Discover Southside Feb 2023

DISCOVER

Gretna LOVE Sign

STUDENTS MELT METAL FOR LOVE

STAFF

PRESIDENT

Chad B. Harrison

EDITOR

Diana McFarland

GRAPHIC DESIGN | LAYOUT

Jess Ingram

GRAPHIC DESIGN | ADVERTISING

Amanda Meadows, Jasmaine Motley, Susan Lambert, Mary Beth Wellborn

WRITERS

Drew Mumich, Sami Mirza, Jeffrey Westbrook

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Rachel Nanney

434-203-1058

advertising@chathamstartribune.com

OFFICE MANAGER

Louis Motley

To advertise in Discover Southside or any of our special publications, call Rachel Nanney at 434-203-1058

www.chathamstartribune.com

Cover Page: Pittsylvania County Career and Technical student Georgia Weaver welds a portion of the “O” as part of the LOVE sign to be installed in Gretna. Drew Mumich/Discover Southside

Town of

Using a Card Game to Sort Out the Future

STORY & PHOTOS BY DIANA MCFARLAND

The cards did not contain kings or queens, diamonds or hearts, but rather data and questions that challenged players to consider the future of Danville and Pittsylvania County.

The game was called “The Big Sort” and members of the community turned out Thursday evening at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex to take a peek at the future, as well as enjoy dinner catered by Hunt & Co. of Chatham.

By the end of the evening, participants identified areas that they believed the region was already prepared for, but more that it was not — and with quite a few topics that fell in the middle.

The game was led by Beth Doughty with the Partnership for Regional Prosperity, a civic think tank designed to cultivate strategic transformation of the region.

Doughty pointed out that there has been roughly $1.1 billion invested in the region since 2018, to include the promise of 4,000 jobs, giving Danville and Pittsylvania County the opportunity to become futurists.

Participants were assigned to tables and asked to create a four point quadrant, labeled as either certain or uncertain, high

impact or low impact. The group was then asked to consider a stack of cards, each printed with a question and data to support it, such as the rate of high school graduations. The group was to decide if that area of concern was going to be high impact, low impact, a certainty or not in the next 20 years.

This will allow the Partnership to gauge priorities and determine what the region needs to pay attention to in a way that lets the community thrive, said Doughty.

Topics ranged from cyber security to educational attainment, population growth, housing, broadband, healthcare, property crime, poverty, food insecurity, water and sewer infrastructure and more.

For example, card #26 began with “Decreasing overall poverty, but … between 2018 and 2020, the share of residents living in poverty decreased 4% in the City of Danville, and fell 1% in Pittsylvania County to 14%. However, since 2018, the share of K-12 public school students eligible for free meals has grown 7-8%.” The card also provided a graph showing how the number of those eligible for free lunches changed over the years in both Danville and Pittsylvania County.

It was the job of the participants to decide if this trend was certain to continue or was it uncertain. Would the trend be of high impact or low impact? Each card was considered in this way and placed on the quadrant.

When all the cards were sorted, each group was asked to gather up the high impact, high certainty cards and rank them in terms of readiness. That is, a score of 0 meant the region was not prepared for this trend, while 10 meant it was completely ready.

Once a score from 0 to 10 was assigned to each of the high impact, high certainty cards, they were taped to the wall under that rank.

Doughty took at look at the wall and said it appeared to skew in the direction of being unprepared, but was strong toward the middle.

Doughty said the information will be entered onto a spreadsheet, analyzed and presented in several forums in the area.

The more than 40 participants boiled down the trends to three areas where they believed the region was ready for or a score of 0 — increased sales tax to pay for school capital projects; increased reliance on renewable energy sources (which was also found under the 10 rating); and a rising interest in entrepreneurship.

Falling under the 10 rating, or completely unprepared, was public transportation, increased reliance on renewable energy sources (also receiving a 0 score); increasing cyber security needs; decreasing overall poverty but …; rising demand for new housing; fewer farms, more market value, but inflation …; population rebound; and the growing impact of climate change and weather events.

Falling in the middle included areas such as childcare, increasing median household income, increasing flexible and hybrid workplace arrangements, rising pressure to improve water quality, rising four year high school graduation rates, the region’s age skewing older and more.

The meeting on Thursday was the second Big Sort held by the Partnership. The first was conducted in Danville, which will have a second in the next month, as well as one in Gretna.

The Partnership for Regional Prosperity was formed in 2020 by the Danville City Council and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors. •

On opposite page: Angeles Atkinson, Dave Arnold and Brenda Bowman sort through a stack of cards as part of The Big Sort game. Shown above (from the top): Cards were placed within a quadrant and whether or not the trend was certain or of high or low impact. Center: Sorted and ranked cards were taped under their corresponding numbers, ranging from 0 — the area was not prepared for the trend — to 10, which indicated most folks thought it was. Bottom: Angeles Atkinson places ranked cards under the corresponding number on the wall last week as part of The Big Sort game.

Tearing Up the Track at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex

STORY BY SAMI MIRZA PHOTOS BY DREW MUMICH

If you stepped inside the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex this weekend, you would have been met by the thick stench of fuel and the sound of motors so loud you could feel it in your chest. The world of motocross had come to Chatham.

ODAC hosted the Yamaha Moonlight Indoor Series on Saturday Jan. 7, and Sunday, Jan. 8, in a dirt-slinging technique-driven set of motocross races. The event was organized by Lake Sugar Tree, a motorsports park in Axton.

“We’re just trying to keep the kids going throughout the winter, so that’s how we ended up here,” said Ryan Smith, owner and operator of Lake Sugar Tree and the

indoor series. “We reached out to ODAC and they were like, ‘yeah, let’s do it.’”

Motocross racers compete on winding circuits with hills, twists, and ramps — a format that changes when squeezed into ODAC’s arena.

“We’re used to having three times this space for a track,” Smith said. “This, I mean it’s 145 by 200 feet — our outdoor track is 300 by 500 (feet).”

As a result, Smith said that racing on ODAC’s indoor track is slower and more focused on technique and control.

“It’s intense, close-rank racing, versus outdoors, you have all that space,” Smith said. “Outdoors our starting

Above: Four racers take off as soon as the gates fall away, letting them begin the race.

line is 42 gates, where in here, it’s 18. So, you know, 18 people on this track is nothing when it’s outside because it’s so much bigger.”

Out in ODAC’s parking lot, Kati Honeycutt was one of dozens of parents preparing young riders to hit the track.

“I think it’s a lot more to it than what people realize,” Honeycutt said. “Even if you have the same four-wheeler as the person beside you, there’s a lot of technique that you can learn and do to become a smoother rider and become a faster rider.”

