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Nelson County

History:

Nelson County was formed in 1807 from Amherst County, and named in honor of Thomas Nelson, Jr., third governor of Virginia. Originally English colonists established the home of the Monocan tribe of Native Americans, a settlement along the James River in the early 1700's. Another stream of settlers, of Scotch-Irish and German descent, came into the western sections of the county from the Shenandoah Valley. By the end of the 1800's, Nelson's agricultural products included tobacco, apples and chestnut trees; the produce and lumber were carried to market by canal and railroad.

During the 1930's Earl Hamner, Jr. began writing of his experiences growing up in Nelson County during the Depression. Those writings eventually provided the substance for the The Waltons TV series. In 1969, Hurricane Camille caused a flood, devastating Nelson County. Since Camille, Nelson County has slowly recovered its land, its infrastructure and the will to grow and prosper again. Events that have aided in this recovery include: the 1972 development of Wintergreen Resort, the restoration in progress at Oak Ridge Estate, development of Walton's Mountain Museum, the resurgence of the apple industry, the maturation of vineyards and winery industry, and the steady growth in Nelson County's tourism industry.

Location:

Nelson County is located in the central part of Virginia midway between the metropolitan areas of Charlottesville and Lynchburg. The county has a total area of 471 square miles. It is bordered on the east by the James River and on the west by the Blue Ridge Mountains. A large portion of the western section of the county is in the George Washington National Forest. Elevation range from about 500 feet above sea level near the James River to as high as 4,000 feet in the Blue Ridge. Our climate is moderately warm in the summers, with temperatures averaging about 77 degrees in July. Winters are moderately cool, with temperatures in January averaging about 38 degrees. Average annual precipitation is about 42 inches.  The county is almost in the geographic center of Virginia and by car, is about two hours from Richmond, three hours from Washington, D.C. and four hours from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Recreation

Recreational assets in Nelson include hiking along the Appalachian Trail or to the top of Crabtree Falls (the highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River) and excellent canoeing or fishing on the James or Tye Rivers. One of the boundaries of Nelson County is milepost zero of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the 30 miles of the Parkway are its western border. Wintergreen Resort is a significant recreational asset for Nelson County. This 10,800-acre resort is designed to provide outstanding leisure pursuits throughout the four seasons of the year. Ski slopes, open day and night, allow skiing for both beginners and experts. Wintergreen is one of only five resorts south of New York State to offer a thousand-foot vertical drop. Two golf courses, swimming, tennis, horseback riding, hiking, cycling, and canoeing provide opportunities for recreation for the entire family. Five restaurants, a gallery of specialty shops, and luxurious condominiums and villas help complete the total resort package

Agri-Business

Source: 2002 Census of Agriculture Profile Nelson County, Virginia

• Land 456 farms (438 farms in 1997, up 4%)
• 84,691 acres of land in farms (78,446 acres in 1997, up 8%)
• 186 acres is average size of farm (179 acres in 1997, up 4%)
• Market Value of Production, average per farm $16,590 ($15,691 in 1997, up 6%)
• Market Value of Production $7,565,000 ($6,872,000 in 1997, up 10%)
• Crop sales accounted for $4,862,000 of the total value
• Livestock sales accounted for $2,703,000 of the total value
• Government Payments $224,000 ($166,000 in 1997, up 35%)
• Goverment Payments, average per farm receiving payments $2,761 ($3,210 in 1997 down 14%)

Major Crops

• Hay and forages
• Tree fruit - apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries
• Agronomic crops - corn, soybeans, small grains
• Vineyards Greenhouses - bedding plants, perennials
• Nurseries - ornamentals, fruit
• Vegetables - pumpkins, market produce

Fruit Industry

• 12 orchards
• 14 vineyards
• 7 wineries
• 953 acres of apples produced yearly
• Nelson County ranks fifth in apple production, fifth in grape production in Virginia
• Two-thirds of the county is forested, 233,613 acres

Major Employers:

• Wintergreen Resort - 600-999 employees
• Four-season family resort and conference center, offering golf, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, nature programs and skiing
• Central Virginia Electric Cooperative - 100-199 employees
• Electric service, monitored home and business security systems, Internet service, bill processing, long distance telephone service
• Food Lion - 50-99 employees
• Retail grocery store
• American Fibers - 50-99 employees
• Manufacturer of synthetic fiber, spun for fabric
• California Side Car - 25-49 employees
• Manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, trailers and trike conversions

Health Services:

• Lovingston is 30-45 minutes from 2 hospitals to the North:
• University of Virginia Hospital and Martha Jefferson Hospital
• The University of Virginia Medical Center's hospital has 668 beds and provides comprehensive medical service for the region. The hospital contains special units for trauma, burns, intensive and coronary care, dialysis, and neonatal care.
• Lovingston is 30-45 minutes from 2 hospitals to the South:
• Lynchburg General Hospital and Virginia Baptist Hospital, located to the south in Lynchburg, contain a total of 768 beds and provide a full range of general medical and surgical specialties.
• The Augusta Medical Center is also is conveniently accessed by residents of northern Nelson County.
• Two private clinics and a county public health center are located in the county.
• Five physicians and four dentists practice in Nelson County.

Population:

Click here for detailed demographic information about Nelson County

• Population for 2000 – 14,445
• Projected Population for 2008 - 18,379
• Per Capita Personal Income - $26,344 (2002)
• Married Couple Median Adjusted Gross (2002) $41,234
• Median Household Income (2002) $37,513