Folly, Virginia facts for kids

Folly is a small place in Northumberland County, which is in the state of Virginia in the United States. It's called an "unincorporated community." This means it's a group of homes and businesses that don't have their own local government, like a city or town. Instead, it's managed by the larger county government.

What is an Unincorporated Community?

An unincorporated community is a bit like a neighborhood that isn't officially a town. People live there, and it might have a name, but it doesn't have its own mayor or town council. Services like roads and schools are usually handled by the county. Folly is one of these places, where people live and work without a separate town government.

How Folly Got Its Name

The name "Folly" has an interesting story behind it. Long ago, people say that a lumberman, someone who cuts down trees for wood, came to this area. He thought there were many more trees than there actually were. He made a big plan based on this idea, but it turned out to be a mistake. This kind of mistake, or a foolish plan, is sometimes called a "folly." So, the community was named Folly because of this lumberman's miscalculation about the timber.