Gills, Virginia
Gills, Virginia | |
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  Gills, Virginia Location within the Commonwealth of Virginia  Gills, Virginia Gills, Virginia (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 37°17′37″N 78°11′55″W / 37.2935°N 78.1986°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Amelia |
| Elevation | 527 ft (161 m) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 23083, 23966, 23922 |
| Area code(s) | 804, 434 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1497787 |
Gills is a rural unincorporated community in Amelia County in the U.S. state of Virginia, located around the intersections of SR 616 (S. Genito Road) with SR 657 (Selma Road), just north of the Nottoway county line. Gills is situated on the highest point in Amelia County, at 527 feet (161 m) above sea level, and is also the westernmost hamlet in the county. According to the USGS, Gills has also been called New London.
Gills was known as Pride's Church for much of the 1800s. A post office called "Pride Church" operated briefly in Amelia County in the early 1820s, and a post office called "Pride's Church" was established around 1852;[1] it is unclear whether these are different communities. Maps from the 19th century show Pride's Church at the location later called Gills;[2] and an "A. Gills", presumably a member of the town's namesake family, lived just east on Pride's Church Road[3] (modern-day Route 657). The church itself is noted for a sermon delivered in the 1840s by guest preacher Moses Drury Hoge, a son of minister, educator, and abolitionist Moses Hoge.[4]
By the turn of the 20th century, a post office was in service using the name Gills.[5] It has since closed, and the church no longer appears on modern maps. Most of the area surrounding Gills is now served by the post office 7 miles east at Jetersville, ZIP code 23083; small portions are served by the post offices in Rice (ZIP code 23966) and Burkeville (ZIP code 23922) in neighboring counties.
Gills lies near the route[6] followed by Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his army in their retreat during the final days of the Civil War, before the surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. The last major battle fought by Lee's army occurred just over a mile west at Sayler's Creek, on the border of Amelia and Prince Edward counties, on April 6.
References
- ^ Hall, Virginius Cornick Jr. "Virginia Post Offices, 1798-1859", The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 81, no. 1, Virginia Historical Society, January 1973, page 84. Accessed December 31, 2021.
- ^ Longacre, Edward G. The Cavalry at Appomattox: A Tactical Study of Mounted Operations During the Civil War's Climactic Campaign, March 27-April 9 1865, page 147. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003. Accessed December 31, 2021.
- ^ Booker, William L. A map of Amelia County, Virginia. