TOWNS & COUNTIES

Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: September 6, 2007

ALBEMARLE

Albemarle County was formed by the General Assembly in 1744, and it originally included Amherst, Buckingham, Fluvanna and Nelson counties, much of Appomattox County and part of Campbell County. Its current boundaries were set in 1777. The county was named in honor of the colony's then-governor, William Ann Keppel, second Earl of Albemarle.

Albemarle is home to President Thomas Jefferson's estate, Monticello, and President James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland, as well as historic Michie Tavern. Pine Knot in southern Albemarle was a rendezvous spot for President Theodore Roosevelt.

Scottsville is its only incorporated town, which sits on the James River in the county's southernmost point. The Blue Ridge Mountains line the county's western edge, and the Southwest Mountains Historic District fills much of the eastern half of the county.

The county is facing significant growth in the coming years - in 2000, the county reported a population of 84,186, but officials estimate that number to reach 97,200 by 2010. County planners are trying to confine development to designated growth areas near the city of Charlottesville and in Crozet, about 15 miles west of the city. By doing so, they hope to retain the rural nature of the majority of its 723 square miles, many of which include farms, vineyards and rolling forested hills.

At a Glance

Population: 90,400

Area: 723 square miles

Incorporated: 1744

Median age: 37

Landmarks: Monticello, Ash Lawn-Highland, Michie Tavern

CHARLOTTESVILLE

Charlottesville, named after Princess Charlotte, the wife of King George III of England, was founded in 1762 as the Albemarle County seat, replacing Scottsville as the county's center of government.

Prior to that, the land that would become the village of Charlottesville was owned by Abraham Lewis, Nicholas Meriwether and William Taylor, who received their property through land grants.

Charlottesville was laid out with a 28-block grid plan with Sixth, Jefferson and South streets and McIntire Road forming the borders.

Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819. It was one mile from the center of town, now known as Court Square.

Charlottesville continued to grow, largely encouraged by railroads and the university.

It was formally incorporated in 1888.

In the 1960s, the historically black neighborhood of Vinegar Hill was razed in the name of urban renewal, a policy that remains a controversial topic to this day.

In 2004, Charlottesville was named the No. 1 city to live in North America by the Frommer's guidebook company. The city fell to No. 17 in the Frommer's guide released in 2007.

At a Glance

Population: 40,315

Area: 10.4 square miles

Founded: 1762

Incorporated: 1888

Median age: 29

Landmarks: Downtown Mall, University of Virginia, The Corner, Barracks Road Shopping Center

ORANGE

Orange County was founded in 1734 and named for William IV, the Prince of Orange.

Quite a bit of presidential history has occurred within the county. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, took up residence at Montpelier. Zachary Taylor, the 12th president, was born at Montebello in 1784. Thomas Jefferson also made his mark on Orange County, designing St. Thomas Episcopal Church, as well as the home of Gov. James Barbour.

The Battle of the Wilderness, a significant Civil War engagement, took place in the county in May 1864. It was the first battle between Gens. Robert E Lee and Ulysses S. Grant.

At a Glance

Population: 30,246

Area: 342 square miles

Incorporated: 1734

Median age: 40.4

Landmarks: Montpelier, The Wilderness Battlefield, Barboursville Vineyards

MADISON

Madison County is named for the Madison family, which produced the fourth president of the United States and father of the Constitution, James Madison.

The county was chartered more than 214 years ago, after being settled by colonists. However, its earliest history stretches back more than 11,000 years, when the territory served as a crossroads for Paleo-Indians.

In the 1700s, the royal governor Alexander Spottswood and the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe also crossed the area.

At a Glance

Population: 13,398

Area: 321 square miles

Incorporated: 1792

Median age: 40

Landmarks: Shenandoah National Park, Graves' Mountain Lodge, White Oak Canyon and Falls, Prince Michel of Virginia vineyard and winery

GREENE

Greene County is one of Virginia's smallest, with just 157 square miles and about 17,000 residents. The county was formed out of Orange County in 1838 and named after Nathanael Greene, a Revolutionary War hero and friend of George Washington.

The county long served as a bedroom community for Charlottesville-area workers, but Greene has developed rapidly within the past few years. The 70-acre commercial Rapidan Center is under construction in Ruckersville, and a wastewater plant and water tower were recently built to serve southern Greene County.

The northwestern part of the county remains largely rural, particularly the bucolic Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park, but subdivisions are moving into the Stanardsville area.

