Community Development

About Us

Cumberland County was formed from Goochland  County by an act of the Virginia Assembly in 1749 and named for the Duke of Cumberland, second son of King George II.  On April 22, 1776, Cumberland led the Colonies in calling for independence from Britain.  This is recorded as the first positive call for American Independence issued by a governmental body.

One of the last battles of the Civil War was fought at the historic “High Bridge,” which spans the Appomattox River from Cumberland to Prince Edward County.  This historic railroad bridge was built in 1864 with brick piers supporting a wooden superstructure, which was partially burned during the Civil War.  These now stand overshadowed by their 1914 steel counterpart in use today for freight trains.  General Robert E. Lee received Grant’s first communication concerning the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia while camping at Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  Both of these sites are included in the driving tour of the Route of Lee’s Retreat, which follows the final campaign of the Civil War from Petersburg to Appomattox.

Located in the central Piedmont area of Virginia, Cumberland County is situated near a number of the state’s largest metropolitan areas.  Its central location affords easy accessibility to markets.

Local Economy 

The Town of Farmville (partly located in Cumberland County) serves as the hub of retail and commercial activity for surrounding counties in Central Virginia.  Farmville has a service market area of more than 100,000 people.

Employment

Cumberland County issued 799 business licenses in 2007. Employment is concentrated in manufacturing, retail trade, services, construction, public administration, agriculture and forestry.

Cumberland County has a civilian labor force of 4,573 and an unemployment rate of 3.4% (November 2007). The surrounding Labor Area is 99,873 people, with an unemployment rate of 3.2% (2007).

Virginia is a strong right-to-work state.

Finance

There are two financial institutions, with 6 locations, that serve the residents of Cumberland County. The financial institutions have combined total assets exceeding $117 billion dollars (2006).

Communications

Telephone:  Verizon and Embarq (formerly Sprint)

Newspapers:  The Farmville Herald, a bi-weekly; the Cumberland Bulletin, a weekly; and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, a morning daily.

Radio:  WVHL AM/FM Farmville; WFLO AM/FM Farmville; WPAK AM Farmville; WXJK FM Farmville; WBNN FM Dillwyn, and WSVS Crewe.  Richmond stations are well received.

Television:  The four major networks and public television are received from the Richmond area.  Cable television services are also available.

Parcel:  UPS, Federal Express, DHL, and U.S. Mail Express

Transportation

Air:  Richmond International Airport (60 miles) offers 75 daily flights by five airlines with Air freight service available.  Commercial service is also offered at Lynchburg Municipal Airport which offers 19 daily flights via two airlines.   The Farmville Municipal Airport has a 4,400 foot paved, lighted runway.   Located in Cumberland County, the airport provides hangars and tie downs and is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with full maintenance service, aircraft rental and sales, and student training available.

Bus:  Intercity bus service is provided by Trailways, Greyhound and Farmville Area Bus and Central Virginia Transportation, a rural bus system. Waterways:  Deepwater port facilities are located in Richmond on the James River (25 foot channel) and in Hampton Roads (45 foot channel).

Motor Freight Carriers:  Approximately 25 trucking firms serve the area.

Government Services

Cumberland County is governed by a five-member board of supervisors.  A county administrator handles daily operations.  The county has adopted a comprehensive zoning plan.

Police protection is provided by a sheriff’s office, including the sheriff, 16 full-time deputies and five full-time dispatchers.  Four state troopers are assigned to the county.

The Department of Social Services, with a director and staff of 17, offers temporary financial assistance, medical assistance, and a variety of supportive services to citizens in need.  Among the supportive services offered are the Food Stamp program, commodity foods, and assistance with emergency needs for children, adults and families.

Three volunteer fire departments, in Cartersville, Cumberland and the Randolph District, provide fire protection.

There are two rescue squads, the Cumberland Volunteer Rescue Squad (provides Basic Life Support Capabilities)and the Cartersville Volunteer Rescue Squad (providing) Advanced Life Support Capabilities.  The Randolph District receives rescue squad service from the Town of Farmville. For more information regarding the County's emergency services, refer to the Emergency Service Committee (ESC) website.

Utilities

Electricity:  Dominion Virginia Power serves the more urbanized areas of the county.  Central Virginia Electric Cooperative serves the northern area except around Cartersville (Dominion Virginia Power).  The Southside Electric Cooperative serves the southeastern area.

