Chatham

History

It is the home to the oldest continually used building in Pittsylvania County, once an 18th-century tavern, since turned into a house and now occupied by Chatham Hall faculty. Chatham is the county seat for Pittsylvania County and has held that status since 1777. There is a large U.S. Department of Agriculture office to support farmers in the area and a small branch office of the U.S. Forest Service. Virginia has built a new state prison at the site of an old work-release camp; this led to infrastructure upgrades in fire and water services to support the increased population. Chatham did not see any battle action during the Civil War although it is between Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, and Danville, which contained Confederate prisons for captured Union soldiers. On Confederate Memorial Day each year, the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy places flowers at the statue of a Confederate soldier which is prominent in the front of the historic Pittsylvania County Court House. There is a walking tour of this downtown historic district and a brochure for this is available at the Town Hall, or at the Historical Society building next to Town Hall. There are several bed & breakfast establishments located on Main Street in historic Greek Revival homes.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Chatham has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km2), all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  503
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  450
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  450
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  423
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  413
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  331
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  307
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  296

Largest nearby schools

• CHATHAM HIGH
  High · Chatham · 659 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Twin Springs Elementary
  Elementary · Danville · 619 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• GRETNA HIGH
  High · Gretna · 535 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Gretna Elementary
  Elementary · Gretna · 460 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• CHATHAM MIDDLE
  Middle · Chatham · 426 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Southside Elementary
  Elementary · Blairs · 413 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• GRETNA MIDDLE
  Middle · Gretna · 397 students · 11.3:1 ratio
• Chatham Elementary
  Elementary · Chatham · 234 students · 10.2:1 ratio