About Campbell County, VA

Campbell County Governing with Vision (edit/delete)

The area we know as Central Virginia began with the Hat Creek settlement (present day Campbell County), which was established in the late 1720's. When the Lynch family members created their James River ferry service a quarter-century later. most of their customers were Campbell County farmers hauling hogsheads of tobacco for shipment to Richmond.

As recently as the 1980's tobacco was still prevalent in the southern parts of the county. Tobacco settlement money is helping to transform the same area.

No other county has as many "focal points." Rustburg is the county seat. There are industrial clusters in and near the thriving towns of Altavista and Brookneal. The Mt. Athos and Timberlake are areas are also centers of commerce. While residential neighborhoods can be found throughout the county, the northern sections are more densely populated.

Supporting the growth of existing businesses and industries is a priority in Campbell County.

Altavista suffered a blow several years ago when the Lane Company, famous for its cedar chests, shut down. But joint efforts between the town and county attracted two new companies, spurred the expansion of several existing businesses and prompted Walmart to build a store here and a developer to build a large retail center of US 29.

The village of Rustburg has now a shopping center of its own, complete with a chain grocery store. A new county courthouse was build in the 90's making it the center piece of a governmental complex that includes the sheriff's offices, jail, social services and county library.

The county has four high schools, which serve as the top layer of a strong educational system. Vocational training is available at the Campbell County Technical Center at Yellow Branch. Central Virginia Community College maintains satellite centers in both Altavista and Brookneal.

Campbell County includes a unique mix of industrial hubs, centers of commerce, residential communities, and sprawling farmland. This unique mixture attracts residents from all walks of life, including engineers, college professors, and retired tobacco farmers.

The area we know as Central Virginia began with the Hat Creek settlement (present day Campbell County), which was established in the late 1720's. When the Lynch family members created their James River ferry service a quarter-century later. most of their customers were Campbell County farmers hauling hogsheads of tobacco for shipment to Richmond.

As recently as the 1980's tobacco was still prevalent in the southern parts of the county. Tobacco settlement money is helping to transform the same area.

No other county has as many "focal points." Rustburg is the county seat. There are industrial clusters in and near the thriving towns of Altavista and Brookneal. The Mt. Athos and Timberlake are areas are also centers of commerce. While residential neighborhoods can be found throughout the county, the northern sections are more densely populated.

Supporting the growth of existing businesses and industries is a priority in Campbell County.

Altavista suffered a blow several years ago when the Lane Company, famous for its cedar chests, shut down. But joint efforts between the town and county attracted two new companies, spurred the expansion of several existing businesses and prompted Walmart to build a store here and a developer to build a large retail center of US 29.

The village of Rustburg has now a shopping center of its own, complete with a chain grocery store. A new county courthouse was build in the 90's making it the center piece of a governmental complex that includes the sheriff's offices, jail, social services and county library.

The county has four high schools, which serve as the top layer of a strong educational system. Vocational training is available at the Campbell County Technical Center at Yellow Branch. Central Virginia Community College maintains satellite centers in both Altavista and Brookneal.

Campbell County includes a unique mix of industrial hubs, centers of commerce, residential communities, and sprawling farmland. This unique mixture attracts residents from all walks of life, including engineers, college professors, and retired tobacco farmers.

South of Lynchburg in Altavista, the Avoca Museum is the home-site of Colonel Charles Lynch, the Revolutionary patriot and brother of John Lynch, founder of Lynchburg. The house is an excellent example of 19th Century American Queen Anne architecture. The property was given to the Town in the 1980s and is operated by the non-profit Avoca Museum and Historical Society. The house is an excellent example of 19th Century American Queen Anne architecture. The property was given to the Town in the 1980s and is operated by the non-profit Avoca Museum and Historical Society. The house contains a unique collection of local antiques, including Native American artifacts and Civil War memorabilia. Avoca also hosts an annual wine festival in late September.

Hours of operation: (April 20, 2008 - October 31, 2008)

Thursday and Friday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Open year round for rentals and group tours (10 or more)

In the year 1908 when the town of Altavista, Virginia was in its infancy, a group of local business realized that the town, being located at the junction of two railroads, The Southern and the Virginian (soon to be completed) and the Staunton River, had prospects of great potential, but in order to grow and attract business, a bank was a necessity.

Mr. Henry L. Lane of the Lane Brothers Company, founders of the town, a local physician, Dr. W.O. Smith and Mr. W.S. Frazier, a lumber mill owner and operator, proceeded with the organization of a bank and mad application to the Treasure Department in Washington. D. C. for a charter, which was granted on December 17, 1908 to "The First National Bank of Altavista.", Altavista, Virginia with a capitalization of $25,000. Mr. Lane was elected President, Dr. Smith, Vice President and E.T. Yeaman, Cashier, and banking was begun in a portion of a newly erected building of the Lane Brothers Company at the corner of Broad and Seventh Streets. Mr. Yeaman, the Cashier, operated the bank alone for some time and as business increased, the Board of Directors employed a bookkeeper, Miss Douglas Snow, in August 1909.

In 1917, First National Bank purchased the building from Lane Brothers utilizing the same space in which it began and rented the space it did not use to several local businesses.\With the confidence and cooperation of its depositors, the bank continued to grow through the challenging years of the depression.

Through its ninety-nine years of business, The First National Bank of Altavista has operated under six presidents, Henry L. Lane, Dr. W.O. Smith, W. S. Frazier, Paul W. Tyree, S. Thomas Cox, and Robert H. Gilliam, Jr. The bank is unique in that it has maintained the same name and has been headquartered on the same corner at Broad and Seventh in Altavista as when the bank opened in 1908.

From humble beginnings in 1908, the bank has grown in assets to $268,000,000 as of June 2007 with capital of $25,000,000. The First National Bank of Altavista currently maintains eight offices. The Main Office and Vista Branch are located in the town of Altavista, the Airport Branch and Timberlake Branch in Campbell County, the Old Forest Road Branch in the City of Lynchburg, the Forest Branch in Bedford County, the Amherst Branch in the Town of Amherst and a Loan Production Office in Franklin County at Smith Mountain Lake.