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Virginia County
Prince Edward County, Virginia
Farmville and Prince Edward County school closings civil rights heritage - from the Prince Edward County school closings (in 1959, Prince Edward County became the only jurisdiction in American history to close all its public schools rather than comply with desegregation orders, locking out African American children from public education for five years until 1964 - the Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville, housed in the school where Barbara Johns led a student strike in 1951, preserves this pivotal and painful chapter of American civil rights history) to Longwood University (the historic public liberal arts university in Farmville hosted a 2016 vice presidential debate and contributes significantly to the county's academic and cultural life).
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Office: Prince Edward County Department of Emergency Management – coordinates an all-hazards emergency management program countywide
911 Dispatch: Farmville–Prince Edward Emergency Communications Center – the shared Public Safety Answering Point for both the county and Town of Farmville; in 2025 the center answered 72,555 total calls including 15,455 emergency calls, staffed by 20 full-time and 4 part-time telecommunicators serving roughly 30,000 residents
Notes: This is a genuinely busy, jointly-run dispatch center supporting multiple law enforcement agencies, fire departments, rescue squads, and public works across both jurisdictions.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-15 and US-460 are primary corridors; Longwood University and Hampden-Sydney College both sit within the county
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Prince Edward County Building Department – 111 N. South St., 3rd Floor, Farmville, VA 23901 | (434) 392-8838
Services: New home/commercial permits require: tax verification ((434) 392-3454), Planning/Zoning approval ((434) 414-3037), an Erosion & Sediment/Stormwater permit, a VDOT driveway entrance permit ((434) 505-3424), Health Department well/septic permits ((434) 392-8187), electronic plus one hard copy plan set (including trusses/engineered products), applicable DPOR contractor licensing, and a completed Manual J load calculation; a duct leakage and/or blower door test plus a Health Department operations permit are required before a Certificate of Occupancy
Notes: Manufactured/modular homes additionally require a copy of the singlewide title (if applicable) and, for manufactured homes only, a Certificate of Installation. Note that projects within the incorporated Town of Farmville go through the Town’s own Community Development office rather than the county building department – confirm which jurisdiction applies to your specific property.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Virginia Department of Veterans Services – dvs.virginia.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest Veterans Service Representative)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dvs.virginia.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Central Virginia Regional Library – 1303 W 3rd Street, Farmville, VA 23901 | (434) 392-6924
Notes: Confirm current hours and additional branch locations directly, as detailed information beyond the Farmville location was limited in available sources
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Prince Edward County holds genuinely pivotal significance in American civil rights history – in 1951, 16-year-old student Barbara Johns led a walkout at the all-Black Robert Russa Moton High School protesting severely inadequate facilities; the resulting case, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, became one of the five cases consolidated into the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision; following Brown, Virginia adopted a statewide “Massive Resistance” policy, and in 1959 Prince Edward County became the ONLY school district in the entire nation to close its public schools completely rather than integrate – schools remained shut for five years (1959-1964), during which white families received state tuition grants to attend a private segregation academy while roughly 2,000 Black children (the “Lost Generation”) went without formal schooling; the U.S. Supreme Court finally forced schools to reopen via Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (1964); in 2001, the former Moton High School reopened as the Robert Russa Moton Museum, dedicated to this history, and in 2003 the state of Virginia formally apologized and established a scholarship fund for those affected during a symbolic “lost generation” graduation ceremony; the county and the Moton Strike are also honored on the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial at the State Capitol in Richmond, dedicated 2008; Longwood University, founded 1839, anchors the Town of Farmville along with nearby Hampden-Sydney College, one of the nation’s oldest men’s colleges
Notes: This is genuinely essential, well-documented American history – not incidental trivia – and the Moton Museum remains open and actively interpreting this history today; confirm current museum hours directly at motonmuseum.org before visiting.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Prince Edward County GIS – accessible via co.prince-edward.va.us
Parcel Search: Prince Edward County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through the Farmville–Prince Edward Emergency Communications Center
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Prince Edward County Animal Shelter – 255 County Shop Road, Farmville, VA 23901 | P.O. Box 382, Farmville, VA 23901 | (434) 223-7310
Intake Policy: Citizen drop-off of stray dogs and owner surrender of dogs/cats accepted Monday–Friday, 8:00–10:00 AM, by appointment only; strays running at large are picked up by the county as needed; every animal is evaluated by an Animal Control Officer for illness/injury upon arrival, documented on the intake form
Notes: The county’s own Capital Improvement Plan has identified a NEW animal shelter as a top priority, with a potential site on Commerce Road identified and in the planning/design stage as of the most recent county annual report – confirm current facility status and location directly, as this is an active infrastructure project. The independent nonprofit Southside SPCA, headquartered in Prince Edward County, is a separate regional organization serving multiple rural Southside Virginia counties – its shelter (3 buildings plus an adoption cottage) houses up to 50 dogs, 12 litters of puppies, and 55 cats/kittens, and pulls animals weekly from area county shelters at risk of euthanasia; the organization reports helping drop regional shelter euthanasia rates from nearly 100% to an average of 16.5% today – a genuinely significant, well-documented regional impact.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Prince Edward County Administration directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Prince Edward County occupies a genuinely central place in American civil rights history – the 1951 Moton High School student walkout became part of Brown v. Board of Education, and the county’s subsequent five-year total closure of its public schools (1959-1964) remains the only instance nationwide of a school district shutting down entirely rather than integrate. This history is actively preserved and interpreted today at the Moton Museum. Separately, the county’s animal shelter system benefits from a genuinely impactful regional nonprofit, Southside SPCA, whose work has measurably reduced area euthanasia rates. All contact information above was sourced from official county and historical-registry pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County is south-central Virginia’s civil rights heritage and Longwood University county – the county’s school closings represent one of the most egregious episodes of resistance to desegregation in American history, and Farmville’s Moton Museum ensures that legacy is remembered while Longwood University anchors the county’s contemporary academic and economic identity.
