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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Pittsville (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Pittsville. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Pittsville is located in Pittsylvania County.

To see how the shape of Virginia's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Pittsylvania County: Caswell (NC), Rockingham (NC), Bedford, Campbell, Franklin, Halifax & Henry.

Below are the counties that are near Pittsville. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Pittsville:

  • Pittsylvania County     (The home county of Pittsville)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.
    • Gretna
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Whittles
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Museville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Brutus
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brutus. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brutus
      • Brutus is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Brutus
      • From Pittsville to Brutus
    • Weal
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Sheva
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sheva. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheva
      • Sheva is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sheva
      • From Pittsville to Sheva
    • Sonans
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sonans. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sonans
      • Sonans is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sonans
      • From Pittsville to Sonans
    • Hurt
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hurt have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurt
      • Hurt is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,211 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hurt <1>
    • Chatham
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chatham have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham
      • Chatham is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,413 people
    • Chalk Level
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Worlds
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Worlds. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worlds
      • Worlds is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Worlds
      • From Pittsville to Worlds
    • Transco Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Transco Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Transco Village
      • Transco Village is located in Pittsylvania County
  • Bedford City
  • Bedford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.
    • Radford
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Radford have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radford
      • Radford is located in Bedford County
    • Davis Mill
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Davis Mill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis Mill
      • Davis Mill is located in Bedford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Davis Mill
      • From Pittsville to Davis Mill
    • Moneta
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Clevilas ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clevilas have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clevilas
      • Clevilas is located in Bedford County
    • Joppa Mill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Goodview
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Chamblissburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Lowry
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Coonsville ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coonsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coonsville
      • Coonsville is located in Bedford County
    • Goode
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Forest
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Cifax
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cifax. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cifax
      • Cifax is located in Bedford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cifax
      • From Pittsville to Cifax
  • Campbell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.
    • Leesville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leesville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leesville
      • Leesville is located in Campbell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leesville
      • From Pittsville to Leesville
    • Altavista
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altavista have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altavista
      • Altavista is located in Campbell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,422 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Altavista <1>
    • Lynch Station
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Melrose
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Melrose. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melrose
      • Melrose is located in Campbell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Melrose
      • From Pittsville to Melrose
    • Bedford Springs
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Gladys
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Lawyers
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lawyers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawyers
      • Lawyers is located in Campbell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lawyers
      • From Pittsville to Lawyers
    • Timberlake
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timberlake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timberlake
      • Timberlake is located in Campbell County
    • Powhatan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Brookneal
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Mount Zion
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mount Zion. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Zion
      • Mount Zion is located in Campbell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mount Zion
      • From Pittsville to Mount Zion
    • Rustburg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Danville City
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.
    • Penhook
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Laprades Mill
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • North Shore
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Shore have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Shore
      • North Shore is located in Franklin County
    • Union Hall
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Union Hall have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Hall
      • Union Hall is located in Franklin County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Union Hall <1>
    • Hales Ford ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hales Ford have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hales Ford
      • Hales Ford is located in Franklin County
    • Westlake Corner
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westlake Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westlake Corner
      • Westlake Corner is located in Franklin County
    • Felicia ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Felicia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Felicia
      • Felicia is located in Franklin County
    • Redwood
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Villa ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villa have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa
      • Villa is located in Franklin County
    • Burnt Chimney
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Rocky Mount
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Sydnorsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
  • Halifax County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.
    • Cody
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Leda
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leda. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leda
      • Leda is located in Halifax County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leda
      • From Pittsville to Leda
    • Sign Rock
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Rodden
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rodden. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rodden
      • Rodden is located in Halifax County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rodden
      • From Pittsville to Rodden
    • Loftis
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Loftis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loftis
      • Loftis is located in Halifax County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Loftis
      • From Pittsville to Loftis
    • Nathalie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Rabat
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rabat. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rabat
      • Rabat is located in Halifax County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rabat
      • From Pittsville to Rabat
    • Elmo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elmo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmo
      • Elmo is located in Halifax County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elmo
      • From Pittsville to Elmo
    • Sutherlin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jones
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Henry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.
    • Leatherwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Axton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Laurel Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Laurel Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel Park
      • Laurel Park is located in Henry County
    • Oak Level
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Level have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Level
      • Oak Level is located in Henry County
    • Chatmoss
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chatmoss have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatmoss
      • Chatmoss is located in Henry County
    • Irisburg
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Irisburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irisburg
      • Irisburg is located in Henry County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Irisburg
      • From Pittsville to Irisburg
    • Reed Creek Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reed Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reed Creek Village
      • Reed Creek Village is located in Henry County
  • Madison County
  • Martinsville City
  • Roanoke City
    • Garden City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
      • Garden City is located in Roanoke City
  • Roanoke County
    • Montgomery Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montgomery Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montgomery Village
      • Montgomery Village is located in Roanoke County
  • Caswell County (NC)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Pittsville, see our County-by-County Page for Pittsville.

Cemeteries Near Pittsville ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pittsville.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Pittsville covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Pittsville had a population of 80 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Pittsville, with the one closest to Pittsville listed first.

  • Toshes
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toshes have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toshes
    • Toshes is located in Pittsylvania County
  • Pullens
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pullens have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pullens
    • Pullens is located in Pittsylvania County
  • Brights
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brights
    • Brights is located in Pittsylvania County
  • Galveston
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galveston have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galveston
    • Galveston is located in Pittsylvania County
  • Whittles
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Museville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Ray
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ray have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ray
    • Ray is located in Pittsylvania County
  • Dundee
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dundee have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dundee
    • Dundee is located in Bedford County
  • Motley
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Motley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Motley
    • Motley is located in Pittsylvania County
  • Kasey
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kasey have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kasey
    • Kasey is located in Bedford County
  • Penhook
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Weal
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Sonans
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sonans. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sonans
      • Sonans is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sonans
      • From Pittsville to Sonans
    • Brutus
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brutus. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brutus
      • Brutus is located in Pittsylvania County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Brutus
      • From Pittsville to Brutus
    • Leesville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leesville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leesville
      • Leesville is located in Campbell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leesville
      • From Pittsville to Leesville

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Pittsville. See our List of 1890's Communities around Pittsville.

Newspapers Published in Pittsville ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 16 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pittsville.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pittsville, there are papers which were published within 16 miles [25.7 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pittsville.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Pittsville:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Pittsville. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Pittsylvania County: www.pittgov.org/

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Pittsville, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Pittsville) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pittsville. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 36.9819, Longitude: -79.4628    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025