Pittsville, Virginia

Pittsville is an unincorporated community in Pittsylvania County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.

Economy

Pittsville has a small general store and a Post Office The primary industries are tied to agriculture, forest resources and real estate. There are many spectacular views of Smith Mountain, Peaks of Otter and The Blue Ridge Mountains. The real estate market has seen recent interest because of increased development on nearby Leesville Lake and Smith Mountain Lake.

History

Pittsville played an important role in early history of Virginia. Early mineral prospectors found iron ore in the form of Brown Hematite and magnetic ore in the 1860s and in 1878 the Franklin and Pittsylvania Railroad was chartered as a means of transporting the ore to market. The population at this time was approximately 80 persons. At the same time a 7 mile section of track was laid by the Washington City, Virginia Midland & Great Southern Railroad to connect Pittsville with Franklin Junction (Gretna). This branch was called the Pittsylvania Railroad. It connected to the Franklin and Pittsylvania Railroad which ran west from Pittsville to Rocky Mount. Around 1888, iron ore supplies were nearly exhausted and the railway was subsisting mainly for transport of lumber. The Railroad later fell into bankruptcy and was abandoned by 1932.

Pittsville today is a small community. As of 2008 the ZIP code of its post office included 220 households, and several new developments on Leesville Lake such as Mountain View Shores, Leesville Landing, Parker's Landing, and Eagle Point Shores and part of the nearby community of Brights.

References

U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Pittsville, Virginia
The History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia by Maud Carter Clement
Hand-book of Virginia, Volumes 81-886 by Virginia Dept. of Agriculture, Randolph Harrison

Municipalities and communities of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States

County seat: Chatham

Towns	Chatham Gretna Hurt

CDPs	Blairs Motley Mount Hermon

Unincorporated communities	Ajax Andersons Mill Bachelors Hall Banister Berry Hill Beverly Heights Birnam Wood Brights Brosville Brutus Buford Callahans Hills Callands Cartersville Cascade Cedar Forest Cedar Hill Chalk Level Climax Coles Hill Dry Fork Dundee Ebenezer Eldon Knolls Fairfield Park Farmers Flint Hill Fox Hollow Galveston Gilmer Terrace Glenland Glenwood Grady Green Acres Green Pond Greenfield Grit Halifax Hills Henrys Mill Hermosa Hill Grove Hinesville Hollys Mill Hollywood Hopewell Java Jones Mill Keeling Kentuck Lakewood Laniers Mill Laurel Grove Leaksville Junction Level Run Lucks Lumpkin Forest Markham Motleys Mill Mt. Airy Mount Cross Mountain Hill Museville Natal New Mount Cross Oak Hill Oak Hills Oak Ridge Oakland Olde Hunting Hills Peytonsburg Pickaway Pickerel Pine Ridge Pittsville Pleasant Gap Pleasant Grove Pullens Ray Red Oak Hollow Redeye Renan Riceville Ridgecrest Ridgeway Ringgold Rondo Sandy River Sharon Sheva Shockoe Smothers Soapstone Sonans Spring Garden Stony Mill Straightstone Surry Hills Sutherlin Swansons Mill Swansonville Sycamore Tightsqueeze Toshes Transco Village Turkey Fork Vadens Mill Vance Vandola Weal West Fork Whitfield Whitmell Whittles Whittletown Witt Woodlake Park Woodlawn Woodlawn Heights Worlds Wyndover Woods

Coordinates: 36°58′55″N 79°27′43″W / 36.98194°N 79.46194°W / 36.98194; -79.46194

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