Farmville, Virginia
Farmville, Virginia | ||
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FIPS code 51-27420 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1498477 | |
Website | www |
Farmville is a town in
Farmville developed near the headwaters of the Appomattox River in central Virginia; the waterway was long its main transportation access to other markets. In the 19th century, a railroad was constructed here. Since the late 20th century, the former railway has been converted to the High Bridge Trail State Park, a more than 30-mile-long (48 km) rail trail park. US 15, VA 45 and US 460 now intersect at Farmville. The town is the home of Longwood University and is the town nearest to Hampden–Sydney College.
History
Near the headwaters of the Appomattox River, the town of Farmville was formed in 1798 and incorporated in 1912.
Between 1795 and 1890, Farmville was the end of the line for the
Many of the boatmen who worked near Farmville were
Local coal
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Coal |
Founded | (March 24, 1837 | )
Defunct | 1880s[6] |
Headquarters | Farmville, Virginia |
Area served | Farmville |
John Flournoy was the first to mine coal near Farmville. He started in 1833 working on a seam, which was two feet thick. In 1837 the General Assembly granted a charter to The Prince Edward Coal Mining Company to mine and sell coal. This company was still in operation into the 1880s.[6]
Another coal pit in the 1880s was worked on the W.W. Jackson property. The coal from this small pit was used to fuel his blacksmith shop on the same property."
Southside Railroad
In the 1850s, the Southside Railroad from Petersburg to Lynchburg was built through Farmville.[8] The route, which was subsidized by a contribution from Farmville, required an expensive crossing of the Appomattox River slightly downstream, which became known as the High Bridge. This became the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad in 1870; the Norfolk and Western Railway took it over, and now the line is part of the Norfolk Southern Railway.
The bridge and the rail line from Burkville to Pamplin City was converted by Virginia Department of Parks and Recreation into High Bridge Trail State Park, based on a rail to trail project.
Piedmont Mine
Industry | Coal |
---|---|
Founded | 1860Raines Tavern, Virginia, Virginia, United States | in
Founder | John Dalby[7] |
The
Without rail transportation close to Raines Tavern, the transportation cost of getting the coal to Farmville and then by rail to Richmond was too high to sell it at a competitive price. The coal was sold locally to people in the area for heating their homes.
During the American Civil War, the mines continued to operate but then production fell off. Coal was still there, though, Daddow and Bannon documented seven or eight coal seams and anthracite in 1866.[7]
Civil War
Confederate General
The Prince Edward county seat was moved from Worsham to Farmville in 1871.
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery, also known as the Odd Fellows Cemetery, is in Farmville, Virginia. Several prominent state legislators and civil rights advocates who were African American are buried in the cemetery. The cemetery also has approximately 31 headstones from World War I.[9]
Burials
- James W. D. Bland, state senator[10]
- Tazewell Branch (1828–1925) House of Delegates member[10][11]
- Nathaniel M. Griggs, member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate[12]
- L. Francis Griffin,[13] civil rights campaigner who sued to stop segregation in Prince Edward County, Virginia's public schools
Clay brick kiln
There was a brick-making industry in Farmville, using the clay of the Farmville Basin. In 1874, M.R. Murkland built a kiln for his hand-formed bricks. He made around 600,000 bricks each year.[6] The Triassic clay of the Farmville Basin was mixable and plastic enough and would not shrink too much, which made it suitable for bricks.[7]
Rail transport
Rail Transport from Cumberland County helped Cumberland farmers sell fruits, vegetables and timber to Farmville markets.
Coal to ship over rails
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Coal |
Founded | (1881 | )
Defunct | [6] |
Headquarters | Farmville, Virginia |
Area served | Farmville |
It was rumored that the coal near Farmville would draw the Orange & Keysville Railway which was chartered, graded and the right of way was purchased, between Farmville and Hampden Sydney. However, the rails were never laid down. The coal field was idle until 1891 when the Farmville Coal and Iron Company began leasing land, selling stock and reopened the Piedmont mines. The company built a one and a half mile spur rail line from the
The Farmville Coal & Iron Company did bring positive change. They requested that the town build an
Farmville Lithia Springs
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Beverage |
Founded | (1884-08-24 | )
Defunct | 1901-07-07 | (dissolved)
Fate | Bottling House burned down.[17] |
Headquarters | Farmville, Virginia |
Area served | International |
Farmville Lithia Springs bottled and sold mineral water from Farmville from 1884 to 1901. The lithia springs were considered as a possible destination for tourists but the investors decided to bottle the water and ship it.
