Patrick County, Virginia

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title: "Patrick County, Virginia" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["patrick-county,-virginia", "virginia-counties", "1791-establishments-in-virginia"] description: "County in Virginia, United States" topic_path: "general/patrick-county-virginia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_County,_Virginia" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary County in Virginia, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox U.S. county"]

Field	Value
county	Patrick County
state	Virginia
seal	Patrickcountyseal.png
founded	1791
named for	Patrick Henry
seat wl	Stuart
largest city wl	Stuart
city type	town
area_total_sq_mi	486
area_land_sq_mi	483
area_water_sq_mi	2.8
area percentage	0.6
population_total	17608
population_as_of	2020
population_density_sq_mi	auto
web	www.co.patrick.va.us
ex image	Bull Mountain.jpg
ex image cap	Bull Mountain in Patrick County
time zone	Eastern
district	9th
::

| county = Patrick County | state = Virginia | seal = Patrickcountyseal.png | founded = 1791 | named for = Patrick Henry | seat wl = Stuart | largest city wl = Stuart | city type = town | area_total_sq_mi = 486 | area_land_sq_mi = 483 | area_water_sq_mi = 2.8 | area percentage = 0.6 | population_total = 17608 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_est = | pop_est_as_of = | pop_est_footnotes = | population_density_sq_mi = auto | web = www.co.patrick.va.us | ex image = Bull Mountain.jpg | ex image cap = Bull Mountain in Patrick County | time zone = Eastern | district = 9th ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Patrick_County_Confederates.jpg" caption="July 4, 1900, Patrick County, Virginia"] ::

Patrick County is a county located on the central southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 17,608. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region and the more mountainous regions of Southwest Virginia.

History

Patrick County was formed in 1791. It was originally a part of Henry County. Henry County, which was formed in 1777, was named after Patrick Henry.

Prior to the formation of Patrick County, one of Virginia colony's first frontier forts lay within the boundaries of what was then Halifax County on the banks of the North Mayo River. The location of Fort Mayo, now marked by a Virginia state historic marker, lies within present-day Patrick County. A number of forts built by Virginia colonists from the Potomac River south to North Carolina, was commanded by Captain Samuel Harris in 1756. It was also the year in which George Washington made a tour of Fort Mayo and several other forts on the Virginia frontier. Fort Mayo was the southernmost of the Virginia frontier forts and saw action during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) between the English and French and associated Native American allies.

One of Patrick County's most prominent early settlers was Col. Abraham Penn (sometimes written Abram Penn), born in 1743 in what is today Amherst County, Virginia. Penn qualified as Lieutenant in the Amherst County militia in June 1768, and led a company under Col. Andrew Lewis at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. Penn later moved with his wife Ruth (née Stovall) to present-day Henry County, Virginia, where he patented lands at the later site of Beaver Creek Plantation. Penn served on the Committee of Safety for both Henry and Pittsylvania counties, and as a delegate to the Virginia General Assembly from Henry County.

Eventually selling those lands to the Hairston family, Penn moved with his family a few miles farther west to what is today Patrick County, where he built his plantation home Poplar Grove. During the American Revolution, Col. Penn ordered the muster of some 300 militiamen under his command to march south to aid General Nathanael Greene at the battle of Guilford Court House. Historians question whether the troops arrived in time for the fighting.

It is documented that Penn commanded militia in the Battle of Eutaw Springs. Penn was later present at Yorktown to witness the surrender of the British forces under General Cornwallis.

Col. Penn was one of the organizers of Patrick County, which he served many years as a justice. The unincorporated community of Penn's Store is named for Col. Penn and his descendants. The Abram Penn Highway in Patrick County is named for Col. Penn, who died in 1801. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Poplar_Grove_home_of_Col_Abram_Penn_Patrick_County_Virginia.jpeg" caption="''Poplar Grove'', Patrick County home of Col. Abram Penn"] ::

On October 24, 2004, a private corporate plane crashed on Bull Mountain, killing all eight passengers and two crew, including Busch Series racer Ricky Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports lead engine builder Randy Dorton.

On November 6, 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a state of emergency due to wildfires, citing a fire in the Tuggles Gap community.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 486 sqmi, of which 483 sqmi is land and 2.8 sqmi (0.6%) is water. Patrick County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

Patrick County has two defined physiographic provinces lying within its boundaries. One-third of Patrick County is in the rolling Piedmont region, and the remaining two-thirds are in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Blue Ridge Parkway forms the county's western border with Carroll and Floyd counties to the north.