As races were available for riders as young as two and as old as 60, both Honeycutt’s six-year-old son Ryan and her husband Dustin took the track.

“(Dustin) switched to this so he could have something to do with my son that they could do together,” Honeycutt said. “They’re both new at this type of racing but yeah, I think this is something we’ll definitely continue.”

While the Honeycutts are not specifically associated

with Lake Sugar Tree, the group is a significant place to ride.

“We did a couple of the indoor ones last year with Lake Sugar Tree, and then we did the outdoors some last year as well,” Honeycutt added.

Smith grew up in the motocross world, and raced professionally across the country and around the world before joining Lake Sugar Tree in 2012. He said he enjoys seeing kids on bikes and ATVs, doing what he did for a living.

“For a professional athlete, anytime they get out of something, it’s the end of the road for them, but you still get to share those moments through the other kids,” Smith said.

The Moonlight Indoor Series will return to ODAC on Jan. 21-22, Feb. 4-5, and Feb. 18-19 before concluding on Feb. 25-26. •

A racer jumps over the finish line, completing one of the three laps to complete the race.

Above (from the top): Contestants wait for their turn to race.

Bottom: Kati Honeycutt removed her six-year-old son Ryan’s helmet after warmups.

Vietnam Vets

receive overdue medals

STORY BY JEFFREY WESTBROOK PHOTOS BY DIANA MCFARLAND

Glenn Henderson of Chatham served in the United States Army in Vietnam after he was drafted in 1970, spending 1970 and 1971 in the Southeast Asian, war-torn nation. Like many other men who served their nation in that war that became so unpopular at home in the U.S., he did not receive the recognition due to him.

Finally, more than 50 years later, that negligence has been corrected, thanks to the efforts of U.S. Representative Bob Good of Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Good and his staff arranged for Henderson and about 20-25 other Vietnam veterans to receive their long overdue medals at a pinning ceremony over which Good himself presided, at American Legion Post 325 in Danville.

Henderson summarized Good’s remarks made during the ceremony: What is being done for Vietnam veterans is too little, too late. They should have been recognized long ago (a sentiment with which, Henderson interjected, that he agreed).

These veterans from this forgotten war were barred from joining the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Henderson pointed out. According to Henderson, it wasn’t until years after the Vietnam War ended that the American Legion and VFW opened their membership to Vietnam veterans.

According to the VFW, “from February 1961 – May 1975, more than 3,400,000 Americans served in support of the U.S. military operations in Vietnam and Southeast Asia; more than 58,000 gave their lives.”

Henderson expressed his appreciation for Good’s efforts on behalf of him and other veterans. He added that Good’s staff helped, particularly a former service member who also has helped veterans with disability claims.

This person helped Henderson get 80% disability in May 2022 from conditions he faced in the Vietnam War, and in December 2022 he helped Henderson secure the

Glenn Henderson with the medals he received for his service during the Vietnam War, from the top clockwise: Combat Infantryman Badge 1st award; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon; Bronze Star medal; Vietnam Service Medal and Bronze Star attachment; National Defense Service medal; Sharpshooter Badge and Rifle Bar; and Air Medal. Henderson also received recognition and a pin from American Legion Post 325.

other 20% disability so that he now is able to received 100% of his disability.

“Bob Good is a mighty good man to help like this,” Henderson observed, adding that it had been difficult to live on Social Security alone prior to getting his veteran’s benefits.

The Chatham veteran noted that his son has served for 29 years and counting in the military, including three tours of duty in Iraq. Henderson himself served his time as a result of the draft, rather than enlisting, but he wishes he had done things differently. “If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t have been drafted; I would have enlisted and served for 20 years,” he commented.

He concluded that Good is making a positive impact in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District by helping “our military men.” •

Bubble Aquatics & Exotics

Find a different sort of pet

STORY BY DREW MUMICH

Ashlynn Tickle holds a small white python. The small snake wraps around her wrist and nestles into Tickle’s hand as she talks about the reptile that is native to Africa, Asia and Australia.

“She is called a Blue-Eyed Lucy because she’s solid white with blue eyes,” Tickle said. This snake is one of Tickle’s favorites at her shop, Bubble Aquatics and Exotics in Danville.

The python is just one of the many animals offered

alongside exotic fish, snakes, iguanas, hamsters, and rabbits. Tickle and her fiancé run the small store in Danville after opening in December 2022.

Tickle said the business started online with fish and helping customers with their tanks.

Tickle said she wants to make sure customers have the proper setup and food, as well as a good understanding of the animal’s needs before purchasing them.

“I want to make sure that I match the person with the perfect animal that meets their time needs and

Above: This white python is named “Blue-Eyed Lucy.” Photo submitted.

requirements and something that they’re looking forward to. And then from there, we get them with their proper enclosure,” Tickle said.

Different animals have different requirements.

“So for a rabbit, you could leave with an enclosure and a rabbit the same day because it’s all able to be set up the same day. It’s very easy to set up enclosures for small animals, whereas, for reptiles, it takes a few days, maybe even a week, to get everything set up,” Tickle said.

Even if you do not know what you are looking for, Tickle is happy to help you and answer any questions you may have. The store’s largest selection is fish, including Peacock Cichlids, Bettas, Clown Loaches, Upside Down Catfish, Panda Cory Catfish, Common Plecos, Cobra Green Guppies, Blue Moscow Guppies, Red Tuffy Feeder Fish, YoYo Loaches, Oranda GoldFish

and more.

“We make sure that they understand that these fish need a cycled environment before they can go in a tank and thrive,” Tickle said. “For fish, those are something that you have to have a cycled tank. Many people come in with their parameters just to ensure that they’re doing the right thing with their account… it’s a learning process,” Tickle said.

Overall, business is slowly starting to pick up as the community learns about what it has to offer.

“There’s so much support from the community, and a lot of people are so happy that we’re here, said Tickle, adding that many appreciate not having to drive to other cities to purchase exotic pets.

To find out more, reach out to bubbleaquaticsandexotics@ gmail.com or find them at 535 Wilson St., Danville.•

Blue Moscow Guppies. Stock Image.

Students Melt Metal to Mold LOVE Sign

STORY & PHOTOS BY DREW MUMICH

In the back of the Pittsylvania Career & Technical Center, the sounds of banging and blowtorches mix with the smell of melting metal as students work on their latest project, the Gretna LOVE sign.

This is the third LOVE Sign built by PCTC students, led and chosen by Travis Wood, the welding and fabrication instructor for PCTC.

The other two signs are at Wayside Park and the dog park at the Pittsylvania County Pet Center. Each LOVE sign is specific to the area it inhabits, and the Gretna love sign will be no different.

