia in the United S ...

to the north and west, and

Namozine Creek Namozine Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 stream in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is a right-bank tributary of the Appomattox River. Rising in N ...

to the east. Amelia County is drained by

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or 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 drain the surrounding drain ...

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 Powhatan County () is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,033. Its county seat is Powhatan. Powhatan County is included in the Greater Richmond Region. The James River forms the cou ...

- north * Chesterfield County - east *

Dinwiddie County Dinwiddie County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,947. Its county seat is Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie County is part of the Richmond, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Th ...

- southeast * Nottoway County - south * Prince Edward County - southwest *

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberla ...

- west

Transportation

Air

* Richmond International Airport is located 51 miles (82 km) 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 the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

Rail

* Norfolk Southern - freight rail service

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 A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

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 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 32 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 4,609 housing units, at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 70.57%

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

, 28.05%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

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

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

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

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

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 recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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 In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic f ...

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 total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

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

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

Amanda Chase Amanda Chase (née Freeman; born December 1, 1969) is an American conservative politician. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Virginia Senate for the 11th District, representing Amelia County, the city of Colonial Heights, and part of C ...

in the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

, Republican Thomas C. Wright Jr. in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts 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-number ...

, and Democrat

Abigail Spanberger Abigail Anne Spanberger (née Davis, August 7, 1979) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Her district includes most of the northern suburbs of Richmond, as well ...

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 School District. * Amelia County High School * Amelia County Middle School * Amelia County Elementary School

Private Primary and secondary Schools

Amelia Academy Amelia Academy is an independent co-educational college preparatory school in Amelia, Virginia. It was founded in 1964 as a segregation academy. The campus is located within the rural Piedmont region of central Virginia. History Amelia Acad ...

Communities

There are no incorporated communities in Amelia County.

Census-designated places

* Amelia Court House

Unincorporated communities

Ammon Ammon (Ammonite: 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''ʻAmān''; he, עַמּוֹן ''ʻAmmōn''; ar, عمّون, ʻAmmūn) was an ancient Semitic-speaking nation occupying the east of the Jordan River, between the torrent valleys of Arnon and Jabbok, in ...

* Chula * Clementown Mills * Coverly * Deatonville * Denaro *

Earls Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

* Fieldstown * Giles Mill * Gills * Haw Branch * Jetersville * Little Patrick *

Lodore ''Lodore'', also published under the title ''The Beautiful Widow'', is the penultimate novel by Romantic novelist Mary Shelley, completed in 1833 and published in 1835. Plot and themes In ''Lodore'', Shelley focused her theme of power and resp ...

* Mannboro * Maplewood * Masons Corner * Mattoax * Morven * Namozine * Otterburn * Paineville * Pontons/Ponton's Store * Rodophil * Scotts Fork * Truxillo * Whites Store * 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 United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

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

Wigwam A wigwam, wickiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wickiup' ...

* Winterham Plantation

Notable residents

William S. Archer William Segar Archer (March 5, 1789March 28, 1855) was a slave owner, politician, planter and lawyer from Amelia County, Virginia who served several times in the Virginia House of Delegates, as well as in the United States House of Representati ...

, born in Amelia County,

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

* 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,

from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and first

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

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

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. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

Henry William Connor Henry William Connor (1793–1866) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina; born near Amelia Courthouse, Prince George County, Virginia, August 5, 1793; was graduated from South Carolina College at Columbia in 1812; served as a ...

(1793–1866), born near Amelia Court House, elected

United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from North Carolina * David Fanning, (1755–1825), born in Amelia County. A

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British C ...

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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, 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 U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

. One of only three individuals excluded from the

amnesty Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...

after the Revolutionary War, Fanning moved to

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

in present-day Canada for resettlement. *

William Branch Giles William Branch Giles (August 12, 1762December 4, 1830; the ''g'' is pronounced like a ''j'') was an American statesman, long-term Senator from Virginia, and the 24th Governor of Virginia. He served in the House of Representatives from 1790 to 1 ...

, (1762–1830), born in Amelia County. Planter,

, and

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

* Edmund Harrison (1764–1826), Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (1802–1803) *

John Winston Jones John Winston Jones (November 22, 1791 – January 29, 1848) was an American politician and lawyer. He served five terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1835 to 1845. He served as Speaker of the House in both the U.S. House o ...

, (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, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the ...

* 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 (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "''Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio ...

. *

Robert Russa Moton Robert Russa Moton (August 26, 1867 – May 31, 1940) was an American educator and author. He served as an administrator at Hampton Institute. In 1915 he was named principal of Tuskegee Institute, after the death of founder Booker T. Washington, ...

(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 of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,849. Its county seat is Farmville. History Formation and county seats Prince Edward County was formed in the Virginia Colony in ...

. *

Mary Virginia Terhune Mary Virginia Terhune (née Hawes, December 21, 1830 – June 3, 1922), also known by her penname Marion Harland, was an American author who was prolific and bestselling in both fiction and non-fiction genres. Born in Amelia County, Virginia, sh ...

(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 The Virginia Museum of History and Culture founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a major repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history. It is a private, n ...

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