Meherrin, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Meherrin is a small unincorporated community
in Lunenburg
and Prince Edward
counties in the U.S. state
of Virginia
. It is approximately 18.6 miles by road south of Farmville
.
Meherrin is the childhood home and birthplace of Roy Clark
, a country singer and musician known for his appearances in the television show "Hee Haw
". Locally, the village is known for its 4th of July
Celebration and Friday night Bingos, which are both hosted by the Meherrin Volunteer Fire Department.
Meherrin is also home to a large Muslim community of 200 to 300 that in 2002 were suspected of having ties to terrorists inside and outside of the United States.
The village's name was most likely adopted from that of the Meherrin
Indian Tribe.
There is an old wives tale that the name MEHERRIN came about because of an argument between two INDIAN dwellers that were fishing in the Meherrin River and somehow snagged the same fish. When the fish was finally reeled in, there was an argument that ensued with the Indian Fishermen each claiming "ME HERRIN", so goes the story and the name of the VILLAGE.
Nearby colleges include Longwood University
, Hampden-Sydney College
, and Southside Virginia Community College
. Nearby schools are Prince Edward County Public Schools, Lunenburg County Public Schools, Charlotte County Public Schools, and Fuqua School
(Private).
Correction: Meherrin was originally named Moore's Ordinary. It was named for George Moore in August of 1748 when he was granted a license by the Amelia Court to operate an "ordinary" tavern (a tavern that provided ordinary needs for travellers). In 1852 the Richmond-Danville railroad reached Meherrin and built the Meherrin Depot, named for the tribe of Indians that lived there and along the Meherrin River.
This information can be confirmed in Memories of Meherrin, compiled by Ruby Elliott Redmond and Virginia Price Waller. The book was published by Edmonds Printing/Color Images, Inc. in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Copyright 1998 Ruby Elliott Redmond and Virginia Price Waller
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Lunenburg
Lunenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,998 households, and 3,383 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
and Prince Edward
Prince Edward County, Virginia
Prince Edward County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 23,368. Its county seat is Farmville.-Formation and County Seats:...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It is approximately 18.6 miles by road south of Farmville
Farmville, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....
.
Meherrin is the childhood home and birthplace of Roy Clark
Roy Clark
Roy Linwood Clark is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969–1992. Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre...
, a country singer and musician known for his appearances in the television show "Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
". Locally, the village is known for its 4th of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
Celebration and Friday night Bingos, which are both hosted by the Meherrin Volunteer Fire Department.
Meherrin is also home to a large Muslim community of 200 to 300 that in 2002 were suspected of having ties to terrorists inside and outside of the United States.
The village's name was most likely adopted from that of the Meherrin
Meherrin
The Meherrin Nation is one of eight state-recognized Nations of Native Americans in North Carolina. They reside in rural northeastern North Carolina, near the river of the same name on the Virginia-North Carolina border. They received formal state recognition in 1986. The Meherrin have an...
Indian Tribe.
There is an old wives tale that the name MEHERRIN came about because of an argument between two INDIAN dwellers that were fishing in the Meherrin River and somehow snagged the same fish. When the fish was finally reeled in, there was an argument that ensued with the Indian Fishermen each claiming "ME HERRIN", so goes the story and the name of the VILLAGE.
Nearby colleges include Longwood University
Longwood University
Longwood University is a four-year public, liberal-arts university located in Farmville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 and became a university on July 1, 2002...
, Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
, and Southside Virginia Community College
Southside Virginia Community College
Southside Virginia Community College is one of the 23 schools in the Virginia Community College System. It was founded in 1970 and has the largest geographic service area of any community college in the state, covering 10 counties and the city of Emporia....
. Nearby schools are Prince Edward County Public Schools, Lunenburg County Public Schools, Charlotte County Public Schools, and Fuqua School
Fuqua School
Fuqua School is a private primary and secondary school located in Farmville, Virginia. It is named after J.B. Fuqua, who made a large contribution to the school in 1992 to save it from financial insolvency...
(Private).
Correction: Meherrin was originally named Moore's Ordinary. It was named for George Moore in August of 1748 when he was granted a license by the Amelia Court to operate an "ordinary" tavern (a tavern that provided ordinary needs for travellers). In 1852 the Richmond-Danville railroad reached Meherrin and built the Meherrin Depot, named for the tribe of Indians that lived there and along the Meherrin River.
This information can be confirmed in Memories of Meherrin, compiled by Ruby Elliott Redmond and Virginia Price Waller. The book was published by Edmonds Printing/Color Images, Inc. in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Copyright 1998 Ruby Elliott Redmond and Virginia Price Waller