“When you’re looking at this LOVE sign, you can get the feel of what’s important to the people that live in Gretna, that live in the 24557 zip code,” said Jessica Dalton, assistant principal at PCTC.

Wood is adamant about picking projects the students can work on while helping the community. After Dalton pitched the newest idea to Wood, he and his team of students immediately started to create the sign.

“We had to figure out the dimensions and trace everything out in chalk to get the correct measurements because it was really big. We got to figure out how

Above: Pittsylvania County Career and Technical student Georgia Weaver welds a portion of the “O” as part of the LOVE sign to be installed in Gretna.

to fit everything correctly and make it look good and presentable,” said Devin Walker, an 11th grader who works on the sign.

Wood guides the students, letting them work through the problems and challenges of building a 24-foot LOVE sign. He explains that students do all the work, while he supervises, answers questions and tackles any issue that arise with the students.

“I’ll steer the students in the right direction, but the work itself, every welding, is done by the students,” Wood said.

He explained that the students equally use using algebra to design the sign and then physically construct the pieces.

“This is just one big algebra problem. They have got to do the math to determine this letter has so many materials that have so many feet of material in it,” Wood said Junior Georgia Weaver, who was working on the frame of the O, explained the challenge of creating that part of the sign.

“We had to bend it and get in shape. And then, we had

to compare frame to frame to see if it matched the other letters. So it’s all about just critiquing and reworking; it was a challenge,” said Weaver.

Each part of the sign will have specific details and Easter eggs will make the LOVE sign personal to Gretna.

“There’s going to be a few surprises that nobody knows about yet that will be like Easter eggs. When you walk up to it, you’ll catch it and say, “ Oh, that’s neat.”

One added feature includes building a working dam on the E to represent the Smith Mountian Dam with running water. “It’s going to give it texture; it’s going to give it life. People are going to be able to come up and hear the water coming down the E,” said Dalton.

Junior Alli White is excited to give back to their community.

“My favorite part about working on this is that it will be for the community. And it’s a big project for us to work on in our first year of welding. So I feel very, very accomplished working on this,” White said

The goal is to have the LOVE sign ready to be installed by the end of the school year. •

Student welders work on the “O” of the LOVE sign, as fellow students carry off the “L” to measure the vinyl wrap to put on the frame.

19th Century Register

Gives glimpse into lives of free blacks in Pittsylvania County

STORY & PHOTOS BY DIANA MCFARLAND

Not all blacks living in Virginia, or Pittsylvania County, were slaves prior to the Civil War.

Before the war began in 1861, there were more than 58,000 free people of African descent in the Commonwealth, with most living in cities.

Pittsylvania County had its own community of free blacks, and those folks were required to record their information in what was called a Register of Free Negroes — a document all counties and cities in Virginia were required to keep beginning in 1803. Pittsylvania County maintained its registry until the end of the Civil War.

Not all registers in Virginia survived the test of time, and some have been incorporated within other court documents, but Pittsylvania County’s register is a stand-alone book that has been preserved, and it is located in the circuit court records room. The register provides yet another glimpse into

the history of African Americans in pre-Civil War Virginia.

The register grew out of acts passed by the General Assembly beginning in 1793, which not only prohibited the immigration of free blacks into the Commonwealth, but also required all free people of African descent, or who were biracial, to register with the court every three years.

This provided a free African-American or biracial person the documentation to prove their status, but it was also a way for the state to control the free black population.

The first entry in Pittsylvania County’s register is dated March 16, 1807 and states:

No. 1 Molly

“Register of a negro woman named Molly emancipated by James Richardson senior by his will of record in Pittsylvania court. The said negro woman Molly is five feet eight inches and three quarters high of a yellowish complexion slim made

Shown above (left): The Register of Free Negroes 1807-1865 can be viewed at the Pittsylvania County Circuit Court records room. Above (right): Entries in the register often included a physical description and how that person had become emancipated.

and about thirty five years of age.”

The entries typically provided a person’s complexion, age and height, along with other descriptors, such as hair texture, facial features, scars or other individual markings. Early entries tended to indicate that a person was freed based on a will and testament, or perhaps having fulfilled an apprenticeship. Later entries most often stated that the person was born free, perhaps a reflection of a growing free African American population.

The Commonwealth of Virginia passed an act in 1782 allowing the manumission — or a release from slavery — of individuals from their enslavers without legislative approval. As a result, the population of free blacks in the Old Dominion quickly grew, and that is when the General Assembly began taking steps to control their actions.

In addition to being recorded in the register, free blacks were also required to carry a document attesting to their status, and it had to be with them at all times, said Lydia Neuroth, project manager with Virginia Untold.

Those who did not have this document on their person when requested could be jailed, she said, adding that the charge was called “free people in want of register.” To get out of jail, the person could pay the fees or work their way out through labor, which simply became another form of slavery, she said, adding that once released from jail, the person would be issued a new document stating they were a free black.

A physical description was listed in case they lost their freedom papers, Karice Luck-Brimmer, program associate of community initiatives with Virginia Humanities.

It was unsafe to not carry these documents as there were cases of people being sold back into slavery, she said.

At the same time, the register provided a management tool for local officials to know who was in their communities, said Neuroth.

Sonja Ingram, associate director, preservation field services with Preservation Virginia, said that other states had similar registries, but Virginia had the largest number of free blacks.

In addition to the register, a law passed in 1806 required free blacks to leave Virginia within 12 months of their information being recorded at the courthouse. However, not all localities enforced either the registry or the requirement that a free black person leave the state, said Neuroth.

Some folks never did register with their locality and their information was found in tax records instead, said Neuroth. In smaller communities, local officials were less threatened by free black people as they were in the larger cities, where jobs were more prevalent and their numbers were growing, said Neuroth.

As a result, in smaller, more rural communities, a person would register at the courthouse as required, but officials did not necessarily go around knocking on doors to check paperwork and enforce the law, said Neuroth.

The Nat Turner Rebellion of 1831 in Southampton County resulted in an uptick of those registering and more prosecutions of those who remained in Virginia beyond the 12 months, said Neuroth.

After the rebellion, free blacks were now seen as a threat to insurrection, she said.

The revolt also led to new laws being passed in the Commonwealth and targeting free black people.

Northampton County in 1831 sent a petition to the General Assembly asking that all free African Americans in their county be removed, and that was granted in 1832. The General Assembly passed a bill that removed a number of free black people from the state and transported them to Liberia, according to the Nat Turner Project.

When the law was passed in 1782 that allowed enslavers to free their slaves, some men provided a clue as to why they had decided to do that.

