The Powhatan County Historical Society was founded in 1975 and is located in Powhatan, Virginia. Our headquarters is in the “Old Jail” Building, located directly behind the Courthouse in the Village area of Powhatan County.  We hold four general meetings yearly, and sponsor a biennial historic homes tour.  We also educate individuals on the history of the county through our publications and tours.  The Courthouse District is one of 17 sites located throughout the county that are listed on the National and/or Virginia State Historic Registries.  

The County of Powhatan was founded in 1777 and is named for the father of Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan.  Early inhabitants included the Monacan Indians and Huguenot settlers who arrived from France in 1700. However, Christopher Newport, one of the leaders of the original Jamestown settlement, led an expedition up the James Rriver into what is now Powhatan County in 1608. The county also has several locations associated with the Civil War. Among these are the site of Robert E. Lee's "last bivouac" following the surrender at Appomattox Court House, and his home "Derwent," where he and his family resided in the summer of 1865.

Other notable figures associated with Powhatan County include General Charles Scott, who served with George Washington at Valley Forge during the American Revolution, and the "Gray Ghost" of the Confederacy, John Singleton Mosby.