Campbell County, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Campbell County Courthouse in Rustburg | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
 Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°13′N79°05′W / 37.21°N 79.09°W /37.21; -79.09 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1782 |
| Named after | General William Campbell |
| Seat | Rustburg |
| Largest town | Altavista |
| Area | |
• Total | 507 sq mi (1,310 km2) |
| • Land | 504 sq mi (1,310 km2) |
| • Water | 3.5 sq mi (9.1 km2) 0.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 55,696 |
| • Density | 110/sq mi (42/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | www |
Campbell County is aUnited States county situated in the south central part of theCommonwealth ofVirginia. Located in thePiedmont region of Virginia, Campbell borders theBlue Ridge Mountains. At the2020 census, the county population was 55,696.[1] The number of residents has grown steadily in every census after 1930, and the total population has more than doubled since that time.[2] Thecounty seat isRustburg.[3]
Grounded on atobaccocash crop economy, Campbell County was created in 1782 from part ofBedford County. The county was named in honor of GeneralWilliam Campbell, hero of theAmerican Revolutionary War.
Campbell County is part of theLynchburg metropolitan area. Lynchburg was initially established in Campbell County in 1786, incorporated as a town in 1805, and separated from Campbell County when Lynchburg became an independent city in 1852. Lynchburg has annexed additional land from Bedford County and Campbell County through the years, most recently in 1976.
The Native American tribes of theMonacan,Iroquois, andCherokee were the original inhabitants of the Campbell County area, but were later forced west due to the settlers' progress.Sir William Gooch, in 1727, created a couple of "inducements" in order to lure settlers to the Campbell County area. These inducements were that if one settled on the Staunton River "in the bounds of the newly formed County of Brunswick" then they would be freed from payinglevies for ten years. The second "inducement" was that the settler could claim 400 acres simply by building a cabin on the land and by "planting a patch of grain".[citation needed]
Throughout the 18th century, multipleScotch-Irish families would begin settling in the area, these names included the Irvins, the Mitchells, the McCues, the McElroys, McDowells, Campbells, and others. These families arrived on a ship known as the George and Ann, sailed by Captain Rymer, who, instead of going towardsPhiladelphia fromDerry, planned to keep sailing around the coast until the passengers starved to death, so he could loot their valuables. However, a captain named Captain Lothrop spotted the ship in distress nearbyMonomoy. Afterwards, the passengers were landed atOrleans, and these future settlers of Campbell County would travel south to investigateSir William Gooch's inducements.[5][6]
These inducements successfully attracted only a few new settlers, and the Governor soon took mention of his inducements to the ocean ports in which immigrants were arriving in America, as well as to the ports back in their homelands. This great difficulty in gaining new settlers for Campbell County is one of the reasons that the Governor allowed theScotch-Irish immigrants withPresbyterian beliefs to gain religious freedom, in order to secure as many new settlers as possible for the newly founded county.[7]
The area that would become Campbell County was first settled by Europeans, initiallyScotch-IrishPresbyterians, in the late 1730s. After nearly fifty years of immigration and development, the newly formed county was established in 1782 from part ofBedford County, and was the first county formed after theAmerican Revolution.[8] Campbell County was named forRevolutionary War hero,General William Campbell, who is known for the 1780Battle of Kings Mountain. The independent city ofLynchburg, Virginia was subsequently formed from the county's land in 1786.[9]
Jeremiah Rust donated the land that would become the county's seat namedRustburg.[10] The towns ofAltavista andBrookneal were created due to their business advantages as well as the "intersection of trails". Altavista was planned by a group of businessmen in 1907, due to its "strategic" location and "potential" as a new location for a railroad.[11]