Thomas Bagwell of Accomack County, in his deed of emancipation for Leon Savage in 1806, stated that black people should live as well as white people in society.

The index of Pittsylvania County’s Register of Free Negroes has two pages devoted to what is called “Ward’s Negroes,” apparently referring to a man who set many of his slaves free.

The last entry in the Pittsylvania County Register of Free Negroes, is dated Jan. 16, 1895, two years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and four months before Gen. Robert E. Lee would surrender to the Union Army at Appomattox and end the Civil War.

It states:

“At the county court held for the county of Pittsylvania on the 16th day of January 1865, it is ordered that the clerk of this court register Preston Gee, a free negro born free in this county number 503. Pursuant to the above order of court, the said Preston Gee is this day numbered and registered in the clerks’ office of said court according to law. He is twentyone years of age, six feet one half inch high. He is of yellow complexion, has two very small scars on the back of his right hand without any other apparent mark or scar on his face, head and hands.

Given under my hand as clerk of said court this 17th day of January 1865. S. Scruggs, clerk.

Luck-Brimmer said she has been able to trace some of her family members back to those listed in the Halifax County register, which was transcribed and turned into a book by archivist Lander Anderson.

“One in particular is Parmelia Goode Mayo. I have seven generations of her descendants. My fifth grandfather, Cato Long, was listed in the Halifax register. He was emancipated by his enslaver named Charles Kennon. He was a Methodist preacher and decided to free his slaves in February 1785,” said Luck-Brimmer.

Information courtesy of the Library of Virginia, Virginia Center for Digital History, Encyclopedia Virginia — Virginia Humanities, Virginia Untold—Library of Virginia, Preservation Virginia and Virginia Humanities. •

Mr. Clement’s Valuables:

When treasure hunting meets family history

STORY & PHOTOS BY SAMI MIRZA

Atop Clement Hill, overlooking the town of Hurt stands a crumbling house overgrown with weeds. More than 275 years ago, the abode was the center of a sprawling plantation and one of the first gunpowder mills in the area. Today, its land has been split into dozens of sections owned by dozens of people — including the town of Hurt itself, and although abandoned, the house still produces the oldest commodity known to humanity: stories. At their most recent work session on Jan. 17, the Hurt Town Council handled their usual business: changes to the town charter, additional funding for student activities, and the approval of a new underground powerline. But the Council also handled the business of myth and legend: buried gold, a treasure lost to the ages that had

supposedly been found on town property.

Hurt Mayor Gary Hodnett told Council that he had heard from one Barry Farmer, who thought he knew where there was buried treasure on town property near the construction site of the new solar farm.

“Barry feels like he may know some stuff about our local area and where some of this stuff could possibly be, and he would like to take that television crew up on to the town farm, and they would shoot a segment on the Town of Hurt and our treasure,” Hodnett said.

Council’s initial reaction was one of logistics and details: who would accompany Farmer? How long would they need to be on the property? Did Farmer want to excavate the gold, or just point at the ground?

“He wants to go up and show them that, based on his

Shown above: The historical marker for Clement Hill stands between U.S. 29 and the Staunton River Plaza in Hurt.

findings and his study that he’s done, this is a logical place for stuff to be,” Hodnett said.

The conversation then turned to a broader question: would the segment launch a gold rush to Hurt?

“If a citizen wanted to film a movie in the road, I wouldn’t have a problem with us working with him to close the road for a while,” Councilmember Luke Perdieu said. “But we don’t need a whole bunch of people showing up here trying to dig for gold.”

The location and size of the treasure remains uncertain, and Farmer was not present to answer questions explaining his evidence for there being treasure in Hurt. This also raised consternation among the councilmembers.

“When the town gets involved in it and sanctions it in any way, all the sudden we’re a part of an equation, an equation that we don’t know all the factors of,” Councilmember Gary Poindexter said.

“I would recommend a no, and I can tell you: I’ve heard it, I’ve seen it,” Town Attorney John Eller added.

Based on Eller’s advice and the fact that Farmer had not submitted a formal, detailed proposal to the town, the Council denied Farmer’s request to film.

This is not the first time Farmer has reached out to local government about the idea of buried treasure in Hurt. He spoke during the public comment period of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors’ monthly business meeting in July 2021, hailing the meeting as “historic.”

“I truly believe I have solved what man has been trying to solve for 245 years,” Farmer told the Board then. “I truly believe that I have identified the location of the Beale treasure in Bedford County, and in using the same technology here in Pittsylvania County, I truly believe that I have identified the location of Mr. Clement’s valuables in Pittsylvania County.”

The Beale treasure is a fabled fortune said to be

Shown above: Originally built in the late 1740s, the house at Clement Hill today stands in overgrown disrepair. According to his fifth great-grandson, archivist Desmond Kendrick, the hill was not named after Capt. Benjamin Clement — who built the house as a part of his plantation — until his great-grandchildren in the Hurt family took possession of the property.

hidden in Bedford County, worth tens of millions of dollars in today’s currency. The location and contents of the treasure are supposedly contained in a set of three ciphertexts, only one of which has been successfully decoded. Some historians argue that the texts are a hoax, based on historical records from the time and analyses of both the encoded and decoded texts. If the treasure is real, it has not yet been unearthed.

Though Farmer did not specify to the Board of Supervisors where the valuables were or to which Mr. Clement he was referring to, Clement Hill is named for Captain Benjamin Clement, who owned much of what is now Hurt in the decades leading up to the Revolutionary War.

However, according to Desmond Kendrick, Benjamin Clement’s fifth great-grandson and an archivist for both Henry and Pittsylvania counties, the idea that Clement’s wealth was in precious metals was just a family tale.

“They always told me he had a gold mine; that, I doubt,” Kendrick said.

Kendrick said that while the mine existed, it produced saltpetre — also spelled “saltpeter” and known to chemists as “potassium nitrate.” This saltpetre was used by both Clement and Colonel Charles Lynch, who lived in what is now Altavista, to produce gunpowder.

“They said that in the 1760s, they were manufacturing 50 pounds of gunpowder a day,” Kendrick said. “That is my thinking of where they came up with the gold, because they would always say the gold was buried under Clement Hill. Well technically, the saltpetre was under Clement Hill — under the plantation, not under the house itself.”

Kendrick did say that some stories claimed the gold was located under the house. He said he heard that tale from older residents in the area while researching the Clement family 20 or 30 years ago.

“They had heard that there was gold up under the house, they said that they actually built the house on top of the gold, which I doubt,” Kendrick said. “Back then, most of the time your belongings were your wealth, your property was your wealth. That’s just not logical to me that they buried something like that and just forgot about it. I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but that was just always what I kinda understood.”

