Powhatan is an unincorporated community

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...

 in and 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 Powhatan County

Powhatan County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,377 people, 7,258 households, and 5,900 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 7,509 housing units at an average density of 29 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...

. Powhatan was initially known as Scottville (after Revolutionary war hero General Charles Scott

Charles Scott

Charles Scott may refer to:* Charles Scott , American Revolutionary War soldier and fourth governor of Kentucky* Charles Frederick Scott , U.S. Representative from Kansas...

) for a brief time, and historically has also been known as Powhatan Court House and Powhatan Courthouse. Powhatan is named after Chief Powhatan

Chief Powhatan

Chief Powhatan , whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh , was the paramount chief of Tsenacommacah, an alliance of Algonquian-speaking Virginia Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia at the time English settlers landed at Jamestown in 1607...

, father of Pocahontas

Pocahontas

Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...

.

The first official court of Powhatan was held at Mosby Tavern

Mosby Tavern

Mosby Tavern, also called Old Cumberland Courthouse or Littleberry Mosby House, is a National Register of Historic Places building in Powhatan County, Virginia. Located southeast of the intersection of U.S...

, the home of Benjamin Mosby and his son, Littleberry Mosby

Littleberry Mosby

Littleberry C. Mosby Jr. was an American military officer. During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the Continental Army as a captain in the 2nd Georgia Regiment, and was captured at the Siege of Savannah in 1778. After his release, he served as a major commanding a cavalry battalion...

.

Powhatan was established as a community in May of 1777, but there were several buildings already in existence at that time. One of these locations is the Powhatan Plantation which was built in 1735. The plantation still exists today.

The Shiloh Baptist Church in Powhatan features the mural The Lord Over Jordan by Julien Binford

Julien Binford

Julien Binford was an American painter. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and then in France. Settling in Powhatan County, Virginia, he was known for his paintings of the rural population of his neighborhood as well as for his murals. During World War II he lived in New York and painted...

, one of the artist's most famous works.

External links

• Powhatan Chamber of Commerce
• Powhatan, Virginia, established May 1777