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Henry County, Virginia facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Henrico County, Virginia.
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Henry County
U.S. county
Beaver Creek Plantation
Flag of Henry County
Flag
 Official seal of Henry County
Seal
Official logo of Henry County
Logo
Map of Virginia highlighting Henry County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Virginia
Founded 1777
Named for Patrick Henry
Seat Martinsville
Largest town Ridgeway
Area
 • Total 384 sq mi (990 km2)
 • Land 382 sq mi (990 km2)
 • Water 2 sq mi (5 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 50,948
 • Density 132.68/sq mi (51.23/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 9th
Virginia state historical marker Henry County Virginia
Virginia state historical marker for Henry County

Henry County is a county located in the state of Virginia, USA. In 2020, about 50,948 people lived there.

Martinsville is often called the county seat. A county seat is like the main town where the county government is located. However, many important county offices, like where meetings happen, are actually in Collinsville.

Henry County is part of the Martinsville Micropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's connected to Martinsville for things like jobs and businesses.

Henry County's History

Major John Redd
Major John Redd, a pioneer settler of Henry County

Henry County was created in 1777. It was formed from a part of Pittsylvania County. The new county was first named Patrick Henry County. This was to honor Patrick Henry, who was the first Governor of Virginia. Some of his family lived in the area.

Governor Patrick Henry also owned a large farm called "Leatherwood plantation" in the county. He lived there for five years between his terms as governor.

In 1785, the northern part of Patrick Henry County joined with part of Bedford County to form Franklin County. Then, in 1790, Patrick Henry County was split again. The western part became Patrick County, and the rest remained Henry County.

Important Early Settlers

Many important people settled in Henry County early on. These included Colonel George Waller, Captain George Hairston, and Major John Redd. They were all present when General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War.

Another key figure was Colonel Abram Penn. He led his Henry County militia (a group of citizen soldiers) during the Revolutionary War. He planned to join General Nathanael Greene at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

Brigadier General Joseph Martin was also a famous early settler. The city of Martinsville is named after him.

Other notable people included Mordecai Hord, who lived on his farm called Hordsville. Colonel John Dillard was wounded in the Battle of Princeton during the Revolution. He later served on the Committee of Safety. Captain Robert Hairston was a politician and the county's first high sheriff.

Henry County in Wars

During the War of 1812, a group of soldiers called the 64th Virginia Militia was formed in Henry County in 1815.

Later, during the American Civil War, volunteers from Henry County joined the 42nd Virginia Infantry. After the war, Christopher Y. Thomas, who owned Patrick Henry's old Leatherwood plantation, served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1902, the Henry County Historical Society was started in Martinsville. This group helps to preserve the county's history.

Geography of Henry County

Colonel Joseph Martin Greenwood
Greenwood, built by Col. Joseph Martin, son of General Joseph Martin, at Axton, Henry County

Henry County covers about 384 square miles. Most of this area, about 382 square miles, is land. Only about 2 square miles is water.

Henry County is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission. This commission helps with economic development in the Appalachian region.

County Districts

Henry County is divided into six districts. These districts help organize local government and services. They are:

  • Axton
  • Bassett
  • Collinsville
  • Horsepasture
  • Reed Creek
  • Ridgeway

Neighboring Areas

Henry County shares borders with several other counties and one city:

Main Roads and Highways

Several important roads run through Henry County, making it easy to travel to and from the area:

  • I-73 (future highway)
  • US 58
  • US 220
  • SR 57
  • SR 87
  • SR 108
  • SR 174
  • SR 457

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790 8,479 —
1800 5,259 −38.0%
1810 5,611 6.7%
1820 5,624 0.2%
1830 7,100 26.2%
1840 7,335 3.3%
1850 8,872 21.0%
1860 12,105 36.4%
1870 12,303 1.6%
1880 16,009 30.1%
1890 18,208 13.7%
1900 19,265 5.8%
1910 18,459 −4.2%
1920 20,238 9.6%
1930 20,088 −0.7%
1940 26,481 31.8%
1950 31,219 17.9%
1960 40,335 29.2%
1970 50,901 26.2%
1980 57,654 13.3%
1990 56,942 −1.2%
2000 57,930 1.7%
2010 54,151 −6.5%
2020 50,948 −5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010 2020

The population of Henry County has changed over many years. The table above shows how the number of people living in the county has grown and changed since 1790.

2020 Census Information

The 2020 census collected information about the people living in Henry County. This table shows the different racial and ethnic groups.

Henry County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 38,737 34,307 71.54% 67.34%
Black or African American alone (NH) 11,786 11,062 21.77% 21.71%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 78 68 0.14% 0.13%
Asian alone (NH) 236 284 0.44% 0.56%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 6 0.00% 0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 43 153 0.08% 0.30%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 724 1,767 1.34% 3.47%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,545 3,301 4.70% 6.48%
Total 54,151 50,948 100.00% 100.00%

Communities in Henry County

Patrick Henry's Leatherwood Home Henry County Virginia
Virginia state historic marker for Patrick Henry's Leatherwood plantation

Martinsville is an independent city. This means it is not officially part of Henry County, even though the county surrounds it.

Towns

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

CDPs are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a town or city.

Notable People from Henry County

Many interesting people have connections to Henry County. Here are a few:

  • Ward Armstrong
  • Alexander Hunter Bassett
  • John D. Bassett
  • John Breathitt
  • Thomas G. Burch
  • H. Clay Earles
  • Patrick Henry
  • Jeff Hensley
  • Jimmy Hensley
  • J. C. Martin
  • Joseph Martin (general)
  • Otis Martin
  • Barry Michaels
  • Shawn Moore
  • Abram Penn
  • A. L. Philpott
  • Carr Waller Pritchett Sr.
  • Robert Hairston
  • Rodney Sawyers
  • Jessamine Shumate
  • Thomas B. Stanley
  • John H. Traylor
  • Christopher Thomas
  • Anne Spencer

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Henry (Virginia) para niños

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