At the same time, Kendrick said that tales of forgotten wealth are not unheard of in Pittsylvania County.

“Locally, you always hear that so-and-so was buried

with gold in their casket, I’ve heard a lot of tales of things like that,” he said. “In Danville, during the Civil War, they supposedly had buried treasure in the National Cemetery.”

But those tales do not necessarily reflect reality, especially when considering the motivations of the people that originally buried their wealth.

“If they hid it somewhere, they weren’t crazy,” Kendrick said. “They came back and got that gold. They’re not going to just leave and forget about it, and just one person knows it — that’s something that I doubt.”

What all stories about Clement Hill lack is written corroboration. In his research, Kendrick said he has never seen any primary sources or historical collections mention lost Clement gold. As an example, he pointed to the 1929 “History of Pittsylvania County,” written by his great-great aunt, Maud Clement.

“Even in her records I’ve never seen anything mentioned as far as gold,” Kendrick said. “She probably would have been the one that I would have thought would have written that if that was right. She was the Clement historian, because she married into the family, and she did that for probably 70 years.”

Farmer declined to comment, saying that he had signed a deal with the Virginia Historical Society giving them the exclusive right to his story and that they would release information once they complete their investigation. When contacted for confirmation, the Virginia Historical Society, which changed its name in 2018 to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, said it had no record of Farmer or any such project.

“That’s not typically something we would do,” said Tracy Schneider, the museum’s vice president for marketing and communications. “We welcome researchers in to look through our collections, look through our archives, and obviously to view primary source material that we have on hand.”

For Kendrick, the idea of buried treasure at Clement Hill was a chance to revisit his family history and the stories that surround it.

“That hasn’t been brought up probably since I was a teenager,” he said. •

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

Danville Art Trail

111 Main Street, Danville

Danville Concert Association

P.O. Box 11284, Danville 434-770-8400

danvilleconcert.org

danvilleconcert@gmail.com

Danville Little Theatre

P.O. Box 3523, Danville

stagemanager@danvillelittletheatre.org

Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History

975 Main St., Danville 434-793-5644

www.danvillemuseum.org

Danville Symphony Orchestra

P.O. Box 11491, Danville 434-797-2666

macnet@wildblue.net

Downtown Danville Murals 434-791-0210

riverdistrictassociation@gmail.com

Gretna Little Theatre

101 Main St., Gretna gretnalittletheatre101@gmail.com

Main Street Art Collective

326 Main St., Unit 100, Danville 434-602-2017

www.mainstreetartcollective.com

The North Theatre 629 North Main St., Danville 434-793-SHOW (7469)

wayne@waynealanmagic.com

River District Artisans

411 Main St., Danville 434-228-4125

sgusler@thearcofsouthside.org

River District Golf & Social 680 Lynn Street Suite C, Danville 434-228-4155

www.riverdistrictgolf.com

HISTORY

18th century Callands Clerk’s Office Sago Rd., Callands

American Armored Foundation Tank Museum  3401 U.S. Highway 29, Danville 434-836-5323

tankmuseum@gamewood.net aaftankmuseum.com

Birthplace of Lady Astor

117 Broad St., Danville 434-793-6472 langhornehouse.org

Cedar Forest Grist Mill

7929 Straightstone Rd., Long Island 434-432-2172 pco1767@gmail.com

Chatham Hall

800 Chatham Hall Cir., Chatham 434-432-2941 admission@chathamhall.org

Danville Welcome Center 434-793-4636

Crossing at the Dan 434-793-4636

Danville Historical Society P.O. Box 6, Danville danvillehistorical@gmail.com www.danvillehistory.org

Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History

975 Main St., Danville 434-793-5644 info@danvillemuseum.org

Danville Science Center

677 Craghead St., Danville 434-791-5160 dscgs@smv.org

Downtown Danville Murals 434-791-0210

riverdistrictassociation@gmail.com

Green Hill Cemetery 434-793-5644 info@danvillemuseum.org

Grove Street Cemetery

940 Grove St., Danville 434-793-5644 info@danvillemuseum.org

Hargrave Military Academy Historic Marker 200 Military Dr., Chatham 434-432-2481

admissions@hargrave.edu

Langhorne House

117 Broad St., Danville 434-793-6472

langhornehouse.org

Chair of the Board Wyona Witcher mountcrosslodge@gmail.com

Millionaires Row

434-770-1974

joycewilburn@gmail.com

Mount Airy Roller Mill

4425 Johnson Mill Rd., Gretna

434-432-2172

pco1767@gmail.com

The National Cemetery

721 Lee St., Danville

704-636-2661

info@danvillemuseum.org

The National Tobacco-Textile Museum

19783 U.S. Hwy. 29 S, Chatham

434-432-8026

Pittsylvania Court House Historic Marker

11 Bank St., Chatham 434-432-2041

pco1767@gmail.com

Pittsylvania County Historical Society

434-770-3258

pco1767@gmail.com

Pittsylvania County History Research Center & Library

340 Whitehead St., Chatham 434-432-8931

info@pcplib.org

The Secrets Inside - Guided Walking Tour

434-770-1974

joycewilburn@gmail.com

Simpson Funeral Museum

16 South Main St., Danville

Tales of Tobacco, Textiles & TrainsGuided Walking Tour

434-770-1974

joycewilburn@gmail.com

There’s A Story Here - Guided Walking Tour

434-770-1974

joycewilburn@gmail.com

Town of Chatham Walking Tour

16A Court Pl., Chatham

Veterans Memorial - Danville

302 River Park Dr., Danville

Yates Tavern US-29 BUS, Gretna

INDOOR RECREATION

Ballou Park Senior Center

760 West Main St., Danville 434-799-5216

bynumem@danvilleva.gov

Danville Stadium Cinemas 12

3601 Riverside Dr., Danville 434-792-9885

Danville Science Center & Virtual Dome

677 Craghead St., Danville 434-791-5160

dscgs@smv.org

Main Street Art Collective

326 Main St., Unit 100, Danville 434-602-2017

mainstreetartcollective.com

The North Theatre

629 North Main St., Danville 434-793-SHOW (7469)

wayne@waynealanmagic.com

Skatetown of Danville

1049 Piney Forest Rd., Danville 434-835-0011

skatetown@verizon.net

Danville Family YMCA

215 Riverside Dr., Danville 434-792-0621

Impotters

406 Lynn St., Danville 434-448-4677

impottersclayworx@gmail.com

Grizzly’s Hatchet House

680 Lynn St., Suite J, Danville 434-425-1470

hello@grizzlyshatchet.com

River City Escapes

680 Lynn St., Suite I, Danville 434-425-1467

hello@rivercityescapes.com

Funky’s Arcade Bar

315 Lynn St., Suite B, Danville 434-483-2511

OUTDOOR RECREATION

Abreu-Grogan Park

2020 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Anglers Park

350 Northside Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Anglers Ridge and Dan Daniel

Mountain Bike System

350 Northside Dr., Danville 302 River Park Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Ballou Park

760 West Main St., Danville 434-799-5215

OUTDOOR RECREATION (CONTINUED)

