Overview
of Brunswick County Virginia
USA
LOCATION AND HISTORY | CLIMATE | LOCAL ECONOMY | EMPLOYMENT | POPULATION TRANSPORTATION | FINANCE | COLLEGES | NATURAL RESOURCES | COMMUNICATIONS | MEDICAL UTILITIES | GOVERNMENT | COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Brunswick County lies in the south-central part of Virginia on the North Carolina border. It is bounced by the Virginia Counties of Nottoway and Dinwiddie to the north, Greensville to the east, Mecklenburg and Lunenburg to the west, and the North Carolina Counties of Warren and Northhampton to the South. The County seat, Lawrenceville, is 70 miles southwest of Richmond; 90 miles northeast of Raleigh; 150 miles east of Roanoke; and 105 miles west of Norfolk.
The county has three incorporated towns: Lawrenceville, Alberta and Brodnax.
Brunswick County consists of 59 square miles of generally flat or rolling land.
Elevations range from 150 to 315 feet above sea level. Drainage is provided by the Meherrin, Nottoway and Roanoke Rivers and their tributaries.
The county was formed in 1720 and named for the House of Brunswick which had assumed the English throne in 1714. Fort Christanna was the county’s first colonial settlement. The county has many historic sites including plantations and gristmills.
Note:
All mileage is measured from Lawrenceville.
This location allows easy access to the major industrial, financial, cultural, medical and recreational centers of the mid-Atlantic states. Yet, the County maintains a distinctly rural atmosphere with excellent public and private school systems.
A moderate climate prevails in Brunswick County with an average annual temperature of 57 F. Summer temperatures average 76.5 while winter temperatures average 42. Annual average rainfall is 41” with little snowfall. Annual average heating degree days 3878; annual average cooling degree days 1074.
Comprehensive wholesale and retail establishments exist in Brunswick County’s three major population centers of Lawrenceville, Alberta and Brodnax. Total taxable retail sales in the county during 2000 were $53 million.
Major industries are wood products and construction materials. Agriculture remains prominent in the county economy with both field crops and livestock operations. Farm employment has steadily declined in recent years; however, Brunswick remains the fourth largest flue-cured tobacco producing county and the third largest fire-cured tobacco producing county in Virginia.
The county’s agribusiness community also includes marketing facilities, veterinary services, farm and equipment suppliers and a number of cooperatives.
During 2000, Brunswick County had a civilian labor force of 7,795 with an unemployment rate of 3.5%.
Manufacturing and service account for half of the private employment within the county. The retail and services sectors also account for significant employment. Virginia is a right-to-work state.
There were 18,419 residents reported in Brunswick County during the 2000 census. Of this total, 1,275 people lived in Lawrenceville. The total population of the Southside Planning District which includes Brunswick County, is 88,154.
ROAD – Interstate 85 bisects the county and Interstate 95 lies just to the east. The county is also served by U.S. Routes 1 and 58 and by state primary Route 46.
RAIL – Norfolk-Southern Corporation offers freight service. It serves the area from Lawrenceville east to Norfolk.
AIR – Commercial air service is available in Richmond and Raleigh-Durham.
Brunswick County has two general aviation airports; the Lawrenceville-Brunswick Airport (paved, lighted 3,200 foot runway, fuel and instrument rating available) and the Mecklenburg-Brunswick Regional Airport (paved 5000 foot runway and complete services).
PORTS – U.S. Route 58 connects the county with the International Port of Hampton Roads. There is also a deepwater Port in Richmond on the James River.
MOTOR FREIGHT – A number of motor freight carriers serve the area.
Bank of America, Benchmark Community Bank, Citizens Community Bank, First Citizens Bank and SLM Financial Corporation serve the County. Brunswick County qualifies as a Small Business Administration 504 Corporation. Lake Country Development Corporation has established a Revolving Loan Fund for economic development. Brunswick County Industrial Development Authority offers low-interest, tax-exempt revenue bonds to qualified businesses.
The Christanna Campus of Southside Virginia Community College, located in Alberta, offers a university parallel program as well as programs in business, secretarial, electronics, computers, nursing, electricity, air conditioning, truck driving, heavy equipment operation, human services, administration of justice and more.
Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville is a liberal arts, four-year co-educational institution founded in 1888 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Saint Paul’s offers undergraduate programs leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree in 15 subject areas.
Forests cover 81% of the county’s total land area with 290,950 acres in commercial forestland.
Dominant forest types include both hard and soft woods.
Abundant water resources are available through the county’s river network and underground supplies. There is also a variety of mineral deposits.
Newspapers – Two weekly newspapers cover Brunswick County – The Brunswick Times Gazette and the South Hill Enterprise. Daily delivery of the Richmond Times Dispatch (morning, Sunday).
Radio – There are numerous stations received in the county.
Television – Television reception in the county includes the four major networks and public broadcasting. Cable service is provided by Charter Communications.
Telephone – Some of the companies providing telephone service in the county are Buggs Island Telephone, Verizon, MCI, AT&T, and Sprint.
