Explore our history.

Originally settled by French Huguenots in the early 1700s, the County of Powhatan was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1777.  The County was named in honor of the Indian Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas.  The original courthouse was constructed in 1778, and the immediate area was named Scottville after General Charles Scott, a Revolutionary War hero.

In 1850, a small portion of Chesterfield County was annexed, creating the current boundaries of Powhatan County.  Located in Virginia’s Central Piedmont province between the historic Appomattox and James Rivers, Powhatan is 20 miles west of Richmond, the State Capitol, and within a two-hour drive of Washington D.C., Colonial Williamsburg, the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Atlantic Ocean. Read the details of Powhatan County’s history here beginning on page six.

While maintaining a charming rural atmosphere, Powhatan’s central location provides its residents with access to major cultural, recreational, educational, and medical centers.