Birch Creek Motor Sports

12725 Kentuck Rd., Sutherlin 434-836-7629

carlsmail1@comcast.net

Brosville Walking Track

195 Bulldog Ln., Danville 434-432-7736

recreation@pittgov.org

Cedar’s Country Club

1029 Anderson Mill Rd., Chatham 434-656-8036

Coates Bark Park

1727 Westover Dr., Danville 434-799-5150

Camilla Williams Park

700 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Cavalier Park

11650 US Hwy 29 North, Chatham 434-432-7736

recreation@pittgov.org

Dan Daniel Park

302 River Park Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Danville Boat Rental

2020 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5150

Danville Parks & Recreation

125 N Floyd St., Danville 434-799-5200

sgrinwo@danvilleva.gov

Danville Pittsylvania County Fairgrounds

2400 Cavalier Rd., Ringgold 434-822-6850

info@dpcfairgrounds.com

Doyle Thomas Park

827 Green St., Danville 434-799-5215

Elba Park 434-656-6572

townhall@townofgretna.org

Elkhorn Lake & Camp Grounds

2500 Elkhorn Rd., Java 434-432-9203

kennytinaelkhorn@yahoo.com

Franklin Junction Historic Railroad Park

Across from 105 Main St., Gretna 434-656-6572

townhall@townofgretna.org

Gretna Town Trail

Whitehorn Trail

Trailhead at the Centra Medical Building in Gretna Grove Park

100 Southland Dr., Danville

434-799-5215

H.B. Moorefield Park

Riverside Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Hawk Park

201 Coffey St., Gretna 434-432-7736

recreation@pittgov.org

JTI Fountain

215 Main St., Danville

M.C. Martin Park

Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Martinsville Speedway 340 Speedway Rd., Ridgeway 276-956-7225

Paradise Lake & Campground 434-836-2620

1-866-836-2126

vaisforcampers@gmail.com

Phillip Wyatt Skate Park

302 River Park Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Pittsylvania County Parks & Recreation

18 Depot St., St. 508, Chatham 434-432-7736

recreation@pittgov.org

Pumpkin Creek Park

315 Taylor Dr., Danville 434-799-5215

Richmond and Danville Rail Trail/ Ringgold Rail Trail

155 Ringgold Depot Rd., Ringgold 434-432-7736

Riverwalk Trail

111 Main St., Danville 434-799-5215

Smith Mountain Dock & Lodge

188 Locust Ln., Penhook 540-565-0222

Smith Mountain Farm & Stables

7661 Grassland Dr., Sandy Level 434-927-5199

steve@smithmountainstables.com

Smith Mountain Lake & Dam Visitor’s Center

2072 Ford Rd., Sandy Level

540-985-2587

South Boston Speedway

1188 James D. Hagood Hwy, South Boston

434-572-4947

info@southbostonspeedway.com

Southern Hills Golf Course

188 Stokesland Ave., Danville

434-793-2582

golfsouthernhills@gmail.com

Tiny Town Golf

643 Arnett Blvd., Danville

434-799-0142

Titan Park

1160 Tunstall High Rd., Dry Fork

434-432-7736

recreation@pittgov.org

Virginia International Raceway

1245 Pine Tree Rd., Alton

434-822-7700

info@VIRnow.com

White Oak Mountain Wildlife Management Area

Chatham, VA 24531

804-367-1000

Wildcat Park

5875 Kentuck Rd., Ringgold

434-432-7736

recreation@pittgov.org

Zipline

302 River Park Dr., Danville

WWW.PCS.K12.VA.US

Alternative School

434-432-8185

Brosville Elementary School

434-685-7787

Chatham Elementary School

434-432-5441

Chatham Middle School

434-432-2169

Chatham High School

434-432-8305

Dan River Middle School

434-822-6027

Dan River High School

434-822-7081

Gretna Elementary School

434-630-1808

Gretna Middle School

434-656-2217

Gretna High School

434-656-2246

John L. Hurt Elementary School

434-324-7231

Kentuck Elementary School

434-822-5944

Mt. Airy Elementary School

434-630-1816

Pittsylvania Career & Technical Cntr

434-432-9416

Southside Elementary School

434-836-0006

Stony Mill Elementary School

434-685-7545

Tunstall Middle School

434-724-7086

Tunstall High School

434-724-7111

Twin Springs Elementary School

434-724-2666

Union Hall Elementary School

434-724-7010

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

Pittsylvania County Schools

P.O. Box 232, Chatham

*School Board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the School Board office.

434-432-2761

888-440-6520

pcs.k12.va.us

Superintendent: Dr. Mark R. Jones

P.O. Box 232, Chatham

434-432-2761

Banister District: Willie Fitzgerald, Interim

473 Mill Creek Rd., Chatham

434-432-9418

Callands-Gretna District: Calvin D. Doss

P.O. Box 100, Gretna 434-656-3206

cdoss@pcs.k12.va.us

Chatham-Blairs District: Sam Burton

492 Tobacco Road, Dry Fork

434-724-4245

sburton@pcs.k12.va.us

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY

Dan River District: Kelly H. Merricks

2795 Loop Rd., Keeling

434-793-0072

Staunton River District: Don C. Moon

3605 Level Run Rd., Hurt 434-324-4115

dmoon@pcs.k12.va.us

Tunstall District: George Henderson 568 F. C. Beverly Rd., Dry Fork 434-770-8933

ghenderson@pcs.k12.va.us

Westover District: Kevin Mills

2514 Franklin trnpk, Danville 434-836-6742

kmills@pcs.k12.va.us

WWW.DANVILLEPUBLICSCHOOLS.ORG

Northside Preschool 434-773-8301

Forest Hills Elementary School

434-799-6430

G.L.H. Johnson Elementary School 434-799-6433

Park Avenue Elementary School 434-799-6452

Schoolfield Elementary School 434-799-6455

Woodberry Hills Elementary School 434-799-6466

Woodrow Wilson Intermediate School 434-773-8204

E.A. Gibson Elementary School 434-799-6426

O.T. Bonner Middle School

434-799-6446

Westwood Middle School

434-797-8860

Galileo High School 434-773-8186

George Washington High School 434-799-6410

Danville Alternative Program at J.M. Langston Campus

434-799-5249

Adult & Continuing Education Center

434-799-6471

W.W. Moore Jr. Education Program

434-773-8170

*School Board meetings are held on the first and third Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM in the Danville Room of the School Board Office, 341 Main Street, Danville, VA

Superintendent: Dr. Angela Hairston ahairston@mail.dps.k12.va.us

School Board: Keisha Averett kaverett@mail.dps.k12.va.us

Dr. Philip Campbell pcampbell@mail.dps.k12.va.us

Tyrell Payne tpayne1@mail.dps.k12.va.us

Charles McWilliams cmcwilliams@mail.dps.k12.va.us

Brandon Atkins batkins@mail.dps.k12.va.us

Ty’Quan Graves tgraves@mail.dps.k12.va.us

Crystal Cobbs ccobbs@@mail.dps.k12.va.us

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISERS

*Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Chatham Community Center art room (may change soon).