Adjacent counties

• Carroll County - west
• Floyd County - northwest
• Franklin County - northeast
• Henry County - east
• Stokes County, North Carolina - south
• Surry County, North Carolina - southwest

National protected areas

• Blue Ridge Parkway (part) including Rocky Knob Recreation Area (part) ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/US58inPatrickCounty.jpg" caption="US 58 in Patrick County"] ::

Major highways

Demographics

|1800= 4331 |1810= 4695 |1820= 5089 |1830= 7395 |1840= 8032 |1850= 9609 |1860= 9359 |1870= 10161 |1880= 12833 |1890= 14147 |1900= 15403 |1910= 17195 |1920= 16850 |1930= 15787 |1940= 16613 |1950= 15642 |1960= 15282 |1970= 15282 |1980= 17647 |1990= 17473 |2000= 19407 |2010= 18490 |2020= 17608 |estyear= |estimate= |estref= |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 | align = right

Racial and ethnic composition

::data[format=table title="'''Patrick County, Virginia - Demographic Profile'''
(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')"] | Race / Ethnicity | title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Patrick County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51141&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}} | title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Patrick County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51141&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}} | % 2010 | % 2020 | |---|---|---|---|---| | White alone (NH) | 16,680 | 15,577 | 90.21% | 88.47% | | Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,085 | 831 | 5.87% | 4.72% | | Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 50 | 24 | 0.27% | 0.14% | | Asian alone (NH) | 42 | 43 | 0.23% | 0.24% | | Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 3 | 0.00% | 0.02% | | Some Other Race alone (NH) | 8 | 72 | 0.04% | 0.41% | | Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 181 | 491 | 0.98% | 2.79% | | Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 444 | 567 | 2.40% | 3.22% | | Total | 18,490 | 17,608 | 100.00% | 100.00% | ::

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.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 17,608. The median age was 50.8 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 89.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.2% of the population.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 7,839 households in the county, of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,994 housing units, of which 21.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.6% were owner-occupied and 23.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.

2010 Census

As of the 2010 census, there were 18,490 people, 8,081 households, and 5,410 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 /mi2. There were 10,083 housing units at an average density of 20 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 91.10% White, 5.9% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 2.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the 2000 Census, there were 8,141 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.70% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,705, and the median income for a family was $36,232. Males had a median income of $25,391 versus $18,711 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,574. About 9.60% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.

Distinctions

Part of the Rocky Knob American Viticultural Area, as defined by the federal government, is located in Patrick County. Patrick County was also a setting for the ministry of Reverend Bob Childress whose life was chronicled in the book "The Man Who Moved a Mountain".

Tourism

Patrick County is one of the great tourist areas of Virginia. The county has one of Virginia's seven remaining covered bridges (Bob White covered bridge washed away in September 2015), rises from 900 feet to well over 3,000 feet, providing panoramic views. Patrick County is Virginia's Gateway to the Blue Ridge Parkway and is only minutes from Mabry Mill, the most photographed destination on the parkway. It is also the home of Fairy Stone State Park.The county hosts the longest running beach music festival on the East coast, is home to the legendary NASCAR team the Wood Brothers, and many more attractions each year provide a wide range of activities for every group of every age.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/MabrysMill.jpg" caption="Mabry's Mill"] ::

Patrick County is featured on the Virginia is For Lovers website.

The Bob White Covered Bridge once located in Woolwine washed away by Flood Waters in September 2015. Bob White Covered Bridge Washes Away

Education

Patrick County Public Schools has seven total public schools, of which four are for grades K-7, one is for grades K-3, one is for grades 4–7, and Patrick County High School is for grade 8–12. One school, Stuart Elementary was recognized in 2008 as receiving the Governor's VIP award. Recently two schools, Stuart Elementary and Woolwine Elementary were designated as Distinguished Title I schools. In 2006, Patrick County Public Schools was listed as an outperforming school district, one of 12 in the state of Virginia, by Standard and Poor's. All of the schools have received "full accreditation" status by the State of Virginia and all schools have met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Communities

Town

• Stuart

Census-designated place

• Meadows of Dan
• Patrick Springs

Other unincorporated communities

• Ararat
• Claudville
• Critz
• Fairystone
• Mayberry – See Mayberry#The name "Mayberry".
• Penns Store
• Russell Creek
• Vesta
• Woolwine