Farmville (the county seat, population ~8,200) is Prince Edward County’s governmental and commercial hub, a Southside Virginia town whose university, civil rights museums, and Appomattox River location give it a layered historical character.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Prince Edward County Assessor at 111 S. Street, Farmville, VA 23901, phone 434-392-3231. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Prince Edward County Circuit Court at 111 S. Street, Farmville, VA 23901, phone 434-392-5145, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
111 South South St, Farmville, VA 23901
(434) 392-4243
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Prince Edward Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Farmville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Prince Edward County holds significant civil rights-era documentary history tied to the 1951 Moton High School student strike and subsequent school closures (1959-1964).
Local societies
No dedicated Prince Edward County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Prince Edward Circuit Court Farmville, VA 23901 (434) 392-8400
Prince Edward County is in South Central Virginia, home to Longwood University and Hampden-Sydney College, county seat Farmville. Virginia has NO separate probate court – probate (“qualification”) is handled entirely by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Virginia calls the probate process “qualification” rather than “appointment,” and it happens administratively at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, not before a judge, unless a dispute arises.
Small Estate Affidavit (Va. Code § 64.2-601, the “Virginia Small Estate Act”) – available when the decedent’s entire personal probate estate (excluding real estate) does not exceed $75,000, at least 60 days have passed since death, and no personal representative has been appointed or has a pending application in any jurisdiction. If a will exists, it must first be admitted to probate (recorded with the Clerk) even though no executor is appointed. As of July 1, 2026, the affidavit must be filed on the statewide form (CC-1685).
Single Small Asset Release (Va. Code § 64.2-602) – any person or institution holding a single asset of $35,000 or less may release it directly to a successor once 60 days have passed since death and no personal representative has qualified, without any affidavit required at all.
Real Estate Affidavit (Form CC-1612) – if the decedent owned only real estate, this can be recorded directly in land records without full probate. Real estate generally cannot be transferred through the small estate affidavit process.
Full Qualification / Administration – the standard path for larger or more complex estates. The personal representative appears before the Clerk, takes an oath, files the will and death certificate, and typically posts a surety bond. The estate is then supervised by a Commissioner of Accounts throughout administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to qualify as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Prince Edward Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
The Clerk reviews the will’s validity and admits it to probate.
The personal representative takes an oath and qualifies, posting a bond if required; the Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The Commissioner of Accounts oversees the estate going forward.
The personal representative notifies creditors, pays valid debts, and manages estate assets.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed once final accounting is approved.
What it costs
Virginia imposes a PROBATE TAX on most wills admitted to probate and grants of administration: $1 state tax + $0.33 local tax for every $1,000 of estate value. No tax is imposed on estates valued at $15,000 or less.
Filing fees for qualification vary by estate size; confirm current Prince Edward County fees directly.
Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax – repealed for deaths on or after July 1, 2007. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
111 South South St, Farmville, VA 23901
(434) 392-8244
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
111 South South St, Farmville, VA 23901
(434) 392-8837
ELECTIONS
Prince Edward County Electoral Board, 111 South South St, Farmville, VA 23901
(434) 392-8837
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Piedmont Health District, 1600 East 3rd St, Farmville, VA 23901
(434) 392-3231
Department of Social Services
1300 West 3rd St, Farmville, VA 23901
(434) 392-3251
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Piedmont Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – 111 N South St, Farmville, VA 23901 | (434) 392-3984
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Virginia delivers public health primarily through regional Virginia Department of Health districts rather than standalone county health departments
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Farmville
Population: 23,000
Established: 1753
Tier: 3
Public Records
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