Living in Nelson County: Nelson at a Glance

Nelson at a Glance

Nelson County, Virginia

History:
Nelson County was formed in 1807 from Amherst County, and named in honor of Thomas Nelson, Jr., third governor of Virginia. Originally English colonists established the home of the Monocan tribe of Native Americans, a settlement along the James River in the early 1700's. Another stream of settlers, of Scotch-Irish and German descent, came into the western sections of the county from the Shenandoah Valley. By the end of the 1800's, Nelson's agricultural products included tobacco, apples and chestnut trees; the produce and lumber were carried to market by canal and railroad.

During the 1930's Earl Hamner, Jr. began writing of his experiences growing up in Nelson County during the Depression. Those writings eventually provided the substance for the The Waltons TV series. In 1969, Hurricane Camille caused a flood, devastating Nelson County. Since Camille, Nelson County has slowly recovered its land, its infrastructure and the will to grow and prosper again. Events that have aided in this recovery include: the 1972 development of Wintergreen Resort, the restoration in progress at Oak Ridge Estate, development of Walton's Mountain Museum, the resurgence of the apple industry, the maturation of vineyards and winery industry, and the steady growth in Nelson County's tourism industry.

Location:
Nelson County is located in the central part of Virginia midway between the metropolitan areas of Charlottesville and Lynchburg. The county has a total area of 471 square miles. It is bordered on the east by the James River and on the west by the Blue Ridge Mountains. A large portion of the western section of the county is in the George Washington National Forest. Elevation range from about 500 feet above sea level near the James River to as high as 4,000 feet in the Blue Ridge. Our climate is moderately warm in the summers, with temperatures averaging about 77 degrees in July. Winters are moderately cool, with temperatures in January averaging about 38 degrees. Average annual precipitation is about 42 inches. The county is almost in the geographic center of Virginia and by car, is about two hours from Richmond, three hours from Washington, D.C. and four hours from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Recreation
Recreational assets in Nelson include hiking along the Appalachian Trail or to the top of Crabtree Falls (the highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River) and excellent canoeing or fishing on the James or Tye Rivers. One of the boundaries of Nelson County is milepost zero of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the 30 miles of the Parkway are its western border. Wintergreen Resort is a significant recreational asset for Nelson County. This 10,800-acre resort is designed to provide outstanding leisure pursuits throughout the four seasons of
the year. Ski slopes, open day and night, allow skiing for both beginners and experts. Wintergreen is one of only five resorts south of New York State to offer a thousand-foot vertical drop. Two golf courses, swimming, tennis, horseback riding, hiking, cycling, and canoeing provide opportunities for recreation for the entire family. Five restaurants, a gallery of specialty shops, and luxurious
condominiums and villas help complete the total resort package

Agri-Business
Source: 2002 Census of Agriculture Profile Nelson County, Virginia
Land 456 farms (438 farms in 1997, up 4%)
84,691 acres of land in farms (78,446 acres in 1997, up 8%)
186 acres is average size of farm (179 acres in 1997, up 4%)
Market Value of Production, average per farm $16,590 ($15,691 in 1997, up 6%)
Market Value of Production $7,565,000 ($6,872,000 in 1997, up 10%)
Crop sales accounted for $4,862,000 of the total value
Livestock sales accounted for $2,703,000 of the total value
Government Payments $224,000 ($166,000 in 1997, up 35%)
Goverment Payments, average per farm receiving payments $2,761 ($3,210 in 1997 down 14%)

Major Crops
Hay and forages
Tree fruit - apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries
Agronomic crops - corn, soybeans, small grains
Vineyards Greenhouses - bedding plants, perennials
Nurseries - ornamentals, fruit
Vegetables - pumpkins, market produce

Fruit Industry
12 orchards
14 vineyards
9 wineries
1 farm brewery
953 acres of apples produced yearly
Nelson County ranks fifth in apple production, fifth in grape production in Virginia
Two-thirds of the county is forested, 233,613 acres

Major Employers:
Wintergreen Resort - 600-999 employees
Four-season family resort and conference center, offering golf, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, nature programs and skiing
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative - 100-199 employees
Electric service, monitored home and business security systems, Internet service, bill processing, long distance telephone service
Food Lion - 50-99 employees
Retail grocery store
American Fibers - 50-99 employees
Manufacturer of synthetic fiber, spun for fabric
California Side Car - 25-49 employees
Manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, trailers and trike conversions

