• Paul C. Edmunds Memorial Park  It overlooks a pond on the rolling countryside of what was once the Edmunds' dairy farm: playground, picnic pavilions, disk golf, botanical gardens, Serenity Gardens, volleyball, fishing, horseshoes. • Mountain Road - Halifax The Mountain Road Historic District has been called "the prettiest village in Virginia." The street is lined with notable 19th century homes and buildings. • South Boston One of the largest and architecturally interesting Victorian historic districts in Southside Virginia. See the site of the Revolutionary War Gen. Nathaniel Greene's Retreat to the Dan and home of former Governor William M. Tuck. • River Road River Road, SR 659, is the single most historic area in Halifax County. In the decades preceding the Civil War, most of the wealth of the county was centered along River Road. As fortunes rose, so did the mansions, equal to any in Virginia in style and elegance. • South of the Dan The area west and south of South Boston, an old stage coach route, is noted for its many fine examples of architecture from the 18th & 19th century. • Battlefield - Clover - Providence Halifax County grew up around stage coach routes and later in the 1850's around the railroad. The impact of the Civil War on the county becomes vivid at the battlefield. This area northeast of South Boston has several 18th & 19th century plantation houses. • Staunton River Battlefield A Thousand Years of History - Pre-European Native American artifacts from on site archaeological excavations housed in a restored Late Victorian rail depot, - a 20 room Colonial mansion with many original furnishings dating to early 19th century, - a Civil War battlefield, - a rails to trails hiking trail crossing the Staunton River, - a nature trail, - two welcome centers, - all located on 330 acres of rolling hills with the river running through • Staunton Scenic River Tour The name "Staunton" is said to originate from Captain Henry Staunton, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, who earlier was in command of a company of soldiers organized to patrol the river valley from the mountains to the mouth of the Dan to protect the early white settlers from the incursions of the Indians. This section of the river came to be known locally as "Captain Staunton's River". • Washington Passes Through Halifax President Washington spent two nights and a day in Halifax County, the guest of Col. Issac Coles of Coles' Ferry, in June of 1791. • Paddling the Waterways of Halifax County, Virginia Halifax County provides a tremendous variety of paddling options; each of its four rivers has a distinctive character, and its two lakes and several creeks provide further unique trips. Included in this paddling site are detailed river charts showing mileages, important physical features, and historical facts on the rivers Dan, Banister, and Staunton. Also, suggested trips to take along with their estimated travel times. • Civil Rights Heritage Trail The trail is described by its founders as "the first memorial trail of its kind in Virginia dedicated to commemorating the African-American, American-Indian and women's struggle for equality." • Tobacco Heritage Trail A system of long-distance recreational, multiuse, non-motorized trails. Approximately 100 miles of abandoned railroad corridor, plus easements and connecting bike routes along county roadways, will be employed in the construction of the Tobacco Heritage Trail through Brunswick, Halifax, and Mecklenburg counties. |
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The transcription and the updated photos are the work of Dan Shaw. In some cases modifications to the original text have been made to improve the flow of the story, correct typos, and insert new or clarifying information. Additional facts or further corrections are welcome. This author takes no credit for the original publications and its research. These local historians should be honored for the their endless hours of efforts to document this county's history for posterity. © 2012 by Dan Shaw, Halifax Web WorX. Last updated on October 10, 2012. |