Tightsqueeze, Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tightsqueeze is an unincorporated community in the center of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. It is included in the Danville, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The community of Tightsqueeze got its name due to the construction of two buildings close to road that connected Chatham and Danville during the 19th century. In 1870, W. H. Colbert built his general store close enough to the road that women could go straight from their carriage to the store without getting muddy or dusty. ^[1]

Soon, another merchant, Isaiah Giles, built a blacksmith-wheelwright shop directly across the road from the general store. It, too, was on the road's edge. Due to the closeness of the two buildings, buggies and wagons had to slow down as they passed between the two buildings. Thus, individuals were told to slow down for the "tight squeeze" where the two stores were located.

The community in recent years has seen significant growth coming from businesses that would otherwise have located themselves within the nearby Chatham. For many years, Virginia Department of Transportation signs with the community's name on them were frequently stolen by pranksters.

At one point, the county supervisors changed the name of Tightsqueeze to "Fairview." However, after public protest, the name of Tightsqueeze was restored. Time magazine ran a feature story about Tightsqueeze and the name controversy.