History
Established in 1653 by the colonial government in Jamestown, Westmoreland County was named for a British shire. The county’s most significant contributions to history include its fostering of more statesmen than any other county in the country, and for the Leedstown Resolutions.
Considered the forerunner of the Declaration of Independence, the Leedstown Resolutions were signed in February, 1766. Prepared by Richard Henry Lee, the document was signed by 115 patriots who bound themselves together “To Prevent The Execution of The Stamp Act.”
Stratford Hall was the boyhood home of Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, signers of the Declaration of Independence.
General Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee was a Revolutionary War hero and served as one of General George Washington’s most trusted officers. He is the father of Robert E. Lee.
General Robert E. Lee was born in 1807 at Stratford Hall. Lee was a colonel in the U. S. Army when the Civil War broke out. Offered the command of the Union Army, Lee declined because he “could take no part in an invasion” of his homeland.
Most notable among the statesmen of Westmoreland, George Washington was born at Popes Creek in 1732.
James Monroe, the nation’s fifth president, was born in 1758 on a farm near Monroe Bay.
Westmoreland is home to the only off-track betting casino in the area. Fishing and agriculture are still the area’s mainstays, with wineries, produce farms and seafood packers among some of the most prominent businesses in the county.
Government
The Westmoreland County offices are at 111 Polk St. in Montross. 493-0130. westmoreland-county.org. Westmoreland has two towns, Colonial Beach and Montross. The sheriff’s office can be reached for non-emergencies at 493-8066.
For Visitors
The Westmoreland County Visitors Center is in the county museum and library at
43 Court Square, Montross. 493-8440.
By the numbers
Population: 17,629 (2015 estimates)
Land Area: 229.38 square miles
Water Area: 24 square miles
Established: 1693
Did you know?
- Colonial Beach has the second longest public beach in Virginia.
- Two of our nation’s presidents, George Washington and James Monroe, were born in Westmoreland County.
- Ancient shark teeth are often found by fossil collectors along the shores of the Potomac River.
- Four of the vineyards on the Chesapeake Wine Trail are located in Westmoreland.
