Editing Boydton, Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Boydton, Virginia
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = File:Boydton, VA 23917, USA - panoramio (3).jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Street scene in Boydton
|image_flag               = Flag of Boydton, Virginia.png
|image_seal               = Seal of Boydton, Virginia.png
|image_blank_emblem       = Logo of Boydton, Virginia.png
|blank_emblem_type        = Logo
<!-- Maps -->
||pushpin_map            = Virginia#USA
|pushpin_label_position = left <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location within the state of Virginia
|pushpin_mapsize        = 
|image_map                =  
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<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Virginia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Virginia|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia|Mecklenburg]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
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<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_51.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 19, 2024}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.82
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.82
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
|area_total_km2           = 2.13
|area_land_km2            = 2.13
|area_water_km2           = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=160XX00US5109016 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Boydton town, Virginia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=March 19, 2024}}</ref>

|population_total         = 302
|population_density_sq_mi = 368.3
|population_density_km2   = 142.2

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset = &minus;5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST = &minus;4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_ft             = 354
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|40|5|N|78|23|20|W|region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 23917
|area_code                = [[Area code 434|434]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 51-09016<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1498456<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|website                  = https://boydton.org/
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of            =
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est           = 
}}
'''Boydton''' is a [[town#Virginia|town]] in [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia]], United States. The population was 302 at the 2020 census.<ref name="Census 2020"/> It is the [[county seat]] of Mecklenburg County,<ref name="NACO">{{cite web|url=http://explorer.naco.org/index.html|title=NACo County Explorer|author=National Association of Counties|access-date=March 19, 2024}}</ref> and it is near [[Kerr Lake]].

==Geography==
Boydton is located at {{coord|36.667997|-78.389001|type:city_region:US-VA|format=dms|display=inline}} (36.667997, &minus;78.389001).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 0.8&nbsp;square miles (2.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all  land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 261
|1880= 382
|1900= 527
|1910= 421
|1920= 457
|1930= 492
|1940= 424
|1950= 501
|1960= 449
|1970= 541
|1980= 486
|1990= 453
|2000= 454
|2010= 431
|2020= 302
|estyear= 
|estimate= 
|estref= 
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 454 people, 134 households, and 95 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was 553.0 people per square mile (213.8/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 165 housing units at an average density of 201.0 per square mile (77.7/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 58.15% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 39.21% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.54% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.10% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.42% of the population.

There were 134 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town the population was spread out, with 15.4% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 121.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 132.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,063, and the median income for a family was $38,125. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $25,208 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,034. About 6.0% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

==History==
[[File:Boyd Tavern in Boydton Virginia.JPG|thumb|Boyd Tavern in Boydton, built 1790 and open for tours]]
[[File:Mecklenburg County Courthouse.JPG|thumb|[[Mecklenburg County Courthouse (Virginia)|Mecklenburg County Courthouse]] in Boydton, completed in 1842]]
Boydton was founded in 1812. It was home the original campus of [[Randolph-Macon College]] and [[Boydton Academic and Bible Institute]] which succeeded it after its move to [[Ashland, Virginia]]. The school was small and barely stayed in operation during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] as its focus abruptly changed from a [[Methodist]] seminary to military cadet training. In the difficult post-war [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]] years the trustees relocated the remote and struggling school to its present location in [[Ashland, Virginia|Ashland]], closer to [[railroad]] service.

Boydton/Clarksville was the terminus of the 19th-century "[[Boydton and Petersburg Plank Road]]" leading to [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]].  This 80-mile (130-km) [[Plank road]] was covered with wooden planks, making it superior to other roads which were just unpaved dirt and rutted.

[[Boyd's Tavern (Mecklenburg County, Virginia)|Boyd's Tavern]] is an early 19th-century structure originally operated by merchant Alexander Boyd, a Scottish immigrant, which in recent years has been restored by his descendants and opened to public tours.

In 1952 the large [[Kerr Lake]] was created nearby, drawing many boaters, campers, and fishermen to the local area (see [[Clarksville, Virginia]]).

In addition to Boyd's Tavern, the [[Boydton Historic District]] and the [[Mecklenburg County Courthouse (Virginia)|Mecklenburg County Courthouse]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2002.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Government and infrastructure==
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Boydton Post Office in Boydton.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/boydton-419-madison-st-boydton-va-1355572 Post Office Location - BOYDTON] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614044824/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/boydton-419-madison-st-boydton-va-1355572 |date=June 14, 2012 }}." [[United States Postal Service]]. Retrieved on August 22, 2010.</ref>

The [[Virginia Department of Corrections]] formerly operated the [[Mecklenburg Correctional Center]] in [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]] [[Mecklenburg County, Virginia|Mecklenburg County]], near Boydton.<ref>"[http://www.vadoc.state.va.us/facilities/central/mecklenburg/ Mecklenburg Correctional Center (male classification/intake institution)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205012544/http://www.vadoc.state.va.us/facilities/central/mecklenburg/ |date=2010-02-05 }}." [[Virginia Department of Corrections]]. Retrieved on August 22, 2010.</ref>  In 2012, Mecklenburg Correctional Center was closed and subsequently demolished.

Public school education is provided by [[Mecklenburg County Public Schools]] which is headquartered in the city.

In 2010, Microsoft began construction of a $500 million data center in Boydton. In 2014, $350 million was spent on its expansion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2014/06/13/microsoft-kicks-350m-data-center-expansion-virginia|title=Microsoft Kicks Off $350M Data Center Expansion in Virginia|date=June 13, 2014|access-date=December 24, 2017}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Mark Alexander (politician)|Mark Alexander]] (1792–1883), born near Boydton, [[United States Congressman]] from Virginia<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">{{cite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who | location = Chicago | year = 1963}}</ref>
* [[William A. Burwell]] (1780–1821), born near Boydton, [[Virginia House of Delegates|State Legislator]] and [[United States Congressman]] from Virginia, private secretary for [[President of the United States|President]] [[Thomas Jefferson]].
* [[Henry Johnson (Medal of Honor)|Henry Johnson]] (1850–1904) born in Boydton, [[Buffalo Soldier]], [[US Army]], [[Medal of Honor]] recipient.
* [[Nancy Byrd Turner]], poet, editor and lecturer (1880-1971) born in Boydton.
* [[Odicci Alexander]] (1998-) [[James Madison University]] softball pitcher

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Boydton has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=414444&cityname=Boydton,+Virginia,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Boydton, Virginia Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=December 24, 2017}}</ref>

{{Commons category|Boydton, Virginia}}

==References==

{{Portal|Virginia}}
<references/>

{{Virginia towns}}
{{Mecklenburg County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia county seats and independent cities}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Mecklenburg County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Virginia]]
[[Category:County seats in Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1812]]
[[Category:1812 establishments in Virginia]]