Lithia Springs water contained the following minerals naturally occurring in the water.[18]
Economic disparity among diverse groups
In 1897, economic conditions were different for
Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County
Farmville and Prince Edward County Public Schools were the source of Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (1952–54), a case incorporated into Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the landmark case that overturned school segregation in the United States. Among the cases consolidated into the Brown decision, the Davis case was the only one involving student protests.
As a result of the Brown decision, in 1959 the Board of Supervisors for Prince Edward County refused to appropriate any funds for the County School Board; in massive resistance, it effectively closed all public schools rather than integrate them. Wealthy white students usually attended all-white private schools (segregation academies) that formed in response. Black and poorer white students had to go to school elsewhere or forgo their education altogether. Prince Edward County's public schools remained closed for ten years. When they finally reopened, the system was fully integrated.
Prince Edward Academy was the longest-surviving of the segregation academies, still teaching students in 2019. Although technically integrated at that point, the school had few students of color. Prince Edward Academy was renamed the Fuqua School in honor of J. B. Fuqua, a wealthy businessman who was raised nearby and who has endowed the school.
The former R.R. Moton High School building was designated as a
National Register of Historic Places
The
Recent events
Farmville made headlines in September 2015 after being selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates to host the 2016 vice-presidential debate. The debate was held at Longwood University on October 4, 2016.[23][24]
The town is crossed by the High Bridge Trail State Park which extends 4 miles (6 km) east to the historic High Bridge.
Geography
Farmville is located in northern Prince Edward County, with the town center situated south of the Appomattox River. A portion of the town extends north across the river into Cumberland County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town covers a total area of 7.3 square miles (19.0 km2), of which 7.2 square miles (18.7 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 1.77%, is water.[1]
Farmville is located between Petersburg and Lynchburg on U.S. Route 460. Petersburg is 67 miles (108 km) to the east, and Lynchburg is 48 miles (77 km) to the west.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Climate data for Farmville, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
100 (38) |
88 (31) |
82 (28) |
106 (41) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.6 (8.7) |
51.1 (10.6) |
58.9 (14.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
76.4 (24.7) |
84.1 (28.9) |
88.5 (31.4) |
86.6 (30.3) |
80.4 (26.9) |
70.7 (21.5) |
60.4 (15.8) |
51.0 (10.6) |
68.8 (20.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.7 (2.6) |
39.1 (3.9) |
46.2 (7.9) |
56.1 (13.4) |
65.0 (18.3) |
73.4 (23.0) |
77.9 (25.5) |
76.2 (24.6) |
69.5 (20.8) |
58.2 (14.6) |
47.5 (8.6) |
40.1 (4.5) |
57.2 (14.0) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.7 (−3.5) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
33.6 (0.9) |
42.9 (6.1) |
53.7 (12.1) |
62.7 (17.1) |
67.3 (19.6) |
65.8 (18.8) |
58.7 (14.8) |
45.8 (7.7) |
34.7 (1.5) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
45.6 (7.6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−9 (−23) |
0 (−18) |
16 (−9) |
25 (−4) |
35 (2) |
45 (7) |
41 (5) |
30 (−1) |
12 (−11) |
9 (−13) |
−6 (−21) |
−16 (−27) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.49 (89) |
3.00 (76) |
4.09 (104) |
3.42 (87) |
4.21 (107) |
3.31 (84) |
4.02 (102) |
3.60 (91) |
4.58 (116) |
3.62 (92) |
3.41 (87) |
3.72 (94) |
44.47 (1,130) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.6 (1.5) |
3.1 (7.9) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
6.1 (15) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.5 | 6.9 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 10.7 | 8.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 102.2 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 3.5 |
Source: |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 1,536 | — | |
1870 | 1,543 | 0.5% | |
1880 | 2,058 | 33.4% | |
1890 | 2,404 | 16.8% | |
1900 | 2,471 | 2.8% | |
1910 | 2,971 | 20.2% | |
1920 | 2,586 | −13.0% | |
1930 | 3,133 | 21.2% | |
1940 | 3,475 | 10.9% | |
1950 | 4,375 | 25.9% | |
1960 | 4,293 | −1.9% | |
1970 | 4,331 | 0.9% | |
1980 | 6,067 | 40.1% | |
1990 | 6,046 | −0.3% | |
2000 | 6,845 | 13.2% | |
2010 | 8,216 | 20.0% | |
2020 | 7,473 | −9.0% | |
2021 (est.) | 7,202 | [1] | −3.6% |
U.S. Decennial Census[28] |
As of the
There were 2,634 households, out of which 19.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.0% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.9% were non-families. 49.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.90.
