Halifax

Formed May 1, 1752 (41^st county)

Halifax County (36,241), Halifax (1,309), South Boston (8,142)

The traditional Classical Revival red brick building was erected in 1838 and remodeled in 1904.  It is on Main Street between Blue Ridge and Mountain Road.  United States Highway 501 is Main Street in the town.  Dabney Cosby & Son are the building designers.  The building was enlarged in 1964.  It features columns and a stone wall.  Many of the Virginia counties have their county seat at a location named after the county followed by the words Court House.  Some counties maintain this in their official name.  The county was founded on May 1, 1752 from Lunenburg County as the 41^st county.  Punch Spring (1752), Peytonsburg (1761), Hawkin’s Crossing (1767), and Halifax (1777) have all served as the county seat.  Halifax County and its county seat are named for the Earl of Halifax.  Halifax County is the birthplace to 1 Virginia Governor, William M. Tuck. 

Halifax County government consists of a sheriff and 8 Supervisors.  Two Circuit Court Judges and Six District Court Judges serve Halifax, Appomattox, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Prince Edward counties and Forty-nine Magistrate Court Judges serve Halifax, Appomattox, Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex counties and Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, and Petersburg cities.  The county is on the southern border with North Carolina.  Roanoke, Virginia is northwest and Richmond, Virginia is northeast of the county.  The county center is 3.5 miles South of Halifax in South Boston.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Campbell, Charlotte, and Mecklenburg counties and North Carolina and Pittsylvania County. 

The area of the county is 830 square miles.  It is 5 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 46 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 43.66 persons per square mile making it 102 out of 133 in the state.  Halifax County has 26.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 58 crosses the county from east to west from Mecklenburg County to Pittsylvania County.  United States Highway 360 comes in from the northeast, Charlotte County, and joins United States Highway 58 into Pittsylvania County.  United States Highway 501 passes north to south from Campbell County to North Carolina.  The county looks like a leaning tower.  The City of Halifax is located near the center of the county.  South Boston is in the southern third of the county.  Halifax is the county seat and South Boston is the largest city.  Halifax is 3.6% of the county population while South Boston is 22.5% of the county population.