Water:  The town of Farmville water system provides water for the community of Jackson Heights, the portion of Farmville located in Cumberland.  This system serves approximately 500 people.  A new water system is being constructed in the Court House area, which will serve the schools and a number of businesses along the Route 60 corridor.  The remaining population obtains water from privately owned wells or springs.  A privately owned water supply furnishes untreated well water to the Lakeside Village subdivision in Cartersville.

Sewerage:  A public sewerage system serves the Cumberland Court House area of the county and a portion of Route 45 South and the Jackson Heights area near Farmville.  The effluent is treated at the Farmville wastewater treatment plant, which has a capacity of 6 million gallons a day.

Solid Waste Disposal:  Three transfer stations serve the county:  Hamilton transfer station on Route 690, Madison transfer station on Route 728, and Randolph transfer station on Route 45 South.  All accept household waste, white goods and recyclables; no industrial waste.  Tires, brush and construction debris are accepted at Madison.

Education

The Cumberland County Public School System is a small, model, rural school  system that promotes the academic excellence of each student through quality instruction and innovative programs while employing research-based practices.  The varied programs, such as Cortez Math and History, Accelerated Reader, Direct Instruction, Power Writing, Saxon Math, Senior Project, Fast-forward, Dell Laptop Initiative, etc., consider the needs of the whole child including the child’s academic, emotional, physical, and social well-being.

The Cumberland County Public School System houses approximately 1500 students in three schools, Cumberland County Elementary School (grades pre-kindergarten-5th), Cumberland Middle School (grades 6th-8th), and Cumberland High School (grades 9th-12th).  A new Highschool/Middle School complex is currently under construction. Classes in the new facilities will begin in Fall 2008. Approximately 140 instructional staff members are working toward preparing our students for globally technologically advanced society.  We are at the forefront of technology, from our fiber-optic networks, technology labs and classroom computers to individual computers at the high school level.  Our students are given opportunities to acquire necessary skills for a successful future.

Dual enrollment classes are offered in conjunction with Southside Virginia and J Sargeant Reynolds Community Colleges for college credit. In addition, each year, students are selected to attend school part of the day at the Governor's School for Global Economics & Technology at Longwood University and the Pre-Engineering Academy located at the Amelia-Nottoway Career and Technical Center. Students in the ADVANCE program are afforded the opportunity to earn an associates degree and a high school diploma concurrently. These offerings are in addition to a full spectrum of courses in academic and career technical area. The Cumberland school system is also a competitive in academic achievement results, sports, extra-curricular activities, teacher salaries, attendance rates and graduation rates.  

Vision Statement:  The Cumberland County School System will be a model rural school system that serves as the educational and resource center for the community.

Mission Statement:  Cumberland Public Schools, in partnership with the family and community, will provide every student with the opportunity for a first class education in a safe, respectful environment.

2007-2008 Enrollment

Students:  1,456

Teachers: 119   

Number of 2007 high school graduates:  98

Number of Advanced Diplomas: 57%

Number of Scholarships Awarded: 53

Scholarship Dollars Awarded: $406,765

Private Schools

New Life Christian Academy (K-12),  Cumberland Christian Day School (1-12)

Medical

Southside Community Hospital, Farmville, is a 116-bed, full-service hospital.  It offers 24-hour physician emergency services, an intensive/coronary care unit, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, physical/occupational therapy, radiology, pathology and home health care. 

The Cumberland County Health Department offers a variety of medical and educations services for all ages.

SkyStat, a member of the PHI Air Medical, provides air ambulatory services to the region. Located at the Farmville Regional Airport in Cumberland County, SkyStat is fully staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By providing advaced emergency medical care, SkyStat greatly aides local fire and EMS units b reducing the time for transporting pastients to hospitals throughout the state. SkyStat is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport System (CAMTS), a process that authenticates strict adherence to high quality safety and clinical standards. More information cat be found at www.phicares.com www.phicares.com

Agriculture

In 2002, Cumberland County had 283 farms.  The average farm size is approximately 221 acres.  The market value of agricultural products sold in 2002 was  about $28 million.  Principle crops include tobacco and field crops except cash grains; livestock include poultry and eggs, beef cattle and dairy farms.  Poultry and beef cattle are the major agricultural operations in the county, with Cumberland County ranking sixth in the state  for poultry production.  The county also ranks tenth in the state overall in agriculture, based on money generated from farming.

Natural Resources

Forests:  Cumberland County has 135,560 acres of woodland or more than 70% of the county’s total land area.  The most common commercial forest species found are oak-hickory types, followed by Virginia pine, loblolly pine, short leaf pine, elm and ash.