From its earliest days, the county relied ontobacco as the primarycash crop and basis for the economy, though it also developed early manufacturing operations.Brookneal, with its strategic location on theStaunton River, was long an important tobacco and textile hub. However, the departure of manufacturing and the changing tobacco market has forced Campbell to transform from a mainly agricultural area into a mixture of suburban and rural communities.[9] Campbell County was also an iron manufacturer and begun operations Pre-Revolutionary War and continued operations in Oxford Iron Works until it was closed in 1875. The building is still standing today.[12]
Campbell County opened its first public school in 1871 after the Civil War. In 1878, Campbell County and Lynchburg became two separate entities when Lynchburg was recognized as an independent city. The first school fair was held in Rustburg, the county seat, in 1908. This was the first school fair ever held in Virginia and was started by the Virginia Federation of Women's Club, "with the aid of J.S. Thomas, then school examiner in the district, and with the agreement of the Van Dyke League to help in Campbell." This fair was a showcase of "expert knowledge and training," as well as each child's best work.[13]
Campbell County and its residents have participated and given aid in many wars. They have had soldiers involved in the American Revolution,Civil War, World War I, World War II, theKorean War,Vietnam War,Gulf War, and theWar in Afghanistan,Iraq War.[14]
Campbell County's religious origin predominantly included Protestant Christianity, with denominations such as Quakerism and Presbyterianism strongly represented. Early religious adherents sought religious freedom. They migrated from many places, but most migrated fromColonial Williamsburg and surrounding areas where theEpiscopal Church hampered the practice of other religions.[15]
TheQuakers gained a foothold within the Campbell County area due to Sarah Clark Lynch, wife of Charles Lynch, the founder of the ferry boat service across the James River and mother ofJohn Lynch, the founder ofLynchburg. Due to Sarah Lynch's influence their application for ameeting house was approved, and theSouth River Friends Meeting House was built. The Quakers later migrated from the area due to disagreements with the other Campbell County populace over issues such as slavery and the American Revolution. The Quakers maintained pacifist beliefs and during the American Revolution they espoused a standpoint of neutrality and stated that warfare went against their belief system. This apparent refusal to aid their neighbors in their fight for independence greatly angered many and created a wedge between the Quakers and the Non-Quakers.[16] The Quakers also adamantly believed in the abolition of slavery and preached how the institution was wrong and should be disallowed. In 1817 they freed all of their slaves. These actions created additional tension with their slave-holding neighbors and caused many Quakers to leave the Campbell County area and to move West.[17]
The Presbyterian religious faction mainly consisted of Scotch-Irish who originally came to America in order to gain religious freedom from the "Established Church in Ireland" and to create a better life for themselves. They originally settled in Pennsylvania, but then moved to Virginia due toGovernor Gooch's inducements to entice settlers to come to Campbell County.[7] The Presbyterians and their descendants then remained in Campbell County, and others who had been with them on the trip to America soon followed after, greatly aiding in the settlement process.[18]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 507 square miles (1,313.1 km2), of which 504 square miles (1,305.4 km2) is land and 3 square miles (7.8 km2) (0.55%) is water.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 7,685 | — | |
| 1800 | 9,866 | 28.4% | |
| 1810 | 11,001 | 11.5% | |
| 1820 | 16,569 | 50.6% | |
| 1830 | 20,350 | 22.8% | |
| 1840 | 21,030 | 3.3% | |
| 1850 | 23,245 | 10.5% | |
| 1860 | 26,197 | 12.7% | |
| 1870 | 28,384 | 8.3% | |
| 1880 | 36,250 | 27.7% | |
| 1890 | 41,087 | 13.3% | |
| 1900 | 23,256 | −43.4% | |
| 1910 | 23,043 | −0.9% | |
| 1920 | 26,716 | 15.9% | |
| 1930 | 22,885 | −14.3% | |
| 1940 | 26,048 | 13.8% | |
| 1950 | 28,877 | 10.9% | |
| 1960 | 32,958 | 14.1% | |
| 1970 | 43,319 | 31.4% | |
| 1980 | 45,424 | 4.9% | |
| 1990 | 47,572 | 4.7% | |
| 2000 | 51,078 | 7.4% | |
| 2010 | 54,842 | 7.4% | |
