Pamplin City, Virginia
Town
The Pamplin Pipe Factory, a federally designated historic site
Location of Pamplin City, Virginia
Coordinates: 37°15′49″N 78°40′52″W / 37.26361°N 78.68111°W / 37.26361; -78.68111
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Counties	Appomattox, Prince Edward
Government
• Type	Elected Town Council
• Mayor	William Horton, Sarah Hamlett Blackwell
• Town Council	R. Jacob Hamlett
Area [1]
• Total	0.32 sq mi (0.82 km2)
• Land	0.32 sq mi (0.82 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Population  (2010)
• Total	219
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	228
• Density	721.52/sq mi (278.90/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Federal Postal Code	23958
Area code	434
FIPS code	51-60488[3]

Pamplin City is a town in Appomattox and Prince Edward counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 219 at the 2010 census.

The Appomattox County portion of Pamplin City is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Pamplin is the home of a Clay Pipe Factory, formerly the largest clay pipe factory in the United States. It is located to the side of Business 460. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1980.^[4] The Buffalo Presbyterian Church was listed on the NRHP in 1995.^[4]

This town was a stop on the Southside Railroad in the mid-nineteenth Century. This became the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad in 1870 and then a line in the Norfolk and Western Railway and now the Norfolk Southern Railway.^[5] The rail line from Burkville to Pamplin City was converted by Virginia Department of Parks and Recreation into High Bridge Trail State Park.

Residents hope to rebuild it, however, and part of that process involves the High Bridge Trail. In March 2023, the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors heard a bit about High Bridge and the plan Pamplin residents have to bring in tourists. They want to direct the High Bridge Trail into the downtown area. The goal is to tailor the downtown, to attract tourists walking on the trail to stop in and look around.

Currently, High Bridge Trail ends at Heights School Road. A land purchase by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation from Norfolk Southern will enable the trail to extend another mile into the Town of Pamplin. The town's responsibility is to build the western terminus parking lot. Originally, the cost of the parking lot was estimated at $50,000. As Pamplin resides part in Prince Edward County and part in Appomattox County, Appomattox supervisors gave them the full $50,000 originally needed. Already, $14,000 of that has been spent by the town on clearing brush and debris, surveying property lines and acquiring site plans. But then inflation hit hard this past year and now the town needs some help.

Fortunately, the town received a grant to cover most of the cost. Now to get it done, they just need $25,000 from each county.

Geography

Pamplin City is located at 37°15′49″N 78°40′52″W / 37.26361°N 78.68111°W / 37.26361; -78.68111 (37.263523, -78.680985).^[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 199 people, 78 households, and 51 families residing in the town. The population density was 653.5 people per square mile (256.1/km²). There were 89 housing units at an average density of 292.3 per square mile (114.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.95% White, 7.54% African American, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.

There were 78 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 12.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,000, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $23,125 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,246. About 16.7% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 24.2% of those 65 or over.

References