Burkeville

History

The Town of Burkeville, Virginia was established in 1877. Burkeville was named either for a tavern or for a Samuel Burke, and was formerly called "Burke's Junction". It was founded at the junction of the Richmond and Danville Railroad and the Southside Railroad in the mid-nineteenth century. The Southside became the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad in 1870, then a line in the Norfolk and Western Railway, and finally a line in the Norfolk Southern Railway. The rail line from Burkeville to Pamplin City, after being abandoned, was converted by the Virginia Department of Parks and Recreation into High Bridge Trail State Park. The state of Virginia has still yet to complete the portion from approximately 1 mile out into the town of Burkeville as of July 1, 2023. The last major Civil War battle in the Appomattox campaign was fought nearby at Sayler's Creek on April 6, 1865. Here were unconditionally surrendered more men than in any other battle on American soil. General Robert E. Lee's depleted forces lost over 7,000 men killed, wounded, or taken prisoner either at Sayler's Creek or at General John B. Gordon's engagement the same day, a few miles west. Lee surrendered at Appomattox three days later. Ella Graham Agnew was appointed in 1910 by the United States Department of Agriculture to be the first State Agent for women, and was the first woman to be appointed by the Department to represent it in the field. She had moved to the town as a baby and was later buried in the community's Sunset Cemetery. Burke's Tavern, Hyde Park, and Inverness are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Burkeville is located at (37.187, -78.202). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.6 km2), of which 1.0 square miles (2.6 km2) is land and 0.99% is water. Twin Lakes State Park (formerly Prince Edward–Goodwin Lake State Park) is to the west of town.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  4,015
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  3,922
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,916
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,520
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,199
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,995
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,932
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,892

Most recent

• M 2.96 — 2025-05-06
  8 km S of Dillwyn, Virginia
• M 2.77 — 2025-01-14
  1 km NNE of Wyndham, Virginia
• M 2.66 — 2020-02-03
  10 km S of Louisa, Virginia
• M 2.51 — 2019-09-23
  3 km WNW of Wyndham, Virginia
• M 2.6 — 2017-03-13
  6 km ENE of Goochland, Virginia
• M 2.67 — 2015-11-04
  3 km NE of Dillwyn, Virginia