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.
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.[4][5]
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.[9][10][citation needed] The Abram Penn Highway in Patrick County is named for Col. Penn, who died in 1801.
Poplar Grove, Patrick County home of Col. Abram Penn
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.
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.
2010 Census
As of the 2010 census,[22] there were 18,490 people, 8,081 households, and 5,410 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile (15 people/km2). There were 10,083 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile (7.7/km2). 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.
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.
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.[23] 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.
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.
Patrick County is governed by an elected five-member Board of Supervisors. Management of the county is vested in a Board-appointed County Administrator.
Patrick County Board of Supervisors
Name
Party
First Election
District
Jane Fulk (chair)
Ind
2017
Dan River
Crystal Harris (Vice Chair)
Ind
2005
Smith River
Clyde DeLoach
Ind
2019
Blue Ridge
Clayton Kendrick
Rep
2019
Mayo River
Denise Stirewalt
Rep
2019
Peters Creek
There are also five elected Constitutional Officers:
Clerk of the Circuit Court: Sherri Hazlewood
Commonwealth's Attorney: Stephanie Vipperman
Sheriff: Dan Smith
Commissioner of Revenue: Janet Rorrer
Treasurer: Sandra Stone
United States presidential election results for Patrick County, Virginia[25]
^"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
^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."[1]Archived February 9, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
^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 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 engagement four days later, on March 15, 1781. [2]
