Boydton, Virginia

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Coordinates: 36°40′5″N 78°23′20″W / 36.66806, -78.38889
Boydton, Virginia
Boydton, Virginia Location within the state of Virginia
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Mecklenburg
Area
- Total	0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²)
- Land	0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	354 ft (108 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	454
- Density	553.0/sq mi (213.5/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	23917
Area code(s)	434
FIPS code	51-09016^[1]
GNIS feature ID	1498456^[2]

Boydton is a town in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, United States. The population was 454 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mecklenburg County^[3].

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 Notable residents
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Boydton is located at 36°40′5″N, 78°23′20″W (36.667997, -78.389001)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] 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/km²). There were 165 housing units at an average density of 201.0/sq mi (77.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 58.15% White, 39.21% African American, 1.54% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or 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 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.

[edit] History

Boydton was the original home of Randolph-Macon College, then very small, and which barely stayed in operation during the Civil War as its focus abruptly changed from a Methodist seminary to military cadet training. In the difficult post-war reconstruction years the trustees relocated the remote and struggling school to its present location Ashland, Virginia, closer to railroad service.

Boydton was the terminus of the 19th-century "Boydton Plank Road" leading to Petersburg. This road was covered with wooden planks, making it superior to other roads which were just unpaved dirt and rutted.

The Boyd Tavern is an 18th-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).