Brunswick County, Virginia
Brunswick County | |
---|---|
![]() Brunswick County Courthouse in Lawrenceville | |
UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 4th |
Website | www |
Brunswick County is a
History
The first English settlers, in what was to become Brunswick County, swarmed into the relatively protected lands near
An example of such a Scots rebel who started in the colony as a convict was
Brunswick County was established in 1720 from
In 1780, during the American Revolutionary War, Greensville County was formed from part of Brunswick's eastern side. In 1787 the county's eastern border was finalized with a minor adjustment.[3]
Today Brunswick County is bisected by
In the early 21st century, the county has a campus of Southside Virginia Community College. The Fort Barfoot Army National Guard base is partly in the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 569 square miles (1,470 km2), of which 566 square miles (1,470 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) (0.6%) is water.[5]
Adjacent counties
- Mecklenburg County – west
- Lunenburg County – west
- Nottoway County– northwest
- Dinwiddie County– north
- Greensville County– east
- Northampton County, North Carolina – south
Major highways
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 12,827 | — | |
1800 | 16,339 | 27.4% | |
1810 | 15,411 | −5.7% | |
1820 | 16,687 | 8.3% | |
1830 | 15,767 | −5.5% | |
1840 | 14,346 | −9.0% | |
1850 | 13,894 | −3.2% | |
1860 | 14,809 | 6.6% | |
1870 | 13,427 | −9.3% | |
1880 | 16,707 | 24.4% | |
1890 | 17,245 | 3.2% | |
1900 | 18,217 | 5.6% | |
1910 | 19,244 | 5.6% | |
1920 | 21,025 | 9.3% | |
1930 | 20,486 | −2.6% | |
1940 | 19,575 | −4.4% | |
1950 | 20,136 | 2.9% | |
1960 | 17,779 | −11.7% | |
1970 | 16,172 | −9.0% | |
1980 | 15,632 | −3.3% | |
1990 | 15,987 | 2.3% | |
2000 | 18,419 | 15.2% | |
2010 | 17,434 | −5.3% | |
2020 | 15,849 | −9.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[11] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[10] | Pop 2020[11] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
6,943 | 6,457 | 39.82% | 40.74% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
9,944 | 8,573 | 57.04% | 54.09% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
35 | 23 | 0.20% | 0.15% |
Asian alone (NH) | 47 | 42 | 0.27% | 0.27% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 4 | 5 | 0.02% | 0.03% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 9 | 29 | 0.05% | 0.18% |
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 154 | 333 | 0.88% | 2.10% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 298 | 387 | 1.71% | 2.44% |
Total | 17,434 | 15,849 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 Census
As of the
As of the
There were 6,277 households, out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.90% were married couples living together, 16.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 27.60% 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 20.50% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 113.10 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 115.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,288, and the median income for a family was $38,354. Males had a median income of $26,924 versus $20,550 for females. The
Government
Board of Supervisors
- Meherrin district: John Zubrod (I)
- Powellton district: Chair Welton Tyler (I)
- Red Oak district: Bernard L. Jones, Sr. (I)
- Sturgeon district: Vice-Chair Dr. Alfonzo R. Seward (I)
- Totaro district: Dr. Barbara Jarrett-Harris (I)
Constitutional officers
- Clerk of the Circuit Court: Jacqueline Seward-Morgan (I)
- Commissioner of the Revenue: Camilla Clayton-Bright
- Commonwealth's Attorney: Meredith Smith (I)
- Sheriff: Brian Roberts (V)
- Treasurer: Jackie Mangrum (I)
Brunswick County is represented by
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 3,357 | 42.24% | 4,552 | 57.27% | 39 | 0.49% |
2016 | 3,046 | 39.72% | 4,481 | 58.43% | 142 | 1.85% |
2012 | 2,968 | 36.93% | 4,994 | 62.14% | 75 | 0.93% |
2008 | 2,877 | 36.35% | 4,973 | 62.84% | 64 | 0.81% |
2004 | 2,852 | 41.18% | 4,062 | 58.65% | 12 | 0.17% |
2000 | 2,561 | 42.70% | 3,387 | 56.48% | 49 | 0.82% |
1996 | 2,059 | 34.79% | 3,442 | 58.16% | 417 | 7.05% |
1992 | 2,480 | 36.92% | 3,687 | 54.88% | 551 | 8.20% |
1988 | 2,742 | 46.60% | 3,070 | 52.18% | 72 | 1.22% |
1984 | 2,950 | 48.58% | 3,040 | 50.06% | 83 | 1.37% |
1980 | 2,310 | 39.39% | 3,430 | 58.49% | 124 | 2.11% |
1976 | 2,387 | 42.11% | 3,071 | 54.18% | 210 | 3.71% |
1972 | 3,072 | 58.17% | 2,130 | 40.33% | 79 | 1.50% |
1968 | 1,139 | 22.13% | 1,910 | 37.11% | 2,098 | 40.76% |
1964 | 2,560 | 57.58% | 1,883 | 42.35% | 3 | 0.07% |
1960 | 926 | 31.58% | 1,942 | 66.23% | 64 | 2.18% |
1956 | 799 | 25.28% | 1,357 | 42.94% | 1,004 | 31.77% |
1952 | 1,098 | 39.97% | 1,635 | 59.52% | 14 | 0.51% |
1948 | 229 | 10.40% | 1,067 | 48.46% | 906 | 41.14% |
1944 | 208 | 14.37% | 1,239 | 85.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 164 | 11.26% | 1,288 | 88.46% | 4 | 0.27% |
1936 | 60 | 4.40% | 1,303 | 95.46% | 2 | 0.15% |
