MECKLENBURG COUNTY
County Offices
350 Washington Street
Boydton 434-738-6191
www.mecklenburgva.com
Chamber of Commerce
201 South Mecklenburg Avenue
South Hill 434-447-4547
http://southhillchamber.com
With 670 square miles of natural beauty, rural Mecklenburg County has long been known for its strong agricultural tradition and recreational attractions at Buggs Island Lake and Lake Gaston. Today, this area is welcoming residential growth and large-scale business expansion. Well-served by interstates 95, 85, 81, 77, 66, and 64, Mecklenburg County enjoys a strategic location between Virginia’s capital city of Richmond and Raleigh, North Carolina’s dynamic Research Triangle. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is just 55 miles from Clarksville and 74 miles from South Hill.
Services
Students of all ages have outstanding options for educational advancement in Mecklenburg County, including options for religiously affiliated or private schools for students from preschool through 12th grade. Nearby Alberta and Keysville are home to campuses for the Governor’s School of Southside Virginia, offering half-day academic programs for gifted and highly motivated juniors and seniors including a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum in science, math, English, and research. These two communities also offer main campuses for Southside Virginia Community College, although satellite centers are available locally in Chase City and South Hill. Nearby South Boston is home to the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, offering a wide range of in-demand career and leading-edge technical programs. Four-year institutions close to home include Longwood University near Farmville, recognized as a Top 10 public university in the South by US World & News Report and listed among the Best Colleges and Universities in the Southeast by Princeton Review. Private institutions include the all-men’s Hampton-Sydney College and St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville. The University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University are in the Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area.
State-of-the-art healthcare in Mecklenburg County is anchored by VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) in South Hill, providing comprehensive services to a regional population. In addition to 24-hour emergency service and acute care, CMH offers numerous clinical specialties and the region’s only hospital-based facility for skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Mecklenburg County residents can meet most of their routine needs close to home with convenient CMH satellite medical centers in Clarksville and Chase City. The 2008 opening of the new Massey Cancer Center is one of the most recent examples of the hospital’s unwavering commitment to upgrades and improvements that ensure the most advanced medical technologies and leading-edge instrumentation. Already one of Mecklenburg County’s largest employers, CMH embarked on an exciting new chapter in 2014 as an affiliate of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health system. Should the need for highly advanced care arise, regional medical centers are available within a reasonable commute including VCU Health in Richmond, where the 1,125-bed VCU Medical Center serves as a statewide referral center with the region’s only Level I Trauma Center for adults and children. North Carolina is home to the 938-bed Duke University Hospital, recognized among the world’s greatest healthcare providers by publications like TIME and US News & World Report.
Lifestyle
Excelling in quality of life, Mecklenburg County welcomes new residents to bustling small cities, sleepy rural villages, and breathtakingly beautiful rural landscapes. Home styles, price ranges, and settings vary widely, from rustic farmhouses and historic gems to tree-clad neighborhoods and exclusive subdivisions with Colonials and Cape Cods on generous lots. Offering a rare blend of convenience and country pleasures, the county is home to charming downtown districts lined with locally owned shops, restaurants, and antique dealers. South Hill and nearby South Boston serve as the major retail hubs, although regional malls are available within a short commute in Danville and Colonial Heights. The crown jewel of cultural enrichment is also located in South Hill, where the regal 1925 Colonial Theater has been restored to its original vaudeville-era glory to host art exhibitions, special events, and live stage performances. Historic preservation is evident throughout Mecklenburg County, where many homes and structures date back to the Revolutionary era or even earlier. Highlights include the magnificent plantation home of Prestwood, the 18th century Boyd Tavern, and MacCallum More Gardens and Museum—the finest tobacco heritage museum in Virginia.