The age distribution, strongly influenced by the presence of Longwood University, is: 12.9% under the age of 18, 46.1% from 18 to 24, 14.9% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 68.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,343, and the median income for a family was $33,000. Males had a median income of $30,974 versus $20,764 for females. The
Since 2016 there has been an Amish community living in the Farmville area. Just three years after its founding it had already two church districts. These Amish come from the Lancaster Amish settlement in Pennsylvania and its daughter settlements and thus belong to the Lancaster Amish affiliation. In 2020 there were 195 Amish living there.[30]
Arts and culture
Heart of Virginia Festival
The Heart of Virginia Festival happens in Farmville the first weekend in May and has grown every year since it was established in 1978. "Heart of Virginia" refers to Farmville's location in the central part of the state. (The actual geographic center of the state is 20 miles (32 km) north at the intersection of Route 24 and 60 outside of Dillwyn in Buckingham County). The festival includes all the traditional fare and concludes with a fireworks show at the Farmville airport.
First Fridays
First Fridays, held on the first Friday of every month from May to September, features bands and family events at Riverside Park.
Government
Services include the Farmville Police Department, Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office, and Longwood University Police Department. The Virginia State Police also has a strong presence in the town of Farmville. Piedmont Regional Jail, serving a six-county area, is located in Farmville.
Education
- Normal School, and later State Teachers College. It became Longwood College in 1949, turning fully co-ed in 1976, and in 2002, becoming Longwood University. Longwood University is known as the mother of sororities: Sigma Sigma Sigma, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Zeta Tau Alpha, and Kappa Deltawere founded here. Longwood University opened a new recreational complex, and in 2007 finished construction on a 36,000-square-foot (3,300 m2), four-story multi-use complex, with retail stores on the lower floor with dorms above. It is steadily expanding as a university.
- Hampden-Sydney Collegeis the 10th oldest college in America, an all-male private school founded in 1775. Hampden-Sydney is located 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the center of Farmville and has an enrollment of 1,200 students.
- Prince Edward County Public Schools operate all of their schools within Farmville.
- Fuqua School, a private school named for a prominent local, J.B. Fuqua, is located in Farmville.
Infrastructure
Volunteer fire fighting
The Farmville Volunteer Fire Department is designated as Company 1[31] in Prince Edward County after being the first fire department established in the county in 1870. The FFD provides services to nearly 10,000 people in their first due,[32] which comprises the entire town of Farmville, and into the immediately surrounding area of Prince Edward County, Buckingham County, and Cumberland County.
Firefighting apparatus include an
Water
Farmville's water and sewer services are publicly owned and operated by the Town of Farmville work crew.[33] The town's water treatment plant draws its water supplies from the Appomattox River. Water from the river is treated to kill any waterborne pathogens. After that process all sedimentation is removed through a series of filtration tanks. The water plant sells a portion of this removed sedimentation to be mixed with topsoil and then to be made ready for farm use. The excess sedimentation is recycled back into the Appomattox. The water plant can store 200,000 gallons of fresh water which can be transferred to Farmville's water towers when needed. Currently Farmville averages 1 million gallons of water usage per day, and its water plant is capable of producing up to 3 million gallons. The water is used by the majority of the town and the Prince Edward schools.[34]
The town of Farmville is located within the Piedmont Region and has many tributaries which filter into the Appomattox River. After the water reaches the Appomattox River it drains into the James River and then is distributed into the Chesapeake Bay. Within Farmville there are several different areas which are a concern due to high amounts of heterotrophic bacteria and Escherichia coli, classified as coliform bacteria they live within the intestines of warm blooded animals. The strain of E. coli which is of most concern is the 0157 H7 strain because it can produce dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, and in extreme cases even death. There are a couple of drains which are located within Farmville and its neighboring counties which are of concern, including Gross Creek, which usually exceeds the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).[35]
The wastewater plant covers a more extensive area which includes all residents of Farmville, Prince Edward schools,
Notable people
- Oliver Anthony, singer-songwriter
- Chris Ashworth, actor
- Blanche K. Bruce, Senator
- Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, former United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense
