South Hill, Virginia

A History of South Hill, Virginia

A trip to South Hill is worth taking. It's the place to come for relaxation, a great place to meet friendly people and to unwind and remember what life is all about.

From a settlement of essentially a store and three houses, the community grew into a town large enough by 1901 to be incorporated. At the time the incorporated town was formed, tobacco and tobacco warehouses were the dominating industry. Today, tobacco still remains the number one industry and South Hill is one of the largest markets of tobacco bought and sold in the Commonwealth.

South Hill is located in Mecklenburg County, which is in central Virginia, and borders the North Carolina state line on the south. It's halfway between Richmond, Virginia and Raleigh, North Carolina, about 80 miles from each along Interstate 85. South Hill is also the same distance to Danville, Virginia (to the west) and Suffolk, Virginia (to the east) along Highway 58. Today, the town has a population of about 5,000 residents and is 6.33 square miles in size.

Outdoor fun is everywhere in this area. Much of life in the region focuses on the natural beauty of two large lakes -- Buggs Island Lake and Lake Gaston. The town is situated adjacent to Buggs Island Lake, also known as John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir. This is a 50,000 acre lake with over 800 miles of shoreline and it's the largest lake in Virginia. South Hill is also near Lake Gaston, which is a 20,000 acre lake with 300 miles of shoreline. Both are here to be explored by sailboats, speedboats, or fishing boats.

South Hill is also known as Tournament Town because of the quality tournaments held regularly on the two lakes. Such tournaments as the Virginia BASSMASTERS Invitational, Virginia Bass Federation and the Pro-Am Teams Classic are just a few tournaments that bring hundreds of fishermen to the area each year. At both lakes, fishermen enjoy catching largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, crappie, walleye, and catfish. With the beauty and natural surroundings of the two lakes, it should come as no surprise that South Hill is a popular spot for camping, picnicking and swimming.

There are other sights of interest for all ages. A Doll Museum houses over 500 dolls dating back to the late 1860s. This museum is located at the South Hill Chamber of Commerce. This building used to be the depot for the Atlantic and Danville Railway. It's only appropriate that the building houses the South Hill Model Railroad Museum, one of the largest displays of model trains in Virginia. Also close by, there is a Tobacco Farm Life Museum where one can discover the heritage of tobacco farming.

South Hill is very unique and friendly community. The employees at Brian's appreciate your visit to the area as well as to our establishment. We look forward to your next visit to Brian's and thank you for your patronage.

Information obtained from Brian's Steak House