Appomattox County land and farms is located in the Piedmont region in central Virginia. It is part of the Lynchburg, Va. Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its county seat is the town of Appomattox. One of the smaller counties in the state, it is 334 square miles and has a population of about 16,000. Mostly rural, a healthy portion of the Appomattox County land is devoted to farms and woodlands. Farms comprise an area of 76,000 acres, and about 67% of the agricultural sales are in livestock and poultry products. Twenty-eight percent of the farmland is used for crops, 36% for pasture and 33% undeveloped forests that are perfect for timbering, hunting or other outdoor recreational activities. The Appomattox River and the several lakes and ponds in the county offer a variety of fish species such as bluegill, crappie, chubs, striped bass and walleye. Hunters can take advantage of the trophy deer and bear in the area. Tourists and history buffs provide a steady flow of cash into the local economy. The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is a preserved 19th-century village famous for being the site of the Battle of Appomattox Court House and includes the house of Wilmer McLean where Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, ending the American Civil War. Appomattox County Public Schools offers PK-12 public education. Nearby in Lynchburg are Randolph College and Central Virginia Community College.
