Lunenburg County, Virginia


Lunenburg County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,936. Its county seat is Lunenburg.
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History

Lunenburg County was established on May 1, 1746, from the western portion of Brunswick County. Its name comes from one of the titles of King George II, who was also the Duchy of Brunswick-Lünenburg in Germany. In 1753, the southwestern portion of Lunenburg, formed Halifax County and Bedford County was established from the northwestern portion. In 1764, both Charlotte and Mecklenburg counties were created from Lunenburg. It is nicknamed the "Old Free State" because during the buildup of the Civil War, it let Virginia know the county would break off if the state did not join the Confederacy.
Among the earliest settlers of the county was William Taylor, born in King William County, Virginia. He was the son of Rev. Daniel Taylor, a Virginia native and Anglican priest educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University in England, and his wife Alice Taylor. William Taylor married Martha Waller, a daughter of Benjamin Waller of Williamsburg, Virginia.
In 1760 Taylor purchased three adjoining tracts of land in Lunenburg County totaling. He soon became one of the county's leading citizens, representing Lunenburg in the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1765 until 1768. In that capacity, he voted in 1765 to support statesman Patrick Henry's Virginia Resolves in 1765. Taylor served as county clerk for 51 years.
Taylor was succeeded as county clerk by his son William Henry Taylor, who held the office for another 32 years—from 1814 until 1846. Another son, General Waller Taylor, represented Lunenburg in the Virginia legislature, then moved to Vincennes, Indiana. There he became a judge and subsequently Adjutant General of the United States Army under General William Henry Harrison in the War of 1812. General Waller Taylor later served as one of the first United States senators from the newly created state of Indiana from 1816 to 1825. He died on a visit home to see his relatives in Lunenburg County in 1826.
During much of the American Civil War, the family of Missionary Bishop Henry C. Lay lived in Lunenberg County, where Mrs. Lay grew up. Both of Bishop Lay's brothers served as Confederate colonels, and Mrs. Lay's uncle, Thomas Atkinson was bishop of North Carolina.
Cases surrounding an 1895 Lunenburg County murder are the subject of historian Suzanne Lebsock's book, A Murder in Virginia: Southern Justice on Trial.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,936. The median age was 45.6 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 109.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 110.1 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 59.4% White, 31.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.9% of the population.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,758 households in the county, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,868 housing units, of which 18.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.0% were owner-occupied and 28.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.
Race / ethnicity Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2010% 2020
White alone 7,7307,01659.86%58.78%
Black or African American alone 4,4513,77334.47%31.61%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 37320.29%0.27%
Asian alone 25250.19%0.21%
Pacific Islander alone 350.02%0.04%
Some other race alone 9310.07%0.26%
Mixed-race or multi-racial 1894651.46%3.90%
Hispanic or Latino 4705893.64%4.93%
Total12,91411,936100.00%100.00%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,998 households, and 3,383 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 59.12% White, 38.58% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,998 households, out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.50% were married couples living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 113.80 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 115.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,899, and the median income for a family was $34,302. Males had a median income of $26,496 versus $20,237 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,951. About 14.90% of families and 20.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.30% of those under age 18 and 22.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Lunenburg County Public Schools operates the following schools:
There are no private or independent schools in Lunenburg County, and no colleges or universities are located there. Kenston Forest School in Nottoway County, approximately 20 minutes away, offers the closest K-12 private education available to Lunenburg County residents.

Communities

Towns

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people