Amherst County

Amherst County location. Amherst County was formed in 1761 from a portion of Albemarle County. The county was named for Sir Jeffrey Amherst, one of the men who encouraged Native American genocide through the delivery of smallpox-infected blankets. Ironically, the Monacan Indian Nation establishes their headquarters in Amherst County today (links at the end of this article).

The two towns located in Amherst County include Amherst, the county seat, and Madison Heights. Buckingham County is bounded on the north by the James River and on the northwest by the Appomattox River. This county is located immediately across the James River from Lynchburg. It is bounded by the Blue Ridge to the west and the James River to the south and east. The boundary encompass 470 square miles.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,240 kmÃ‚Â² (479 miÃ‚Â²). 1,231 kmÃ‚Â² (475 miÃ‚Â²) of it is land and 9 kmÃ‚Â² (4 miÃ‚Â²) of it (0.75%) is water.

Amherst Flag Amherst County Clerk of the Court
100 E. Court St.
Amherst, VA 24521-2707
Phone: (434) 929-9321