Parcel Service – UPS
The Brunswick County Health Department offers a number of medical services. There are three clinics in the county, a 90- bed nursing home and several doctors and dentists. Emergency service is provided by two rescue/ambulance squads.
Two neighboring hospitals provide care to Brunswick residents: Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill and Greensville Memorial Hospital in Emporia.
Electricity – Supplied and distributed by Dominion Power in the three towns and in the county’s central and northern regions. Southside Electric Cooperative and Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative distribute electricity to the rest of the county.
Natural Gas – Supplies by Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corporation and distributed by Columbia Gas.
Water –
Town of Lawrenceville
Source – Great Creek and Meherrin River
Daily Use – 850,000 gallons
Treatment Capacity – 2,000,000 gallons
Storage Capacity – 1,400,000 gallons
Town of Alberta
Source – Town of Lawrenceville
Daily Use – 50,000 gallons
Storage Capacity – 275,000 gallons overhead
Treatment Capacity – 150,000 gallons
Town of Brodnax
Source – Roanoke River Service Authority
Daily Use – 35,000 gallons
Storage Capacity – 100,000 gallons
Treatment Capacity – 160,000 gallons overhead
Waste Water
Town of Lawrenceville
Capacity – 1.2 million gallons per day
Daily Use – 850,000 gallons, Treatment – Secondary
Town of Alberta
Capacity – 100,000 gallons per day
Daily Use – 40,000 gallons
Town of Brodnax
Allocated Capacity – 50,000 gallons per day
Daily Use – 13,000 gallons
(*Pumped to South Hill; capacity can be increased if needed upon request.)
Solid Waste Disposal – Allied Waste Industries of Virginia operates a commercial landfill in Brunswick County capable of receiving industrial, commercial and municipal solid waste.
Brunswick County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Each of the county’s three-incorporated towns has a Town Council form of government that is headed by a mayor.
Government services include ample police and fire protection. The county employs 40 people in its sheriff’s department and there are 8 state police assigned to the area.
Lawrenceville employs an additional five police officers, Alberta has one and Brodnax has one. All three towns have volunteer fire departments, in addition to the communities of Dolphin, Ebony, Gasburg and Triplet.
Lodging – There is one motel and two bed and breakfast facilities and a number of lodging facilities along the interstate corridors.
Churches – More than a hundred churches covering most denominations provide religious services throughout the county. There is a Jewish synagogue about 20 miles south of the county line.
Tourism – The Brunswick County/Lake Gaston Tourism Association, Inc., a non profit organization, was formed in 1998. Its goal is to provide information about tourist attractions and tourism related activities in the Brunswick County and Lake Gaston area to get people (county residents and tourists) to visit the area and attend events here. While cooperating with other county organizations on tourism related activities, an ongoing project is sponsorship of a countywide festival promoting Brunswick County/Lake Gaston, its people, its businesses and our famous Brunswick Stew Cook-Off. An annual calendar of events is published and distributed.
The Art Bank – Founded in 1989, the ArtBank of Southside Virginia promotes, encourages and supports the arts and cultural events in Brunswick County and surrounding areas for the employment and education of its citizens. The ArtBank is a non-profit organization. Since 1989, the ArtBank has presented more than seventy-five arts programs free or at minimal cost to cover 26,000 students and adults. These programs have provided opportunities to explore the worlds of dance, theater, painting, poetry, music, storytelling and mime. Performances take place in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Programs are supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Brunswick County, the Town of Lawrenceville, corporate sponsors, local co-sponsors and patrons.
Recreation – There are two golf courses, several tennis courts and numerous ball fields within the county, along with some private clubs. Water recreation abounds in the county with fishing offered at the 150-acres Brunswick County Lake.
Lake Gaston which forms the greater part of the southern boundary of Brunswick County, is a 20,300-acre body of fresh water, 34 miles long. The lake provides a vast area for boating, fishing, hiking, camping, picnicking, hunting, water skiing, and just enjoying the natural scenic beauty. Many people have built summer homes here and more recently a number of people have decided to retire at the lake “full-time”. The lake is a part of an eleven-lake system planned by the Corps of Engineers for the proper development of the Roanoke River Basin.
The Great Creek Watershed, completed in 1992, provides a 215-acre lake for fishing, boating and recreation. The Nottoway Reservoir at the north end of the county offers additional water activities. Hunting opportunities are plentiful in the county’s rich forests.
Valentine’s Post Office – The Valentines Post Office (located at the intersection of Routes 46 and 60) was host to the premier issues of the 1995 Love Stamp. The event was broadcast on local television stations and aired around the world by CNN News. During this event over 38,000 new stamps were sold in this picturesque village and 75,000 requests for the Valentines postmark were filled during the 1995 Valentines Day season. This historic post office was established in 1887 and named after William Henry Valentine, its first postmaster. Mr. Valentine would be proud to know this small rural post office bearing his name has received an average of 44,200 postmark requests during each Valentines Day season over the last five years.
Lake Rawlings – a 20.5 acres lake is ideally suitable for scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming and kayaking. Scuba instruction and tours are hallmark services offered at Lake Rawlings. Surrounding this 20-acre lake is another 27.5 acres of trees, natural vegetation and 3 ponds.