Water:  Domestic supplies of groundwater are obtained from wells that are bored 20 to 70 feet below ground level.  Water levels vary with climate changes.  The water is generally soft and free from mineral matter.

Minerals:  Cumberland County is in the Piedmont province and is underlain primarily by igneous and metamorphic rocks.  Recent testing indicates that clay materials at selected localities in Cumberland are potentially suitable for the manufacture of brick and other ceramic products.  Sulfide minerals and gold were prospected at a site near Cartersville.  The abandoned Piedmont Coal Company produced coal for local use from the early 1860s intermittently until the early 1980s in the southern part of the county.

Topography

Total acreage:  186,880

Square mileage:  292

Physiographic province:  Piedmont

Topography:  Level to slight slopes

Elevations:  200-500’

Drainage:  James and Appomattox Rivers

Climate

Generally mild winters and warm summers.

Weather reporting site:  Cumberland

Annual average rainfall:  42.93”

Annual average snowfall:  16.80”

Prevailing winds:  SE, SW (warm)

Annual average temperature:  56.1F

January average:  37F

July average:  77F

Parks:  There are three state parks within 30 miles of Cumberland:  Bear Creek Lake State Park, Twin Lakes State Park and Holliday Lake State Park.

Bear Creek Lake State Park, located in the heart of Cumberland County, offers swimming, camping, hiking and boating facilities.  Through the 2002 State Bond Referendum, Bear Creek Lake State Park is expanding its amenities to offer a lodge/meeting facility and 13 cabins overlooking the lake.  Completion is slated for Spring 2006.  There are 16,79 acres of state forest land open for hunting, boating and fishing with five public lakes located within the state forest boundaries.  The Park has partnered with the Cumberland State Forest to create the Cumberland Multi-Use Trail, which offers more than 20 miles of trails designed to accommodate hiking, biking and horseback riding.

The Willis River Hiking Trail extends 16-miles through the Piedmont hills of the Cumberland State Forest.  Most of its route is in mature hardwood forest.  At points, the trail overlooks Winston Lake and at times follows the banks of the scenic Willis River.  Two swinging footbridges are a highlight, crossing the Willis River, leading to perfect picnicking spots in the forest.

Cumberland State Forest is the second largest state forest in Virginia covering more than 16,000 acres.

Within a two-hour drive are Kings Dominion Amusement Park, Wintergreen Ski Resort, Busch Gardens Theme Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Recreation:  Swimming, tennis, golf and ball field facilities are locally maintained.  The county offers a public recreational program.  A very active Dixie Youth League is offered to children of the county, along with a varied sports program for adults.  Brookleigh Golf Club, a semi-private club, offers a 9-hole golf course, Olympic-size swimming pool and clubhouse facilities, www.brookleighgolf.com . It is located adjacent to the Farmville Regional Airport, www.hova.com .

Cumberland County also boasts a 14-mile bike route at Bear Creek Lake State Park, in addition to other bike trails through the county.

Map showing bike trails

Lee’s Retreat

Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail

Cultural:  Nearby Hampden-Sydney College and Longwood University provide such cultural offerings as plays, musical performances, forums, lecture series, performing arts series and festivals.

The "Patriot Day" Festival, on the third Saturday of April in the Court House area, celebrates the county’s place in history.

A Fourth of July Celebration has become a tradition at Cartersville.  For years, it has attracted festival-goers of all ages from miles around.  The fireworks display over the James River is spectacular.  Cartersville is also featured as an overnight stop in the annual Batteau Festival on the James River in July.

There is one multiplex theatre and one amateur theatre are located in Farmville.

Churches: More than 30 churches offer religious services in the county.

Projects

Cobbs Creek Reservoir: 

The proposed Cobbs Creek reservoir has received all three required permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. The permits provide for the construction of a dam and reservoir on Cobbs Creek in Cumberland County and the construction and operation of a water withdrawal on the James River in Cumberland County.

The 1,100-acre project is viewed by many as a model for the DEQ's regional water supply planning regulations implemented in response to the drought of 2001-2002. The reservoir will provide an adequate long term, regional water supply for the counties of Henrico, Cumberland, Powhatan, and Goochland while protecting the James River by putting water back into the river during periods of drought.

"The Cobbs Creek Reservoir demonstrates how man and nature can work to sustain each other," Bill Osl, Chairman, Cumberland County Board of Supervisors. "For too long, the practice throughout Virginia has been to simply take water from the river. Our regional partners have worked diligently to develop a model regional water supply project that actually gives back to the river to ensure its health and long term viability."