Nature lovers and outdoor adventurers will find a scenic backdrop for every activity in this water-rich county where three lakes combine 1,200 miles of shoreline. Occoneechee State Park offers 24-hour access to 30 boat launches on Buggs Island Lake for unparalleled fishing, boating, and aquatic recreation. Also known as John H. Kerr Reservoir, the 50,000-acre lake with 800 miles of shoreline is the largest in Virginia and celebrated as one of the most scenic in the South. Covering nearly 2,700 acres, the surrounding park also offers boat rentals, tent/RV campsites, an equestrian campground, modern cabins, an extensive trail system, a playground, a wildlife viewing platform beneath Kerr Dam, and a lakefront amphitheater for special events. Lake Gaston stretches for 34 miles to add another 350 miles of shoreline for fishing, boating, swimming, and other water sports. The county’s bounty of forests, fertile fields, and streams make it ideal for hiking, cycling, horseback riding, nature study, and seasonal hunting. Racing enthusiasts will find NASCAR thrills as close as South Boston Speedway or road racing at the Virginia International Raceway on the Dan River. Closer to home, several country clubs offer swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, and other amenities. From historic jewels and grand architecture to pristine natural habitats and modern conveniences, Mecklenburg County brings together the best of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
COMMUNITIES
Boydton
Town Hall
434-738-6344
www.boydton.org
Chamber of Commerce
434-447-4547
http://southhillchamber.com
Serving as the county seat of government, the quaint town of Boydton is centrally located along US Route 58. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the charming Victorian ambiance of the recently enhanced downtown district centered on Court Square and the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, a magnificent example of Greek Revival architecture with a classical hexastyle portico. Designed and constructed by Thomas Jefferson’s own builder, the courthouse is a replica of the State Capitol building in Richmond. Boyd Tavern is another famous historic treasure, a National Historic Landmark dating back to 1790 when it served as a stagecoach stop along Boydton-Petersburg Plank Road—a crucial turnpike for tobacco trade. Today, Boydton’s historic richness is blending with modern development in unexpected ways. Few would have guessed that Boydton would be Microsoft’s chosen location for one of the world’s most advanced modular data centers.
South Hill, La Crosse
South Hill Town Hall
434-447-3191
www.southhillva.org
La Crosse Town Hall
434-757-7366
www.townoflacrosse.org
Chamber of Commerce
434-447-4547
http://southhillchamber.com
One of only three towns in the nation to be planned and developed in a circular pattern around a center point, South Hill serves as the county’s commercial and healthcare hub. Nestled in the heart of the quaint downtown district, the South Hill Model Railroad Museum and the Virginia S. Evans Doll Museum are housed in an historic depot. Close proximity to premier waterfront recreation at Buggs Island Lake and Gaston Lake has accelerated South Hill’s growth and expansion through tourism and real estate development. This long-established tobacco industry leader still represents one of the state’s largest markets, but significant growth in the manufacturing and trade sectors are diversifying the local economy. Residents have the advantage of a full-service hospital, local shopping, a magnificently restored performing arts center, lush parks, golf and recreation clubs, and abundant sports facilities. South Hill is one of several community partners developing the Tobacco Heritage Trail, a 150-mile hiking, cycling, and horseback riding trail. The nearby community of La Crosse invites newcomers to quiet country living just minutes from South Hill services and amenities.
Chase City
Town Offices
434-372-5136
www.chasecity.org
Chamber of Commerce
434-372-0379
www.chasecitychamberofcomm.com
Surrounded by picturesque countryside, Chase City is just a few minutes from Occoneechee State Park, Buggs Island Lake, and Lake Gaston for world-class recreation. Chase City welcomes newcomers to small-town charm and a lively community atmosphere. Participation in clubs and organizations is unusually strong, from garden clubs to a chapter of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Archaeological Society of Virginia, Ruritans, Lions International, Virginia Historical Society, and the Friends of the Library. An active chamber of commerce promotes business growth but also sponsors downtown festivals, car shows, a golf tournament and other community events. Chase City recently completed an aggressive $2.1 million downtown improvement project that enhanced building facades and added artistically designed sidewalks, street lamps, benches, and flowering trees to the cityscape. The downtown district also features a Community Pavilion for hosting the farmers market, civic functions, and concerts.
Clarksville
Town Offices
434-374-8177
www.clarksvilleva.org
Chamber of Commerce
434-374-2436
http://clarksvilleva.com
Proud of its designation as Virginia’s only lakeside town, Clarksville is situated on Buggs Island Lake, also known as John H. Kerr Reservoir. This 50,000-acre recreational lake is popular for boating and fishing, particularly for catfish and many varieties of freshwater bass. With Occoneechee State Park just minutes from home, Clarksville has prospered from recreational tourism including dozens of fishing tournaments. The town springs to life each July when as many as 80,000 visitors converge for the three-day Virginia Lake Festival—consistently listed among the “Top 20 Festivals in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society. Clarksville’s charming downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, showcasing architectural styles from the 18th through the early 20th century in more than 170 structures. Expanded shopping, a regional hospital, a spectacular performing arts center, golf courses, and other entertainment amenities are just 30 minutes away in South Hill.