Banister District: Robert M. Tucker, Jr. 434-306-2099

Chatham-Blairs District:

Robert “Bob” Warren 434-770-7607

robert.warren@pittgov.org

Callands-Gretna District: Darrell Dalton

921 Terry Rd., Gretna 434-334-6377

darrell.dalton@pittgov.org

Dan River District: Tim Chesher

3101 Rocksprings Rd., Ringgold 434-334-6376

tim.chesher@pittgov.org

Staunton River District: Tim W. Dudley 434-770-3692

Tim.Dudley@pittgov.org

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD (CONTINUED)

DANVILLE

DANVILLE SCHOOL BOARD

Tunstall District: William “Vic” Ingram

1301 Deercrest Ln., Danville 434-770-3921

Vic.Ingram@pittgov.org

Westover District: Ronald Scearce

434-685-1843

ronald.scearce@pittgov.org

County Administrator: Clearance Monday

County Attorney: J. Vaden Hunt, Esq. 434-432-7720

vaden.hunt@pittgov.org

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY

Circuit Court Clerk: Hon. Mark W. Scarce

P.O. Drawer 31, Chatham 434-432-7887

Commissioner of Revenue: Robin Coles-Gourd

P.O. Box 272, Chatham 434-432-7940

Sheriff: Michael W. Taylor

P.O. Box 407, Chatham 434-432-7800

Treasurer: Vincent Shorter

P.O. Box 230, Chatham 434-432-7960

Commonwealth’s Attorney: Robert “Bryan” Haskins

P.O. Box 1068, Chatham 434-432-7900

Interim County Administrator: J. Vaden Hunt

Town Council Members (continued):

Teresa Easley

teresaeasley51@gmail.com

Irvin W. Perry 348 S. Main St., Chatham 941-740-0268

Treasurer/Clerk: Kelly Hawker

Town Manager: Richard Cocke

Town Assistant Manager: Nicholas Morris

Town Attorney: Adams & Fisk PLC 434-432-2531

CITY OF DANVILLE

WWW.DANVILLE-VA.GOV

Circuit Court Clerk: Gerald A. Gibson

401 Patton St., Danville 434-799-5168

Commissioner of Revenue: James M. Gillie 311 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5145

Sheriff: Michael Mondul

401 Patton St., Danville 434-799-5135

Treasurer: Sheila Williamson-Branch

311 Memorial Dr., Danville 434-799-5140

Commonwealth’s Attorney: Michael Newman

341 Main St., St. 200, Danville 434-797-1635

City Manager: Ken Larking

427 Patton St. 4th flr, Danville 434-799-5100

Mayor: Alisa Davis

260 Davis Rd., Chatham 434-203-8062

adavis@chatham-va.gov

Town Council Members:

Janet B. Bishop

610 South Main St., Chatham 434-432-2714

jbishop@chatham-va.gov

William B. Black

338 North Main St., Chatham 434-432-7721

wblack@chatham-va.gov

Robert B. Thompson

P.O. Box 231, Chatham, VA

434-432-8763 - Home

434-432-6211 – Work

rthompson@chatham-va.gov

klarking@danvilleva.org

DANVILLE CITY COUNCIL

*Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the fourth floor of City Hall located at 427 Patton Street.

Mayor: Alonzo Jones 218 Rockford Plc., Danville 434-250-3231

alonzo.jones@danvilleva.gov

Danville City Council Members: James Buckner 125 Eden Plc., Danville 434-688-1589

james.buckner@danvilleva.gov

Danville City Council Members (continued):

L.G. Campbell, Jr.

368 Mowbray Arch, Danville 434-793-9493

larry.campbell@danvilleva.gov

Gary P. Miller, MD

209 Updike Plc., Danville 434-799-0908

gary.miller@danvilleva.gov

Sherman Saunders

115 Druid Ln., Danville 434-799-8737

sherman.saunders@danvilleva.gov

Barry Mayo

1100 N. Main St., Apt. B, Danville 434-792-1041

barry.mayo@danvilleva.gov

J. Lee Vogler

118 Grove Park Cir., Danville 434-792-0937

lee.vogler@danvilleva.gov

Madison Whittle

143 Marshall Terr., Apt 6, Danville 434-251-0926

madison.whittle@danvilleva.gov

Bryant Hood

876 Stokes St., Danville (336) 933-1480

byrant.hood@danvilleva.gov

GRETNA TOWN COUNCIL

Mayor: R. Keith Motley

P.O. Box 472, Gretna 434-656-6406

keith.motley@townofgretna.org

Vice Mayor: Dianne Jennings

P.O. Box 762, Gretna 434-656-6582

dianne.jennings@townofgretna.org

Town Council Members:

Michael L. Bond

P.O. Box 558, Gretna 434-656-3573

michael.bond@townofgretna.org

Mike Burnette

P.O. Box 1227, Gretna 434-656-8061

mike.burnette@townofgretna.org

Deborah Moran

P.O. Box 630, Gretna 434-656-6079

deborah.moran@townofgretna.org

Town Council Members:

James Gilbert P.O. Box 781, Gretna james.gilbert@townofgretna.org

Jim Hunt

506 Henry St., Gretna 434-656-3653 flowershop@fairpoint.net

Attention: Jim Hunt

Interim Town Manager: Keith Motley 434-656-6406, keith.motley@townofgretna.org

Town Clerk/Treasurer: Patsy Thompson Budd

Town Attorney: Michael Turner 434-656-3989

HURT TOWN COUNCIL

P.O. BOX 760, HURT •(434) 608-0554

*Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Hurt Town Hall.

