Appomattox County is a United States county located in the Piedmont region and near the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is part of the Lynchburg, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its county seat is the town of Appomattox.
Appomattox County was created in 1845 from sections of four other Virginia counties. The name of the county comes from the Appomattox River, which rises in the county, while the river was named for the Appamatuck Indians. The county is historically associated with the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, which effectively ended the American Civil War.
As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,973. This was an increase of more than 9 percent from the 13,705 reported in the 2000 census.
History
Appomattox County was formed in 1845 from Buckingham, Prince Edward, Campbell and Charlotte counties. In 1848, another part from Campbell County was added. It was named for the Appomattox River, which in turn was named for the Appamatuck, a historic Native American tribes in Virginia of the Algonquian-speaking Powhatan Confederacy.
Appomattox came to national attention on April 9, 1865, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee met with Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House to accept Lee's surrender. The surrender of Lee, which effectively ended the American Civil War, took place at the McLean House, home of Wilmer McLean.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 335 square miles (870Â km2), of which 333 square miles (860Â km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1Â km2) (0.4%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Nelson County, Virginia - north
- Buckingham County, Virginia - northeast
- Prince Edward County, Virginia - southeast
- Charlotte County, Virginia - south
- Campbell County, Virginia - southwest
- Amherst County, Virginia - northwest
National protected area
- Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Major highways
- USÂ 60
- USÂ 460
- SRÂ 24
- SRÂ 26
- SRÂ 47
- SRÂ 131
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 13,705 people, 5,322 households, and 4,012 families residing in the county. The population density is 41 people per square mile (16/km²). There are 5,828 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 75.94% White, 22.91% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.47% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,322 households out of which 32.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% are married couples living together, 11.50% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% are non-families. 21.30% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.00% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.55 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the county, the population is spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $36,507, and the median income for a family is $41,563. Males have a median income of $31,428 versus $21,367 for females. The per capita income for the county is $18,086. 11.40% of the population and 8.70% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.10% of those under the age of 18 and 21.50% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Government
Board of Supervisors
Appomattox River district: William H. Hogan (I)
Courthouse district: Samuel E. Carter Chairman (I)
Falling River district: Chad E. Millner, Vice-Chairman (I)
Piney Mountain district: Sara E. Carter,(I)
Wreck Island district: Bryan A. Moody, Chairman (I)
Constitutional Officers
Clerk of the Circuit Court: Janet A. Robertson (I)
Commissioner of the Revenue: Sara R. Henderson (I)
Commonwealth's Attorney: Darrel W. Puckett (I)
Sheriff: Barry E. Letterman (I)
Treasurer: Alice Gillette (I)
Appomattox County is represented by Republican Mark Peake, in the Virginia Senate, Republican C. Matt Farris in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican Tom Garrett in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Communities
Towns
- Appomattox
- Pamplin City
Census-designated place
- Concord (primarily in Campbell County)
Other unincorporated communities
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Appomattox County, Virginia
References
External links
- Official County website
- Official Tourism website for Town and County of Appomattox
- Appomattox Court House National Historical Park website