Cooperative Living September 2016 - 31
Crossroads | Story and Photos by Debbie Blue Winn, Contributing Writer
GRIZZARD, VA
Grizzard - Rich in
History and Hospitality
The depot and area around it were given the name 'Grizzard,'
probably because land for the right-of-way was purchased from
George D. Grizzard.
I
At the age of 95, Virginia Mae
Simmons assumes she is the oldest
resident in Grizzard, reasoning, " I
don't know anyone here older than
me! ... When we were children, my
brother Bryan and I would sneak
away from the house and go down to
the store to get some candy or
cookies. But we never needed any
money ... because my Granddaddy
Harrell owned the store! And we
never had to ask him for treats; he
just gave them to us! "
www.co-opliving.com
n the southeastern corner of Sussex
County lies the unincorporated
community of Grizzard. Inhabitants here
enjoy the convenience of being only four
miles from the city of Emporia and Interstate
95, while living in a serene haven where they
can hear the wind rustling through the
leaves of the cornfields and the cooing of
nearby doves.
The village has several notable landmarks.
The Fortsville house was built in 1796 by
Lewis Fort and is included on the National
Register of Historic Places. This was the
home of John Young Mason, a Greensville
County lawyer who held prominent
positions in government in the 1800s as a
member of the House of Representatives and
also as United States District Judge. A
historical marker located on Highway 58
states that Mason also served twice as
Secretary of the Navy and United States
Attorney General. He died in office as
Minister to France in 1859.
Down the road from Fortsville in the heart
of Grizzard stands an abandoned train depot
in its original location. It was constructed in
the 1880s after the Atlantic and Danville
Railway built a main line between
Portsmouth and Danville, and a narrowgauge
branch line was run from Emporia,
through Sussex and Surry counties, to
Claremont on the James River.
The depot and area around it were given
the name " Grizzard, " probably because land
for the right-of-way was purchased from
George D. Grizzard. He served as sheriff of
Sussex County from 1883 to 1899 and died
in 1934 at the age of 78. He was buried on a
plot of land behind his house, with a
tombstone inscribed with these words: " An
honest man is the noblest work of God. "
According to a brief history of Grizzard
written in 1992 by resident Virginia Mae
Simmons, " Mr. George Grizzard was a tall,
aristocratic-looking gentleman, his very
appearance commanding respect. "
Simmons is 95 years old, and her claim
to fame is that she is the oldest resident in
Grizzard. She recalls growing up here and
living close to the busy train depot/post
September 2016 | Cooperative Living | 29
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Cooperative Living September 2016
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living September 2016
Cooperative Living September 2016 - 1
Cooperative Living September 2016 - 2
Cooperative Living September 2016 - 3
Cooperative Living September 2016 - 4
Cooperative Living September 2016 - 5
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