Health Services:
Lovingston is 30-45 minutes from 2 hospitals to the North:
University of Virginia Hospital and Martha Jefferson Hospital
The University of Virginia Medical Center's hospital has 668 beds and
provides comprehensive medical service for the region. The hospital contains special units for trauma, burns, intensive and coronary care,
dialysis, and neonatal care.
Lovingston is 30-45 minutes from 2 hospitals to the South:
Lynchburg General Hospital and Virginia Baptist Hospital, located to the south in
Lynchburg, contain a total of 768 beds and provide a full range of general medical and surgical specialties.
The Augusta Medical Center is also is conveniently accessed by residents of northern Nelson County.
Two private clinics and a county public health center are located in the county.
Nine physicians and six dentists practice in Nelson County.

Population:
Click here for detailed demographic information about Nelson County
Population for 2000 - 14,445
Per Capita Personal Income - $26,344 (2002)
Married Couple Median Adjusted Gross (2002) $41,234
Median Household Income (2002) $37,513

Employment by Occupation (2000 Census)*
1,896 Managerial, Professional & Related 28.0%
1,016 Service 15.0%
1,482 Sales & Office 21.9%
197 Farming, Fishing & Forestry 2.9%
1,081 Construction, Extraction & Maintenance 16.0%
1,102 Production, Transportation & Material Moving 16.3%
6,774 Total Employees 100%
*By Place of Residence

Transportation:
Interstates: I-64 (24 miles north)
Highways: U.S. 29 (north-south), U.S. 60 (east-west)
Motor Carriers: 11 trucking firms serve the area
Commercial Air Service: Lynchburg Regional Airport (36 miles), and Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport (43 miles)
General Aviation Service: Lynchburg Regional Airport and Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport
Freight Rail Service: Norfolk Southern Corporation
Port: Richmond (100 miles), Norfolk (191 miles)
Overnight Package Delivery: Federal Express, United Parcel Service, and U.S. Mail Express serve this area.

Utilities:
Electric: American Electric Power and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative
Natural Gas: N.A.
Telecommunications: Verizon Communications (Local Service), Sprint
Telephone (Local Service), nTelos (Local Service)
Water: Lovingston, Schuyler, Wintergreen
Waste Water Treatment: Lovingston, Schuyler
Solid Waste Disposal: Nelson County Transfer Station, Waste Management
Cable: Nelson County Cablevision

Financial Institutions:
Union Bank & Trust   $1.4 billion (2006)
American National Bank   $810 million (2006)
BB & T   $116 million (2006)
Wachovia   $554 billion (2006)

Government:
Nelson County has a County Administrator, a five-member Board of Supervisors and seven-member Economic Development Authority. The county has a comprehensive plan and zoning and subdivision ordinances. Lovingston is the county seat. There are no incorporated towns within the county.

Taxes:
Real Estate Tax Rate: $0.72 per $100.00 of assessed value
Personal Property          $2.95 per $100
Machinery & Tools       $1.25 per $100
VA Sales Tax               5%
Groceries                      2.5%
Lodging                        5%
Food & Beverage         4%
Business License          $30 flat rate

Education - 2006-2007
All schools are fully accredited
Student Membership - 2012
Pupil to Instructional Staff Ratio - 12:1
Division Attendance Rate - 95.4%
Free or Reduced Lunches - 47.51%
Limited English Proficient - 2.5%
Students with Disabilities - 15.4%
Student to Computer Ratio - 1.7:1
School Operating Budget - $21,972,658
2005-2006 Graduates Planning to Attend Higher Institutions - 60%
2005-2006 Graduates Receiving Advanced Diploma - 50%
2005-2006 SAT Reasoning
Average Total Test Score - 1473
Reading - 495
Mathematics - 495
Writing - 483
2004-2005 Percentage Seniors Taking SAT - 40%

School Enrollments:
Rockfish River Elementary (K-5) - 403
Tye River Elementary (K-5) - 513
Nelson Middle (6-8) - 451
Nelson County High (9-12) - 645

Vocational Training Facilities:
Nelson County High School
Nelson Middle School

Higher Education Facilities:
University of Virginia: 23,077 (Fall 2003 Enrollment)
Piedmont Virginia Community College: 4,343 (Fall 2003 Enrollment)
Sweet Briar College: 709 (Fall 2003 Enrollment)

For more information:
Maureen K. Corum
Nelson County
Director of Economic Development
Post Office Box 636
Lovingston, VA 22949
434-263-7015
FAX 434-263-6823
mcorum@nelsoncounty.org
www.nelsoncounty.com