| 2020 | 55,696 | 1.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] 1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21] 1990–2000[22] 2010[23] 2020[24] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[23] | Pop 2020[24] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 44,595 | 42,884 | 81.32% | 77.00% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 7,737 | 7,761 | 14.11% | 13.93% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 142 | 169 | 0.26% | 0.30% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 543 | 601 | 0.99% | 1.08% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 11 | 8 | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 56 | 241 | 0.10% | 0.43% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 840 | 2,217 | 1.53% | 3.98% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 918 | 1,815 | 1.67% | 3.26% |
| Total | 54,842 | 55,696 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 51,078 people, 20,639 households, and 14,694 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 101 people per square mile (39 people/km2). There were 22,088 housing units at an average density of 44 units per square mile (17 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83.24%White, 14.71%Black orAfrican American, 0.19%Native American, 0.62%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.33% fromother races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.[25]
There were 20,639 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.91.[25]
In the county, the age distribution of the population showed 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.[25]
The median income for a household in the county was $37,280, and the median income for a family was $42,901. Males had a median income of $32,108 versus $22,286 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,134. About 7.90% of families and 10.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.[25]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(May 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Campbell County is represented byMark J. Peake in the Virginia Senate,[28] Wendell Walker, Eric Zehr, and Mark Peake in the Virginia House of Delegates, andJohn McGuire in the U.S. House of Representatives.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 97 | 9.22% | 810 | 77.00% | 145 | 13.78% |
| 1916 | 185 | 14.62% | 1,007 | 79.60% | 73 | 5.77% |
| 1920 | 375 | 21.58% | 1,341 | 77.16% | 22 | 1.27% |
| 1924 | 372 | 18.76% | 1,468 | 74.03% | 143 | 7.21% |
| 1928 | 801 | 45.31% | 967 | 54.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 301 | 14.89% | 1,692 | 83.72% | 28 | 1.39% |
| 1936 | 370 | 15.66% | 1,987 | 84.09% | 6 | 0.25% |
| 1940 | 456 | 16.18% | 2,358 | 83.65% | 5 | 0.18% |
| 1944 | 634 | 24.08% | 1,995 | 75.77% | 4 | 0.15% |
| 1948 | 668 | 23.23% | 1,554 | 54.03% | 654 | 22.74% |
| 1952 | 2,447 | 47.26% | 2,713 | 52.39% | 18 | 0.35% |
| 1956 | 2,827 | 47.79% | 2,674 | 45.20% | 415 | 7.01% |
| 1960 | 2,903 | 48.63% | 3,030 | 50.75% | 37 | 0.62% |
| 1964 | 5,713 | 62.47% | 3,401 | 37.19% | 31 | 0.34% |
| 1968 | 5,731 | 44.73% | 1,996 | 15.58% | 5,084 | 39.68% |
| 1972 | 11,676 | 82.48% | 2,055 | 14.52% | 426 | 3.01% |
| 1976 | 7,442 | 60.78% | 4,354 | 35.56% | 449 | 3.67% |
| 1980 | 9,592 | 65.16% | 4,473 | 30.39% | 656 | 4.46% |
| 1984 | 13,388 | 74.69% | 4,380 | 24.44% | 156 | 0.87% |
| 1988 | 12,713 | 72.51% | 4,574 | 26.09% | 246 | 1.40% |
| 1992 | 10,931 | 55.33% | 5,999 | 30.36% | 2,827 | 14.31% |
| 1996 | 10,273 | 54.35% | 6,788 | 35.91% | 1,841 | 9.74% |
| 2000 | 13,162 | 64.75% | 6,659 | 32.76% | 506 | 2.49% |
| 2004 | 15,891 | 69.10% | 6,862 | 29.84% | 244 | 1.06% |
| 2008 | 17,444 | 67.58% | 8,091 | 31.34% | 279 | 1.08% |
| 2012 | 17,695 | 68.86% | 7,595 | 29.56% | 406 | 1.58% |
| 2016 | 19,551 | 71.00% | 6,664 | 24.20% | 1,320 | 4.79% |
| 2020 | 21,245 | 71.07% | 8,070 | 27.00% | 577 | 1.93% |
| 2024 | 23,032 | 73.62% | 7,890 | 25.22% | 365 | 1.17% |
Some of these unincorporated areas have Lynchburg mailing addresses.
 | This sectionis inlist format but may read better asprose. You can help byconverting this section, if appropriate.Editing help is available.(May 2019) |
Campbell County is home to sporting events and organizations including:
Places adjacent to Campbell County, Virginia | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofCampbell County, Virginia,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
37°13′N79°05′W / 37.21°N 79.09°W /37.21; -79.09
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
