Boydton, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Boydton is a town in Mecklenburg County
, Virginia
, United States
. The population was 454 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Mecklenburg County
, and it is near the Mecklenburg Correctional Center
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 454 people, 134 households, and 95 families residing in the town. The population density
was 553.0 people per square mile (213.8/km2). There were 165 housing units at an average density of 201.0 per square mile (77.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 58.15% White, 39.21% African American, 1.54% from other races
, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.42% of the population.
There were 134 households out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% 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 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 121.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 132.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,063, and the median income for a family was $38,125. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $25,208 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,034. About 6.0% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.
, then very small, and which barely stayed in operation during the American Civil War
as its focus abruptly changed from a Methodist seminary to military cadet training. In the difficult post-war Reconstruction years the trustees relocated the remote and struggling school to its present location Ashland, Virginia
, closer to railroad service.
Boydton/Clarksville was the terminus of the 19th-century "Boydton Plank Road" leading to Petersburg
. This 80-mile (130-km) road was covered with wooden planks, making it superior to other roads which were just unpaved dirt and rutted.
The Boyd Tavern is an 18th-century structure originally operated by merchant Alexander Boyd, a Scottish immigrant, which in recent years has been restored by his descendants and opened to public tours.
In 1952 the large Kerr Lake
was created nearby, drawing many boaters, campers, and fishermen to the local area (see Clarksville, Virginia
).
More recently, Boydton serves as the headquarters of the Carlson Development Group, LLC. CDG is a construction/real estate firm that specializes in constructing high rises and skyscrapers.
operates the Boydton Post Office in Boydton.
The Virginia Department of Corrections
operates the Mecklenburg Correctional Center
in unincorporated
Mecklenburg County
, near Boydton. On August 3, 1998, the male death row moved to its current location, the Sussex I State Prison, from the Mecklenburg Correctional Center.
Mecklenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 32,727 people, 12,951 households, and 8,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 17,403 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 454 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 32,727 people, 12,951 households, and 8,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 17,403 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
, and it is near the Mecklenburg Correctional Center
Mecklenburg Correctional Center
Mecklenburg Correctional Center is a medium security prison operated by the Virginia Department of Corrections in unincorporated Mecklenburg County, Virginia, United States, near Boydton. The facility serves as a reception and classification facility...
.
Geography
Boydton is located at 36.667997°N 78.389001°W (36.667997, -78.389001).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 454 people, 134 households, and 95 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 553.0 people per square mile (213.8/km2). There were 165 housing units at an average density of 201.0 per square mile (77.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 58.15% White, 39.21% African American, 1.54% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.42% of the population.
There were 134 households out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% 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 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 121.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 132.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,063, and the median income for a family was $38,125. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $25,208 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $14,034. About 6.0% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.
History
Boydton was founded in 1812 and is the original home of Randolph-Macon CollegeRandolph-Macon College
Randolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
, then very small, and which barely stayed in operation during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as its focus abruptly changed from a Methodist seminary to military cadet training. In the difficult post-war Reconstruction years the trustees relocated the remote and struggling school to its present location Ashland, Virginia
Ashland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
, closer to railroad service.
Boydton/Clarksville was the terminus of the 19th-century "Boydton Plank Road" leading to Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. This 80-mile (130-km) road was covered with wooden planks, making it superior to other roads which were just unpaved dirt and rutted.
The Boyd Tavern is an 18th-century structure originally operated by merchant Alexander Boyd, a Scottish immigrant, which in recent years has been restored by his descendants and opened to public tours.
In 1952 the large Kerr Lake
Kerr Lake
Kerr Lake is a reservoir along the border of the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia created by the John H. Kerr Dam...
was created nearby, drawing many boaters, campers, and fishermen to the local area (see Clarksville, Virginia
Clarksville, Virginia
Clarksville is a town founded in Mecklenburg County and overlapping across Halifax County in the U.S. state of Virginia, near the southern border of the state. The population was 1,139 at the 2010 census...
).
More recently, Boydton serves as the headquarters of the Carlson Development Group, LLC. CDG is a construction/real estate firm that specializes in constructing high rises and skyscrapers.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Boydton Post Office in Boydton.
The Virginia Department of Corrections
Virginia Department of Corrections
The Virginia Department of Corrections is the government agency responsible for operating prisons and correctional facilities for the US Commonwealth of Virginia. The agency is fully accredited by the American Correctional Association and is one of the oldest functioning correctional agencies in...
operates the Mecklenburg Correctional Center
Mecklenburg Correctional Center
Mecklenburg Correctional Center is a medium security prison operated by the Virginia Department of Corrections in unincorporated Mecklenburg County, Virginia, United States, near Boydton. The facility serves as a reception and classification facility...
in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 32,727 people, 12,951 households, and 8,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 17,403 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
, near Boydton. On August 3, 1998, the male death row moved to its current location, the Sussex I State Prison, from the Mecklenburg Correctional Center.
Notable residents
- Mark AlexanderMark Alexander (politician)Mark Alexander, politician was a nineteenth-century lawyer from Virginia.Born on a plantation near Boydton, Virginia, Alexander attended the public schools as a child and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1811. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, commencing practice in...
(1792–1883), born near Boydton, United States Congressman from Virginia - William A. BurwellWilliam A. BurwellWilliam Armisted Burwell was a nineteenth century congressman and presidential secretary from Virginia....
(1780–1821), born near Boydton, State CongressmanVirginia House of DelegatesThe Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
and United States Congressman from Virginia, private secretary for PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
. - Henry JohnsonHenry JohnsonHenry Johnson may refer to:*Henry Johnson , member of Parliament for Aldeburgh 1689–1719*Henry Johnson , American jazz musician*Henry Johnson...
(1850–1904) born in Boydton, Buffalo SoldierBuffalo SoldierBuffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....
, US Army, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient.