As of the 2020 census, the county population was 13,265.[2]
History
Princess Amelia of Great Britain, for whom the county is named
Amelia County was created by legislative act in 1734 and 1735[3] from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties. The county is named for Princess Amelia of Great Britain, daughter of King George II. As was customary, Amelia County was reduced by the division of territory to form newer counties as the population increased in the region; in 1754, Prince Edward County was formed from parts of Amelia County, and in 1789, Nottoway County was formed. The area was developed for plantation agriculture dependent on slave labor.
Amelia is known for its minerals, including the nation's best supply of amazonite, a green feldspar found at the Morefield mine. In the 19th century, spas were developed around its mineral springs, which were destinations for travelers.
In 1986 the Amelia County Fair sponsored a competition for the world's largest potato pancake (with apple sauce). It was constructed to raise money that year for the German American National Scholarship Fund. The pancake weighed more than two and one-quarter tons and used four truckloads of potatoes.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 359 square miles (930 km2), of which 355 square miles (920 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (0.9%) is water.[4]
Amelia County is drained by tributaries of the Appomattox. The lowest elevation in the county is 158 feet (48 m), on Lake Chesdin on the Appomattox at the eastern extremity of the county. The highest elevation is 525 feet (160 m), on SR 616 (S. Genito Road) at the community of Gills in the southwest corner of the county.[5]
SR 38 (In Amelia Court House: Virginia Street, Court Street, Washington Street, Church Street, Five Forks Road. In Amelia County: N. Five Forks Road, to SR 153.)
As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 11,400 people, 4,240 households, and 3,175 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 4,609 housing units, at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.57% White, 28.05% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,240 households, of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07.
The median age was 38 years, with 25.30% under 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.
The median household income was $40,252, and the median family income was $47,157. Males had a median income of $32,315, versus $23,102 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,858. 8.40% of the population and 6.70% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.10% were under the age of 18 and 11.70% were 65 or older.
Culture
Seasonal Events
A countywide festival called Amelia Day is held each May on the Saturday before Mother's Day in Amelia Court House. The festival started in the 1980s to celebrate the town's founding. Vendors, local clubs, and citizens organize to enjoy music, dancing, and socializing. At the first Amelia Day in 1985, residents signed a long roll that, along with other items, was put in a time capsule and buried in the courthouse green near the Confederate War Memorial. The capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2035.
The Amelia County Fair is held in late summer or early fall each year at the Joe Paulette Memorial Park in Amelia Court House.[14]
Each October, the Amelia Frightfest, a trail haunt, opens at Tom Scott Park in Amelia Court House.
Every year from April to October, on the second Saturday of every month, The Time Bandits car club hosts a car show at the Truist Bank parking lot on Patrick Henry Highway.[15]
Rosa Dixon Bowser (1855-1931), born in Amelia County, first African American Teacher hired in Richmond, Virginia. Established the Virginia Teacher's Reading Circle, which became the Virginia State Teachers Association,
Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie (c.1840s–c.1920s), born into slavery in Amelia County.[23] She became a noted musician, teacher and composer, founding a musical conservatory in Corpus Christi, Texas.
^History of Amelia County Archived December 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
^"Geographic Names Information System".
^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021". Retrieved April 6, 2022.
^"Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
^"Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
^"Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
^"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 December 31, 2013.
^ a b"P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Amelia 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) - Amelia County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau.
^Amelia County Fair, official website. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
^"Cruise-In hosted by the Time Bandits Car Club on April 10, 2021".
^David Leip. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
^ Ralph H. Lutts. "Like Manna From God: The American Chestnut Trade in Southwestern Virginia", Environmental History 9, No. 3 (2004): 497–525. American Society for Environmental History, Chicago; and the Forest History Society, Durham, NC. Reprinted in Environmental History and the American South: A Reader, page 271. Paul Sutter, Christopher J. Manganiello, eds. University of Georgia Press, 2009. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
^Beverly Belcher Woody. "Family | Patrick Pioneers – Mary Dunkley and friends", The [Stuart, VA] Enterprise, June 21, 2023. Mountain Media, LLC, Patrick County, VA. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
^State road sign denoting Masons Corner, Google Street View, April 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
^USGS Topographic Map for Amelia Court House, VA ("Topo Map" layer selected). TopoZone, Locality LLC. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^Convenience Centers, Amelia County, VA, official government website. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
^ a b c d e f gWho Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
^Scruggs, Lawson Andrew (1893). Women of Distinction: Remarkable in Works and Invincible in Character. Raleigh, North Carolina: L. A. Scruggs. p. 247. OCLC 4255360.
External links
https://va-ameliacounty.civicplus.com/ – Official Amelia County Government website
https://web.archive.org/web/20191115180811/http://ameliabusinessdirectory.com/ – Amelia Business Directory
Amelia Co. Christmas 1784
The Amelia Bulletin Monitor – Amelia County's newspaper
http://www.ameliadayfestival.com/ – Amelia Day website
https://ameliacountyfair.com/ – Amelia County Fair website