1932 | 52 | 3.65% | 1,361 | 95.58% | 11 | 0.77% |
1928 | 245 | 20.99% | 922 | 79.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 65 | 6.62% | 887 | 90.33% | 30 | 3.05% |
1920 | 125 | 12.56% | 866 | 87.04% | 4 | 0.40% |
1916 | 82 | 9.60% | 772 | 90.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
1912 | 67 | 8.77% | 643 | 84.16% | 54 | 7.07% |
County government
The Virginia Department of Corrections Brunswick Correctional Center was in an unincorporated area near Lawrenceville.[14]
Brunswick stew
Brunswick County is best known as the origin place for Brunswick stew. The original Brunswick stew, according to Brunswick County historians, was created in 1828 by a black American chef, Mr. Jimmy Matthews, also referred to as "Uncle" by some locals. As the story goes, Dr. Creed Haskins of Mount Donum on the Nottoway River, a member of the Virginia State Legislature, took several friends on a hunting expedition. While the group hunted, Mr. Matthews, Haskin's enslaved camp cook, hunted squirrel for the evening meal. Mr. Matthews slowly stewed the squirrels in butter, with onions, stale bread and seasoning in a large iron pot. When the hunting party returned, they were reluctant to try the new, thick concoction, but one taste convinced them to ask for more.
Since that time, Brunswick stew has been prepared by many different "stew masters." It is often associated with the harvest season in the fall and completion of tobacco processing. Cooks produce large batches of the "Virginia ambrosia" for church functions, local fund raisers, family reunions, and political rallies. Each cook and generation add their variations to Jimmy Matthews's recipe for Brunswick stew: chicken has been substituted for squirrel and vegetables have been added.
During 1987, the Brunswick Industrial Development Commission and a committee of the Brunswick Chamber of Commerce, with the aid of a professional advertising agency, began a program to develop balanced economic growth in Brunswick County. They decided to capitalize on the county's home-grown Brunswick stew as a brand. On February 22, 1988, at the State Capitol in Richmond, Brunswick County officially kicked off a campaign to increase awareness of its economic development opportunities. The Brunswick Chamber of Commerce and the County of Brunswick hosted a Brunswick Stew-Fest on the Capitol grounds to celebrate the General Assembly's passing of a resolution proclaiming Brunswick County, Virginia, as "The Original Home of Brunswick Stew". The proclamation contains a tongue-in-cheek jab at Brunswick, Georgia, which claims to have created the traditional Southern dish, setting off what has been coined as "The Stew Wars."
One of the many traditional recipes, which requires 6 to 7 hours to cook, was renamed Brunswick Proclamation Stew for the occasion. A good Brunswick stew must be cooked down slowly, according to stew masters for the Capitol Square event, "Until the stirring paddle stands up straight in the stew."[15] When the paddle stood, Brunswick stew was served to the legislators and hundreds of Virginians who turned out for the event to "Get a Taste of Brunswick."[15]
With the help of the Fearnow Brothers, the County got its own stew label, approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their company also produces small quantities of canned Brunswick stew for the Chamber of Commerce to store and use. The cans bear the label "Virginia's Own – 1828-Brunswick County Stew".
A sample of Brunswick stew, along with information on the county's assets, was included in the county's promotional packages and sent to business and industry prospects. The stew and County are tied together with the campaign's theme: "Since 1828 when Ol’ Jimmy Matthews created Brunswick stew, we’ve been doing things a special way. A little slow, but right."[15]
Communities
Towns
- Alberta
- Brodnax (partial)
- Lawrenceville (county seat)
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Notable people
- Aaron Brown (1795–1859), Governor of Tennessee
- Albertis Harrison (1907–1995) Governor of Virginia
- George Jackson (1850–1900), American politician
- Welsh-Americanpoet, Episcopalian Vicar, and cotton and tobacco plantation owner
- Hon. Cleo Powell (1957- ), Justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia
- Peter Starke (1813–1888), politician and Confederate general
- Bryant Stith (1970- ), NBA basketball player
See also
References
- ^ "Brunswick County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "" + theTitle + "". historical-county.newberry.org. Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Margaret Jefferys Hobart, Then and now (1914) p 51.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Brunswick County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Brunswick County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ "Brunswick." Virginia Department of Corrections. Retrieved on October 7, 2018. "1147 Planters Road [...] Lawrenceville, VA 23868"
- ^ a b c "Brunswick Stew" campaign Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce