Town Of Blackstone Website
Annual Events
The Blackstone area has many fun and exciting events throughout the year; from food festivals to horse shows. There's something for everyone!
Community Calendar
The area's listings of arts, events, meetings and more. Check out what's going on!
Climate
A generally moderate climate prevails. Average temperatures: January, high of 46F and low 27F; July high of 88F low 67F. Average annual rainfall is 39 inches.
Education
Nottoway County's public school system includes two primary, one elementary, one intermediate, one middle, one high school,
and two vocational schools which combined employ 200 classroom teachers for an overall student:teacher ratio of 15:1. During the 1996-97 school year, there were 1587 students enrolled on the elementary level and 902 on the secondary level.
Kenston Forest School is a private school located in Blackstone. It has a student:teacher ratio of 9:1 and serves grades PreK-12. Over 95% of graduates continue their education.
Government
Blackstone has a seven-member Town Council headed by a mayor. A town manager oversees the daily operations of the town.
History
The village of Blacks & Whites dates to the pre-Revolutionary War era. The village derived its name from two rival taverns - Schwartz Tavern (Schwartz is German for Blacks) and Whites Tavern at the intersection of three stagecoach roads. The village carried the name of Blacks & Whites until 1885. At that time local citizens adopted the name of noted English jurist, William Blackstone. The town was incorporated in 1888, and in 1914, was the 13th town in the United States to adopt the Town Manager form of government.
Labor Force
Blackstone and surrounding counties have an available work force of 32,022. The area's unemployment rate is 7.7% (May '97)
Library Facilities
Blackstone is home to the Louis Spencer Epes Memorial Library. Located between the Blackstone Baptist Church and scenic Seay Park on Main Street. It is open about 30 hours per week, even offering a fun Friday morning reading timefor pre-schoolers. The shelves are full, including an extensive "new" book shelf, an extensive research section, and evensome of the latest books on tape.
Email the Library: bslibrary@msinets.com
The Memorial Library hours are:
Monday: 2 - 5
Tuesday: 1 - 6
Wednesday: 2 - 8
Thursday: 1 - 6
Friday: 9 - 5
Saturday: 9 - 12
Location
Blackstone is located in the Southside region of Virginia, 35 miles southwest of Petersburg,
50 miles southwest of Richmond, and 80 miles east of Lynchburg. The town is 100 miles southwest of Williamsburg and 150 miles south of Washington D.C.
Medical
The Blackstone Family Practice Center is a large rural, residency training
facility. Blackstone is also served by three dentists, two optometrists,
a chiropractor, and a podiatrist. Volunteer rescue squads provide around the clock
emergency service which is supplemented by Southside Community Hospital (25 miles.)
There are two nursing homes in Blackstone, Clay's Rest Home and Heritage Hall Nursing Home.
Military Operations
Adjacent to the town of Blackstone, and located in Nottoway County, is
Ft. Pickett. Once a full-fledged Army base, it is now home to the Virginia Army National Guard.Many units from all branches of military service practice their skills here.
They lend a helping hand to the community when needed, and the communityalways supports their activities. One of the groups that trains here is the Navy Seabees.
Population
Blackstone has a population of 3,867
Topography
The 308 square mile Nottoway County lies in the Piedmont physiographic province. Elevations range from 200 feet above sea level to 600 feet above sea level. Drainage is provided by the Nottoway and Little Nottoway Rivers, and the Deep, Flat and Namozine Creeks.