At a Glance

Population: 17,418

Area: 157 square miles

Incorporated: 1838

Median age: 36

Landmarks: Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive

LOUISA

Louisa County was named for Princess Louisa, daughter of King George II and Queen Caroline of England and wife of King Frederick V of Denmark. It was formed in 1742 from Hanover County, and its central location in Virginia placed it amid several historical events from the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

Jack Jouett left from Cuckoo Tavern in Louisa County for his historic ride on June 3, 1781, to Monticello and Charlottesville to warn Gov. Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia Assembly of the approaching British army. And the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Trevilian Station, took place in western Louisa in June 1864. That battle included an estimated 13,000 cavalrymen.

The town of Louisa is the county's seat, with a small downtown and a population of about 1,500. The town of Mineral is the county's only other incorporated town. Louisa has remained largely rural with only 10 percent of its land developed as residential, commercial or industrial property. Many historic homes and farmsteads remain amid the rolling hillsides. The area of Zion Crossroads, however, continues to see development.

At a Glance

Population: 31,226

Area: 514 square miles

Incorporated: 1742

Median age: 39

Landmarks: Historic downtown Louisa, Green Springs National Historic District, Historical Society Museum and the Louisa County Courthouse

BUCKINGHAM

Buckingham County was formed out of Albemarle County in 1761 and is believed to be named after the Duke of Buckingham, a British position of prestige.

At the heart of the rural county is the town of Buckingham Courthouse, established by the General Assembly in 1818 and home to the county courthouse, a Virginia historic landmark. The village is also home to the county government and school administration.

Yogaville, a retreat boasting a "full and authentic" Yoga experience for beginners and connoisseurs alike, sits on 750 acres overlooking the James River. Day trippers can visit the LOTUS, or Light of Truth Universal Shrine, a huge pink and white dome replica of a lotus flower, or stay for a weekend for yoga and meditation classes.

With skyrocketing real estate in Central Virginia, prospective homebuyers who work in Charlottesville are finding Buckingham an affordable alternative to the city or Albemarle County just across the James. With lower taxes, relatively inexpensive land and a peaceful setting, the county draws in Northern retirees, as well.

At a Glance

Population: 16,099

Area: 581 square miles

Incorporated: 1761

Median age: 38

Landmarks: Buckingham-Appomattox State Forest, Gene Dixon Memorial Park, Holliday Lake State Park, Horsepen Lake Wildlife Management Area, Yogaville

FLUVANNA

The 287 square miles of Fluvanna County are a hot seat for both development and preservation.

Named after the Fluvanna River - later named the Rivanna River — Fluvanna grew by 24 percent between 2000 and 2005, making it the 95th

fastest-growing county in the country.

That doesn't mean Fluvanna is going to lose its rural beauty anytime soon. The county purchased the 969-acre Pleasant Grove in 1994 and has since built several miles of trails, including an equestrian trail and a handicap-accessible trail.

The property also hosts the county's new public safety building and will later be home to a new library and new high school. Fluvanna's Board of Supervisors has decided to build a new home for the Fluvanna County High "Flucos," though the new facility is still in the design phase.

County leaders have said the new building will be a benefit to the entire county, providing a place for recreation, community groups and churches.

At a Glance

Population: 25,058

Area: 287 square miles

Incorporated: 1777

Median age: 38

Landmarks: Point of Fork, historic downtown Palmyra, Old Stone Jail, old courthouse, Fork Union Military Academy

NELSON

Before Nelson County became one of Virginia's most popular tourist destinations, the area was home to the Monocans, a Native American tribe, then to early English settlers and finally to Scotch-Irish and German pioneers. By 1807, Nelson was formed from Amherst County - named after Virginia's third governor, Thomas Nelson Jr. - and became a thriving agricultural community, home to tobacco, chestnut and apple growers.

Today, the apple industry is and a healthy wine industry help draw thousands of visitors to the county each year.

Wintergreen Resort, which began development in 1972, is one of Virginia's most popular ski and golf destinations. The resort was formed three years after Hurricane Camille devastated the county with mass flooding and landslides.

Outdoor lovers also come to Nelson for hikes along Crabtree Falls and the Appalachian Trail or for fishing along the James and Tye rivers. A large section of western Nelson is in the George Washington National Forest.

One of Nelson's most famous sons, Earl Hamner Jr., wrote about growing up in the county during the 1930s, inspiring the successful television series "The Waltons."

At a Glance

Population: 15,161

Area: 471 square miles

Incorporated: 1807

Median age: 43

Landmarks: Oak Ridge Estate, Walton's Mountain Museum, Wintergreen Resort, Crabtree Falls, Woodsons Mill, Montebello Fish Hatchery