Appomattox, Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Appomattox, Virginia
Town
Town of Appomattox
The Appomattox Theater in July 2011.
Seal
Appomattox, Virginia Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Appomattox, Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Appomattox
Area
• Total	2.20 sq mi (5.71 km2)
• Land	2.19 sq mi (5.68 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	850 ft (259 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,733
• Estimate  (2019)	1,794
• Density	817.31/sq mi (315.60/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	24522
Area code(s)	434
FIPS code	51-02072
GNIS feature ID	1498448

Appomattox is a town in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States. In 2010, about 1,733 people lived there. It is the main town, or county seat, of Appomattox County.

Appomattox is part of the larger Lynchburg area.

History of Appomattox

The Appomattox Visitor Center in July 2011

The town of Appomattox gets its name from the Appomattox River. The river was named after the Appomattoc Native American tribe. This tribe was part of the Powhatan Confederacy. They lived in the coastal areas of Virginia.

The area where Appomattox is today was once home to the Manahoac tribe. They spoke a different language, called Siouan.

Appomattox and the Civil War

During the American Civil War, the town of Appomattox was a train station. It was on the line between Petersburg and Lynchburg. This station was about three miles west of the historic village of Appomattox Court House.

The village of Appomattox Court House is famous. It is where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered. He gave up to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. This event largely ended the American Civil War. Today, this important area is a national park. It is called Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. The National Park Service takes care of it.

The town was first called "Nebraska" in 1855. Later, in 1895, its name changed to "West Appomattox".

Near the end of the Civil War, Robert E. Lee tried to reach the train station. He hoped to move his army south by train. He wanted to meet another Confederate army in North Carolina. But Federal troops arrived and blocked his path. This led to Lee's surrender at the home of Wilmer McLean.

Every April, the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park holds a special event. They light a lantern for each of the 4,600 enslaved people. These people were freed in Appomattox County alone.

Growth of the Town

The train line became the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad in 1870. The original Appomattox Court House village was not close to the railroad. So, it started to decline. After a fire destroyed the courthouse in 1892, the county moved its main offices. They moved them to the train station area. This area officially became the county seat in 1894. The railroad line later became part of the Norfolk and Western Railway. Then it became the Norfolk Southern Railway.

In 1990, about 1,703 people lived in the Town of Appomattox.

Historic Places

Besides the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, other places are important. These include the Appomattox River Bridge and the Appomattox Historic District. Also, the Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center and Holliday Lake State Park are listed. All these places are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Appomattox is located at 37°21′32″N 78°49′35″W / 37.35889°N 78.82639°W / 37.35889; -78.82639.

The town covers about 2.2 square miles (5.6 km²) of land.

Population Information

In 2000, there were 1,761 people living in Appomattox. There were 716 households. About 29.3% of these households had children under 18. The average household had 2.35 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 23.9% were under 18. About 19.2% were 65 or older. The average age was 39 years.

Notable People

• Watkins Abbitt Jr., a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
• Larry Robinson, a former NFL player.

Climate

The weather in Appomattox has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. It is shown as "Cfa" on climate maps.

Notes:

See Also

In Spanish: Appomattox para niños