Notable people

• Confederate cavalry commander Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart was born at the Laurel Hill Farm in Patrick County on February 6, 1833.
• Rev. Bob Childress, Presbyterian minister whose life is chronicled in "The Man Who Moved a Mountain," whose unfinished autobiography and the biographies of his children are preserved in "Childress Cousins from the Hills and Hollows of Southern Virginia," and whose legacy includes six rock churches in Patrick, Carroll, and Floyd Counties.
• Herb Hash was a Major League Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Hash has been inducted into the University of Richmond Baseball of Fame. He was born in Woolwine.
• Gerald L. Baliles served as Governor of Virginia from 1986 through 1990.
• Mary Sue Terry served as Attorney General of Virginia from 1986 until 1993, the first female Attorney General in Virginia history.
• Robert Lee Tudor, a member of the New York State Assembly from 1913 to 1917, was born in Critz in 1874.
• Martin Clark, author and Virginia Circuit Court judge.
• Brad Clontz was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Wood Brothers Racing, the NASCAR Racing Team.
• Tim Goad, former American Football League Defensive Tackle for the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.
• Richard Joshua Reynolds, founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., was born at Rock Spring Plantation, near present-day Critz, Va. on July 20, 1850.
• J.J. Webster, served as County Commissioner for Rockingham County, North Carolina, was born in Patrick County in 1898.

Government

Patrick County is governed by an elected five-member Board of Supervisors. Management of the county is vested in a Board-appointed County Administrator.

::data[format=table title="Patrick County Board of Supervisors"]

Name	Party	First Election	District
Independent Party (United States)}}"		Andrew Overby (Vice Chair)	Ind
Independent Party (United States)}}"		Doug Perry	Ind
Independent (United States)}}"		Steve Marshall	Ind
Independent Party (United States)}}"		Clayton Kendrick	Ind
Independent Party (United States)}}"		Jonathan Wood (Chair)	Ind
::

There are also five elected Constitutional Officers:

• Clerk of the Circuit Court: Morgan Boothe
• Commonwealth's Attorney: Dayna Bobbitt
• Sheriff: Dan Smith
• Commissioner of Revenue: Glennda Morse
• Treasurer: Sandra Stone

References

References

1. "Patrick County, Virginia".
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. Serving under Capt. Penn during his militia service under Col. Andrew Lewis was a young [[lieutenant]] [[Joseph Martin (general). Joseph Martin]], for whom [[Martinsville, Virginia]] was later named.
4. "The Henry County Militia and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse: Colonel Penn's Militiamen Arrive Too Late," Guilford Courthouse National Military Park Historical Publication 05-07
5. The [[National Park Service]], while conceding that tradition places the Henry County militia at the battle, claims that no documentary evidence places the unit there. The NPS says, "how many, if any, were in the battle is unknown."[http://www.nps.gov/guco/planyourvisit/upload/Order%20of%20Battle.doc] {{webarchive. link. (February 9, 2017)
6. 0-7884-2302-9
7. Virginia G. Pedigo. (1933). "History of Patrick and Henry Counties, Virginia". Genealogical Publishing Company.
8. The first organizer of militia troops from Henry and Pittsylvania Counties, Col. Penn issued an order on March 11, 1781, ordering his regiment of militia to leave [[Beaver Creek Plantation. Beaver Creek]] to reinforce General Nathanael Greene at [[Guilford Court House]]. Penn's order may have allowed his regiment to reach the battle in time for the [[Battle of Guilford Court House
9. [https://books.google.com/books?id=12H2EVqQc2QC&dq=%22abraham+penn%22+amherst&pg=PA126 Warren Skidmore, Donna Kaminsky, ''Lord Dunmore's Little War of 1774''], Charles County, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2002
10. The professor and novelist [[Robert Penn Warren]] is a descendant of Col. Abraham Penn.
11. (October 26, 2004). "Ten die in crash of Hendrick plane". Usatoday.Com.
12. Macaulay, Porter. (November 7, 2023). "Governor Glenn Youngkin Declares State of Emergency to Enable Assistance for Wildfires in Two Counties".
13. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
14. "About the Appalachian Region". Appalachian Regional Commission.
15. (July 30, 2018). "The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line". New York Times.
16. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". [[US Census Bureau]].
17. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
18. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
19. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
20. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Patrick County, Virginia".
21. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Patrick County, Virginia".
22. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
23. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
24. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
25. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
26. "Home - Patrick County Public Schools".
27. [[Laurel Hill Farm]]
28. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

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