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Henry County
Henry County
County
	Beaver Creek Plantation
	Flag Seal Logo
	Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
	Virginia's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 36°40′N 79°53′W / 36.67°N 79.88°W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1777
Named for	Patrick Henry
Seat	Martinsville
Largest town	Ridgeway
Area
• Total	384 sq mi (990 km2)
• Land	382 sq mi (990 km2)
• Water	2 sq mi (5 km2) 0.5%
Population (2020)
• Total	50,948
• Density	130/sq mi (51/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	9th
Website	www.henrycountyva.gov

Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,948.^[1] The county seat is usually identified as Martinsville;^[2] however, the administration building (where county offices are located and where the board of supervisors holds meetings), county courthouse, and Henry County Sheriff's Office are located on Kings Mountain Road (SR 174) in Collinsville.The Henry County Adult Detention Center is located on DuPont Road in Henry County, just south of Martinsville.

Henry County is part of the Martinsville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was established in 1777 when it was carved from Pittsylvania County. The new county was initially named Patrick Henry County in honor of Patrick Henry, who was then serving as the first Governor of Virginia, and some of whose relatives had settled in the area. Governor Henry also had a 10,000-acre (40 km²) plantation called "Leatherwood plantation" (for Leatherwood Creek) in the newly named county (where he ended up spending 5 years between his third and fourth gubernatorial terms).^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

In 1785 the northern part of Patrick Henry County was combined with part of Bedford County to form Franklin County. In 1790, Patrick Henry County was split again: the western part became Patrick County and the rest remained Henry County.

Other notable early settlers included: George Waller,^[7] Captain George Hairston and Major John Redd,^[8] all of whom were present at the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown; Col. Abram Penn, a native of Amherst County, Virginia, who led his Henry County militia troops with the intention of joining General Nathanael Greene at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse during the Revolutionary War;^[9] and Brigadier General Joseph Martin, for whom Martinsville is named.^[10] Also prominent were Mordecai Hord, a native of Louisa County and explorer, who lived on his plantation called Hordsville;^[11] and Col. John Dillard, born in Amherst County, Virginia in 1751, wounded at the Battle of Princeton during the Revolution, and later a member of the Committee of Safety. Captain Robert Hairston, a noted politician in the Colony of Virginia, owned Marrowbone plantation, commanded a militia company and served as Henry County's first high sheriff.

During the War of 1812, the 64th Virginia Militia, under Captain Graves, was formed in 1815 from Henry County. Benjamin Dyer was a lieutenant, then later a captain, of the 5th company of the 64th Virginia Militia. Private Alexander Hunter Bassett would later work large tobacco plantations in the county, and Wyatt Jarrett. Tavner Hailey (b.1793) of Martinsville became an early pioneer in Tennessee and served in the War of 1812. He was 1st Cpl. in Captain Brice Edward's Company, 64th Regiment, Virginia Militia."^[12]

During the American Civil War, the 42nd Virginia Infantry was formed in part from Henry County volunteers. Its state senator, Christopher Y. Thomas, owned Henry's former Leatherwood plantation and would later briefly serve in the U.S. House of Representatives after the war. He was succeeded by George Cabell, a Confederate army veteran (38th Virginia Infantry) born in nearby Danville and from a family long prominent in the area.^[13]

In 1902, the Henry County Historical Society was incorporated at Martinsville with its first officers being John W. Carter, J. Harrison Spencer and C. B. Bryant.^[14]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 384 square miles (990 km²), of which 382 square miles (990 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.5%) is water.^[15] Henry County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission,^[16] 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.^[17]

Districts

The county's six districts are as follows, in alphabetical order: Axton, Bassett, Collinsville, Horsepasture, Reed Creek, and Ridgeway.

Adjacent counties

Franklin County, Virginia - north
Pittsylvania County, Virginia - east
Rockingham County, North Carolina - south
Stokes County, North Carolina - southwest
Patrick County, Virginia - west
Martinsville - surrounded by Henry County

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	8,479	—
1800	5,259	−38.0%
1810	5,611	6.7%
1820	5,624	0.2%
1830	7,100	26.2%
1840	7,335	3.3%
1850	8,872	21.0%
1860	12,105	36.4%
1870	12,303	1.6%
1880	16,009	30.1%
1890	18,208	13.7%
1900	19,265	5.8%
1910	18,459	−4.2%
1920	20,238	9.6%
1930	20,088	−0.7%
1940	26,481	31.8%
1950	31,219	17.9%
1960	40,335	29.2%
1970	50,901	26.2%
1980	57,654	13.3%
1990	56,942	−1.2%
2000	57,930	1.7%
2010	54,151	−6.5%
2020	50,948	−5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census^[18] 1790-1960^[19] 1900-1990^[20] 1990-2000^[21] 2010^[22] 2020^[23]

