Charlotte County is a United States county located in the south central part of 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 ar ...

. 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 st ...

is the town of Charlotte Court House. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 11,529. Charlotte County is predominantly

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...

with a population density of only 26.5 persons per square mile.

History

European settlement of the future county began in the early 18th century, and early settlers included mostly

English people The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history and culture. The English identity is of Anglo-Saxon origin, when they were known in ...

, with some French

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

, and Scotch-Irish., and a modest population of

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

. After approximately fifty years of European settlement, the House of Burgesses established and incorporated Charlotte County in 1764 from part of Lunenburg County. The new county was named in honor of

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and of Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until the union of the two kingdoms ...

, the Queen and wife of King George III of Great Britain. The county residents later became staunch supporters of independence and the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, and Founding Father

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...

was one of its most famous residents. His grave and the national memorial dedicated to him are located in Charlotte County. Residents of Charlotte County were heavily involved in the

. County delegates supported resolutions against the Stamp Act of 1765, and the county government was the second governing body to declare independence from English rule. In addition, Charlotte militia units fought under General Robert Lawson during the

Yorktown campaign The Yorktown campaign, also known as the Virginia campaign, was a series of military maneuvers and battles during the American Revolutionary War that culminated in the siege of Yorktown in October 1781. The result of the campaign was the surren ...

, which effectively led to the end of the American War of Independence. Finally, the final resting place and national memorial to revolutionary hero

is at Red Hill Plantation. Charlotte County has also played a role in other wars on American soil. An artillery company from Charlotte played a key role in the

Battle of Craney Island The Battle of Craney Island was a victory for the United States during the War of 1812. The battle saved the city of Norfolk, and the adjacent city of Portsmouth, from British invasion. Especially important to Virginia and northeastern Nort ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. Also, a significant battle in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

occurred in Charlotte and Halifax counties during the

Battle of Staunton River Bridge The Battle of Staunton River Bridge was an engagement on June 25, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during Wilson-Kautz Raid of the American Civil War. The battle took place around the Staunton River Bridge, over the Staunton River, ...

, which resulted in a victory for the Confederacy.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water. The county is bounded on the southwest by the

Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Ap ...

, locally known as the "Staunton River". The terrain is hilly.

Adjacent counties

* Prince Edward County – north * Lunenburg County – east * Mecklenburg County – southeast * Halifax County – southwest * Campbell County – west * Appomattox County – northwest

Major highways

* (Farmville Rd on the extreme northside of the county; joins

US 360 U.S. Route 360 (US 360) is a spur route of US 60. The U.S. Highway runs entirely within the state of Virginia from US 58 Business, Virginia State Route 293 (SR 293), and SR 360 in Danville east to SR 644 in Reedville. US 360 connects Danvill ...

in Keysville and separates in Wylliesburg * (Kings Hwy) * (Lunenburg County Rd on the extreme eastside; Front St & Church St in Keysville; George Washington Hwy; joins SR 47 in Charlotte Court House and becomes David Bruce Ave; Patrick Henry Hwy) * (Thomas Jefferson Hwy; forks from SR 40 and becomes LeGrande Ave; Tollhouse Hwy; Drakes Main St in Drakes Branch; Craftons Gate Hwy * (Highway Fifty-Nine) * (Jeb Stuart Hwy)

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 12,472 people, 4,951 households, and 3,435 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 5,734 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.51%

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 o ...

, 32.89%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.70% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.65% 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 forme ...

or Latino of any race. There were 4,951 households, out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 24.30% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,929, and the median income for a family was $34,830. Males had a median income of $26,918 versus $20,307 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 $14,717. About 12.70% of families and 18.10% 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 t ...

, including 22.10% of those under age 18 and 20.80% of those age 65 or over.

Elected officials

Board of Supervisors

*Gary D. Walker (R), District A – Charlotte Court House, Chairman — Term expires 12-31-23 *Kay M. Pierantoni, District B - Wylliesburg/Red Oak — Term expires 12-31-21 *Garland H. "Butch" Hamlett, Jr. (I), District C – Drakes Branch— Term expires 12-31-23 *Robert L. "Butch" Shook, Jr. (I), District D – Keysville — Term expires 12-31-21 *M. Anthony “Tony” Reeves, District E - Cullen/Red House — Term expires 12-31-23 *Donna L. Fore, District F – Aspen/Phenix — Term expires 12-31-21 *Will D. Garnett, District G – Bacon/Saxe, Vice-Chairman — Term expires 12-31-23 The Board of Supervisors is the legislative policy making body for the county. It considers and adopts policies regarding administration, budget, finance, economic development, health, planning, public safety, childcare, recreation, sanitation and waste removal. The Board appropriates funds for all functions, including the schools, Social Services, Law Enforcement and operation of courts. The Board's regularly scheduled meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30 pm in the Board of Supervisors Room of the County Administration Building, 250 LeGrande Avenue, Suite A, (PO Box 608) Charlotte Court House, Virginia, 23923.

Sheriff

Royal Freeman (I) is the sheriff. The Sheriff is responsible for overseeing criminal investigations, calls for service, court room security, service of civil process and the operation of the Charlotte County jail.

Clerk of Court

The clerk is Nan R. Colley (I). The Charlotte County Clerk of the Circuit Court manages the records for the Judicial Circuit. In addition, Colley manages the records for the Judicial Circuit and serves as general record keeper for the county, recording all documents relating to land transfers, deeds, mortgages, wills, divorces and other statistics that date back to 1765.

Commissioner of the Revenue

Naisha P. Carter (I) is the Commissioner of the Revenue.

Commonwealth's Attorney

William E. Green, Jr. (I) is the Commonwealth's Attorney, a position similar to that of District's Attorney in many other states.

Treasurer

Patricia P. Berkeley (I) is the Treasurer.

County Administrator

Charlotte County's administrator is Daniel Witt. Clark's duties include and are not limited to: general administration, personnel management and supervision of all county departments, budget preparation, funds management, purchasing, property management, compliance with laws, regulations and ordinances, coordination with independent agencies and the community, representing the Board at meetings and functions, and any and all other duties imposed by the Board and by law to facilitate the accomplishment of the work of county government.

Members of the School Board

*Carmalita Escoto, District A (Charlotte Court House) *William "Bill" Devin, District B (Wylliesburg/Red Oak) *Gloria Talbott, District C (Drakes Branch) *R.B. "Jay" George (Vice Chairman), District D (Keysville) *Scotty Hamlett, District E (Cullen/Red House) *Robert Johnson, District F (Phenix/Aspen) *JonPaul Berkley (Chairperson), District B (Bacon/Saxe) *Dana Ramsey, Clerk of the Board

Voter Registrar

Virginia Booth

Communities

Towns

* Charlotte Court House * Drakes Branch * Keysville * Phenix

Unincorporated

* Abilene * Cullen * Harrisburg * Madisonville * Randolph * Red House *

Red Oak The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera ''C ...

* Wren * Wylliesburg

Notable residents

* David K. E. Bruce – diplomat and politician * Isaac Dabbs – politician *

– politician and Founding Father * William Hoffman- famous author * John McCargo- former NFL player for the Buffalo Bills * John Randolph – politician * Joe Reed- NFL player for the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...

References

External links

Charlotte County
{{authority control Virginia counties 1764 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1764