The proposed multi-purpose reservoir would provide the following primary benefits:

• A reliable future water supply for Cumberland, Henrico, Goochland and Powhatan counties.
• Reduced stress upon the James River during critical drought conditions.
• Low flow augmentation of James River flows to benefit instream uses such as fisheries, recreations and water quality.
• A recreation amenity to Cumberland County citizens and others who will visit the reservoir.

Nearly 50 potential reservoir site locations were evaluated based on the parameters of reservoir size, existing land uses, affected wetland area and degree of impact to residents. The Cobbs Creek site was chosen because it had excellent storage potential and minimal impacts relative to other sites. The proposed reservoir is estimated at $185 million (2008 dollars). Once the approval and permitting process is completed, it is projected the reservoir would take approximately three years for design, for years to construct, and one and a half years to fill.

    Cobbs Creek Reservoir Newsletter, Sept. 2005

    Link to Richmond Times-Dispatch news article, March 2005

    Reservoir article and map from Cumberland Currents, Winter 2005

    Reservoir article from Cumberland Currents, Spring 2006

 

Museum/Visitor Center

Cumberland County is scheduled to begin construction on its visitor center/museum in 2008. The center will be located in the historic "old jail" building adjacent to the County Administration building. Partially funded through the VDOT TEA-21 grant program, the renovation is expected to take up to 2 years for completion. Once open, the museum and visitor center will provide an opportunity to preserve and promote Cumberland's vast history, as well as to capture its significance in important American historical eras, including the American Revolution, Civil War, and Civil Rights Movement

The Cumberland County Museum Board is currently accepting registration for museum memberships. For more information or to register, please contact the Museum Board President, Mr. Cliff White, at (804) 492-4493.

Cumberland Community Center:

Cumberland County recently acquired the former Cumberland Elementary School property, which is now home to the Cumberland Community Center. THe site consists of several buildings with approximately 65,00 square feet of space and 20+ acres of land. A 3,000 square foot renovations was made to a portion of the 2-story former elementary school building in 2007. This space is now home to Southside Virginia Community College . Additional renovations are expected to begin in 2008 to provide addition classroom space for SVCC courses.

While future uses for the rest of the community center have not been fully determined, the County has identified several concepts which are outline in the Vision Statement. The county will put forth a master planning process to identify the needs of the community and create a master plan for the center accordingly. It is expected that those uses will include education, recreational, and small business opportunities.

Streetscapes:  The County also has been awarded five Transportation Enhancement grants and a Transportation Planning Grant, both projects focus on improvements along the Route 60 corridor in the Court House area.

The Transportation Enhancement project will provide for landscaping of the Courthouse Green area; the addition of period lighting, crosswalks, and sidewalk extensions; the renovation of the “old jail” into a museum/visitor’s center; and construction of a comfort station/regional farmer’s market, on Foster Road.

The corridor study, which was completed in early 2005, attempted to address the dramatic increase in traffic counts along the Route 60 corridor from Route 13 to Route 600, and the safety concerns of the ingress and egress at the schools.  Some of the issues identified will be addressed as an addition to the enhancement program.  Other changes will be implemented in phases as funding becomes available.

Tourism:  As a member of Virginia’s Retreat, a 13-County tourism marketing consortium, Cumberland County is included in the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail.  The trail is comprised of 41 sites with detailed interpretation and photos at each location.  The self-guided driving tour allows the traveler to start or stop in any of the thirteen participating jurisdictions, as the trail is neither linear nor chronological in design. 

The County has three stops along the trail, including one at the proposed “old jail” museum, former Hamilton High School, and a former Rosenwald School at New Hope Church.

The trail opened May 14, 2004, with Governor Mark R. Warner as the keynote speaker at an event held at the Moton Museum, Farmville.  As a part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954, VA’s Retreat representatives presented a program on the new trail in January 2005 when members of the Brown v. Board of Education’s 50th Anniversary Commission visited Prince Edward County and the Robert Russa Moton Museum.  

A number of critical upgrades and enhancements are scheduled at Bear Creek Lake State Park as a result of the successful 2002 bond referendum.  The Park received $4.2 million in improvements, including the addition of 13 guest cabins, a new meeting lodge facility, pavilion and the necessary infrastructure to connect these facilities to Cumberland County’s public water and sewer systems.