2020 census

**Henry County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition**
*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 may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010^[22]	Pop 2020^[23]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	38,737	34,307	71.54%	67.34%
Black or African American alone (NH)	11,786	11,062	21.77%	21.71%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	78	68	0.14%	0.13%
Asian alone (NH)	236	284	0.44%	0.56%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	6	0.00%	0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	43	153	0.08%	0.30%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	724	1,767	1.34%	3.47%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2,545	3,301	4.70%	6.48%
Total	54,151	50,948	100.00%	100.00%

2000 Census

As of the census^[24] of 2000, there were 57,930 people, 23,910 households, and 16,952 families residing in the county. The population density was 152 people per square mile (59 people/km²). There were 25,921 housing units at an average density of 68 units per square mile (26 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.47% White, 10% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 3.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,910 households, out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.30% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,816, and the median income for a family was $38,649. Males had a median income of $26,660 versus $20,766 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,110. About 8.80% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Board of supervisors

Blackberry District: Jimmie L. "Jim" Adams (I)
Collinsville District: Joe Bryant (I)
Horsepasture District: Debra Parsons Buchanan (I)
Iriswood District: Garrett Dillard (I)
Reed Creek District: T.J. "Tommy" Slaughter (I)
Ridgeway District: Ryan Zehr (I)

Constitutional officers

Clerk of the Circuit Court: Jennifer Ashworth (I)
Commissioner of the Revenue: Linda N. Love (I)
Commonwealth's Attorney: Andrew Nester (I)
Sheriff: D. Wayne Davis Jr. (I)
Treasurer: Scott B. Grindstaff (I)
General Registrar: Dawn Stultz-Vaughn

Henry County is represented by Republican William M. "Bill" Stanley in the Virginia Senate, Republicans Wren Williams, D.W. "Danny" Marshall III, and Les R. Adams in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republicans Bob Good and H. Morgan Griffith in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Law enforcement

The Henry County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency in Henry County.

Robert Hairston was appointed the first "High sheriff" by Governor Thomas Nelson Jr. when Henry County was formed in 1777. Alexander Hunter also served as sheriff of Henry County for one year in 1803.

In 2006, a federal Grand Jury charged 20 defendants for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy that included the distribution of illegal drugs, theft of drugs and firearms under the custody of the Henry County Sheriff's Office, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. Thirteen of the twenty defendants were current or former employees of the Sheriff's Office. Eighteen of the defendants, including sheriff Frank Cassell, were convicted of felony offenses. This case, United States v. Frank Cassell, was prosecuted by US Attorney John L. Brownlee.^[25]^[26]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Henry County, Virginia^[27]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	16,800	65.95%	8,457	33.20%	217	0.85%
2020	16,725	64.07%	9,127	34.96%	253	0.97%
2016	15,208	63.13%	8,198	34.03%	685	2.84%
2012	13,984	56.02%	10,317	41.33%	662	2.65%
2008	13,758	54.56%	11,118	44.09%	339	1.34%
2004	13,358	56.94%	9,851	41.99%	249	1.06%
2000	11,870	55.30%	8,898	41.46%	695	3.24%
1996	9,110	43.64%	9,061	43.41%	2,703	12.95%
1992	9,005	41.26%	9,296	42.59%	3,524	16.15%
1988	10,871	58.04%	7,536	40.24%	322	1.72%
1984	12,693	63.76%	6,976	35.04%	237	1.19%
1980	8,258	46.44%	8,800	49.49%	725	4.08%
1976	5,612	35.02%	9,680	60.41%	732	4.57%
1972	7,556	62.84%	4,042	33.62%	426	3.54%
1968	3,946	25.92%	4,175	27.42%	7,103	46.66%
1964	2,844	34.75%	5,295	64.70%	45	0.55%
1960	2,323	41.17%	3,306	58.59%	14	0.25%
1956	2,436	47.75%	2,582	50.61%	84	1.65%
1952	1,871	44.34%	2,323	55.05%	26	0.62%
1948	730	28.77%	1,318	51.95%	489	19.27%
1944	727	32.03%	1,538	67.75%	5	0.22%
1940	474	20.79%	1,795	78.73%	11	0.48%
1936	458	20.34%	1,790	79.48%	4	0.18%
1932	342	22.75%	1,146	76.25%	15	1.00%
1928	1,139	47.34%	1,267	52.66%	0	0.00%
1924	565	33.29%	1,097	64.64%	35	2.06%
1920	698	44.04%	871	54.95%	16	1.01%
1916	567	39.68%	851	59.55%	11	0.77%
1912	216	16.58%	707	54.26%	380	29.16%