Mayor: Gary K. Hodnett gary.hodnett@townofhurtva.gov

Vice Mayor: Shirley M. Barksdale-Hill shirley.barksdale-hill@townofhurtva.gov

Town Council Members:

E. Collin Adams Jr. collin.adams@townofhurtva.gov

Christopher “Luke” Perdieu Kathy Haymore-Keesee kathy.keesee@townofhurtva.gov

Gary Poindexter gary.poindexter@townofhurtva.gov

Donney Johnson donney.johnson@townofhurtva.gov

Clerk: Kelsie Sligh

Treasurer: Ellen Brumfield

Public Works Coordinator: Joseph Smith

UNITED STATES CONGRESS

Senators: The Honorable Mark R. Warner

459-A Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 202-224-2023

The Honorable Tim Kaine

388 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 202-224-4024

308 Craghead St., Ste. 102A, Danville 434-792-0976

House of Representatives: The Honorable Bob Good

1213 Longworth HOB, Washington, D.C. 202-225-4711

20436 Lynchburg Hwy, Suite F, Lynchburg, VA 434-791-2596

STATE SENATE

Frank M. Ruff

Pocahontas Bldg., Room #E505, Senate of Virginia, P.O. Box 396, Richmond 804-698-7515

P.O. Box 332, Clarksville 434-374-5129

William M. Stanley district20@senate.virginia.gov

Pocahontas Bldg., Room #E504, Senate of Virginia, P.O. Box 396, Richmond 804-698-7520

P.O. Box 96, Glade Hill 540-721-6028

VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES

Les Adams

Member Since: 2014

R - Counties of Henry (part) and Pittsylvania (part), City of Martinsville

16th District

Capital Office - General Assembly Bldg

P.O. Box 406, Richmond 804-698-1016

delladams@house.virginia.gov

Room Number: 719

Legislative Assistant: Shani Shorter

Secretary During Session: Julia Bouck

District Office

P.O. Box K, Chatham 434-432-1600

W. Daniel Marshall III

Preferred Name: Danny

Member Since: 2002

R - Counties of Henry (part) and Pittsylvania (part); City of Danville

14th District

Capitol Office - General Assembly Bldg

P.O. Box 406, Richmond 804-698-1014

deldmarshall@house.virginia.gov

Room Number: 702

Legislative Assistant: Mary K. Franklin

Secretary During Session: Jackie Price

District Office

P.O. Box 439, Danville

434-797-5861

434-797-2642 (Fax)

CITY/COUNTY INFORMATION

Budget Department

434-733-8105

City Attorney

434-799-5122

City Manager

434-799-5100

Clerk of Circuit Court

434-799-5168

Commissioner of Revenue

434-799-5145

Community Development

434-799-5260

Danville Regional Airport

434-799-5110

Danville Public Schools

434-799-6400

Danville Utilities

434-799-5155

Economic Development

434-793-1753

Emergency Preparedness

434-799-6535

Finance Department

434-799-5185

Fire Department

434-799-5226

Health Department

434-766-9828

Human Resources

434-799-5241

Jail

434-799-5130

Parks and Recreation

434-799-5200

Public Works

434-799-5245

Registrar

434-799-6560

Social Services

434-799-6537

Transit System

434-799-5144

Treasurer’s Office

434-799-5140

POLICE

NON-EMEGENCY NUMBERS

Danville Police Department

434-799-5111

Danville Sheriff’s Office

434-799-5135

Pittsylvania County Sheriff

434-432-7800

Chatham Police Department

Mon-Fri 9a-5p

434-432-9515

24 Hours

434-432-2222

Gretna Police Department

434-656-6123

Hurt Police Department

434-608-0554

Virginia State Police

800-553-3144

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

Community Center at Chatham

434-432-3115

Community Foundation of the Dan River Region

434-793-0884

Dan River Business Development Center

434-793-9100

Danville Community Market

434-797-8961

Danville Economic Development Office

434-793-1753

Danville Museum Fine Arts & History

434-793-5644

Danville Parks, Recreation & Tourism

434-799-5200

Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce

434-836-6990

Danville Science Center

434-799-5160

Danville Welcome Center

434-793-4636

Downtown Danville Association

434-791-4470

Olde Dominion Agricultural Center

434-432-8026

Pittsylvania County Recreation Dept.

434-432-7736

Social Security Administration

800-772-1213

Veterans Affairs

800-827-1000

Voter Registration Danville

434-799-6560

Voter Registration Pittsylvania County

434-432-7971

Libraries

Pittsylvania County Library

434-432-3271

Pittsylvania Library - Gretna

434-656-2579

Pittsylvania Library - Brosville-Cascade

434-685-1285

Pittsylvania Library – Mount Hermon

434-835-0326

Pittsylvania History Center & Library

434-432-8931

Danville Public Library

434-799-5195

Danville Library - Westover

434-799-5152

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY

GOVERNMENT TELEPHONE LISTINGS

Pittsylvania County All Departments

434-432-7700

Agricultural Development

434-432-7993

Animal Control

434-432-7937

Assistant County Administrator

434-432-7720

Building Inspections

434-432-7755

Central Accounting

434-432-7743

Commissioner of Revenue

434-432-7940

Community Policy/Management

434-432-8371

County Administrator

434-432-7710

Courts:

Adult Probation

434-432-7853

Circuit Court Clerk

434-432-7887

Commonwealth Attorney

434-432-7900

General District Court Clerk

434-432-7879

J & D Court Clerk

434-432-7861

J & D Court Services Unit

434-432-7864

Magistrate’s Office

434-432-7910

Crime Stoppers

800-791-0044

Dispatch

434-432-7931

Electoral Board

434-432-7798

Emergency Management & Communications:

Communications/Dispatchers

434-432-7931

Director

434-432-7920

Fire Marshall

434-432-7936

Farm Services Agency

434-432-7765

Health Department

Pitt./Danville Health District

434-799-5190

Child Development Clinic

434-797-1040

Environmental Health

434-432-7758

Water Programs

434-836-8416

Clinic-Chatham

434-432-7232

Clinic-Danville

434-799-5190

Health Department

Clinic-Gretna

434-656-1266

Jail

434-432-7831

Landfill

434-432-7980

Purchasing

434-432-7744

Recreation Dept

434-432-7736

Registrar

434-432-7971

School Board

434-432-2761

Sheriff’s Office

From Chatham/Danville

434-432-7800

From Gretna/Hurt

434-656-6211

From Whitmell

434-797-9550

Dispatch

434-432-7931

Social Services

Chatham

434-432-7281

Danville

434-799-6543

Gretna

434-656-8407

Soil Conservation

434-432-7768

Treasurer’s Office

434-432-7960

Victim/Witness Program

434-432-7854

Virginia Cooperative Extension

434-432-7770

Zoning Code Compliance

434-432-7750