- J. B. Fuqua (pronounced "few–kwah") (June 16, 1918–April 5, 2006), businessman, philanthropist and chairman of The Fuqua Companies and Fuqua Enterprises, born 10 miles (16 km) west in Prospect; he resided the majority of his life in Atlanta
- Vince Gilligan, writer for The X-Files and creator and writer of Breaking Bad
- James B. Hughes, publisher, abolitionist, congressman
- Joseph E. Johnston, Confederate general
- The Lady of Rage, American rapper/recording artist/actress
- James West, co-inventor of the electret microphone
- Lieutenant General Samuel V. Wilson, "General Sam," 5th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and 22nd President of Hampden–Sydney College; credited for helping to create Delta Force
Longwood University students
- Jerome Kersey (Class of 2006), basketball player (drafted in the second round in 1984 by the Portland Trail Blazers, but did not finish degree until 2006)
- Pat McGee, lead singer of the Pat McGee Band
- Jason Mraz, singer-songwriter
- Michael Tucker (Class of 1993), baseball player
References
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- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "UPPER APPOMATTOX CANAL". Virginia is for Lovers. VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ^ Jones, Randy (2009-04-15). "Ten New State Historical Highway Markers Approved" (PDF). Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
- ^ a b c d e f Gaskins, Ray A. (2015-12-23). "Monthly Happenings in Farmville and Prince Edward County". The Farmville Herald. Farmville, Virginia. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
- ^ a b c d Wilkes, Gerald P. (August 1882). Geology and Mineral Resources of the Farmville Triassic Basin, Virginia (PDF) (Report) (Vol. 28 Num. 3 ed.). Charlottesville, Virginia: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-03-12. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
- ^ Bright, David L. (2015). "Confederate Railroads - South Side". Confederate Railroads. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
- ^ Gaskins, Ray A (2016-05-31). "World War I and the Farmville American Legion". Farmville. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
- ^ ISBN 9781467036955– via Google Books.
- ^ "House History". history.house.virginia.gov.
- ^ "Griggs, Nathaniel M. (d. 1919)". www.encyclopediavirginia.org. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Welcome to the Civil Rights Digital Library". crdl.usg.edu.
- ^ Virginia. Dept. of Agriculture and Immigration; George Wellington Koiner (1909). A Handbook of Virginia. E. Waddey Company, printers. pp. 124–125.
- ^ Norfolk and Western Railway Company. Agricultural and Industrial Dept (1916). Industrial and Shippers Guide. Union Print. and Manufacturing Company. pp. 22–23.
- ^ Ann B. Miller (June 2011). ""Backsights" Essays in Virginia Transportation History Volume One: Reprints of Series One (1972-1985)" (PDF). Virginia DOT. Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
- ^ a b Covington, Edwina (September 2008). "Monthly Happenings in Farmville and Prince Edward County". Farmville-Prince Edward Historical Society. Southside Virginia Historical Press. Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
- ^ A History of Prince Edward County, Virginia, from Its Formation in 1753, to the Present. Williams printing Company. 1922. pp. 47–48.
- ^ Du Bois, W. E. B. (January 1898). "The Negroes of Farmville, Virginia : A Social Study". Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor. 3 (14): 10–23. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ [1], Moton Museum official website Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/25/13 through 3/01/13. National Park Service. 2013-03-08. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22.
- ^ "Longwood University to host 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate". WTVR.com. 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
- ^ "2016 Vice Presidential Debate at Longwood". 2016 Debate at Longwood. Archived from the original on 2016-03-25.
- ^ "Farmville, Virginia Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Archived from the original on 2014-06-29.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Farmville 2 N, VA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Amish Population in the United States by State and County, 2020", page 11. at groups.etown.edu/amishstudies
- ^ Prince Edward Fire & Ems Agencies Archived 2010-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Farmville Fire Department Inc. "Farmville Fire Department Inc". Archived from the original on 2009-08-21.
- ^ "Welcome to the Town of Farmville". March 5, 2010. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010.
- ^ Stutler, Tim. water treatment operator. Personal INTERVIEW. 12 February 2010
- ^ "Summary of the Clean Water Act | Laws and Regulations | US EPA". Archived from the original on 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2012-06-10.. Web.
- ^ Meador, Sandy. Superintendent at Farmville waste water treatment plant. Personal INTERVIEW. 12 February 2010
- ^ "Wastewater Treatment". Virginia DEQ. March 5, 2010. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010.
- ^ "Monitoring Sites". Virginia DEQ. March 14, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-02-10.