Mecklenburg

Formed March 1, 1765 (51^st county)

Mecklenburg County (32,727), Boydton (431), South Hill (4,650)

A Roman Revival 1842 white brick courthouse was augmented in 1950 and in 1980 with modern additions.  The courthouse is located on Washington Street between Madison and Jefferson streets.  United States Highway 58 Business is Madison Street in the town.  The architects are William A. Howard and James Whitice.  The structure features columns with veteran memorials on the grounds.  The county was formed on March 1, 1765 from Lunenburg County as the 51^st county with Boydton as the only county seat.  The county is named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  She is also the source name for Charlotte County and its county seat, the City of Charlottesville, and the county seat of Albemarle County.  Boydton was named for Judge Alexander Boyd. 

Mecklenburg County government consists of a sheriff and 9 Supervisors.  Two Circuit Court Judges and Six District Court Judges serve Mecklenburg, Appomattox, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, and Prince Edward counties and Forty-nine Magistrate Court Judges serve Mecklenburg, Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Halifax, Lunenburg, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex counties and Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, and Petersburg cities Accomack and Northampton counties and Virginia Beach City.  The county is on the southern border with North Carolina.  Richmond, Virginia is northeast and Roanoke, Virginia is northwest of the county.  The county center is 2.6 miles Southeast of Boydton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lunenburg and Brunswick counties and North Carolina and Halifax and Charlotte counties. 

The area of the county is 679 square miles.  It is 10 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 54 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 48.20 persons per square mile making it 97 out of 133 in the state.  Mecklenburg County has 28.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 85 crosses through the county from northeast, Brunswick County to south, North Carolina.  United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 85 from Brunswick County to North Carolina.  United States Highway 15 enters from the northwest, Charlotte County, and exits to the south, North Carolina.  United States Highway 58 goes east to west from Brunswick County to Halifax County.  The county looks like a mountain peak.  Boydton is located near the center of the county.  South Hill is in the eastern quarter of the county.  Boydton is the county seat and South Hill is the largest city.  Boydton is 1.3% of the county population while South Hill is 14.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced MEK-LEN-BURG.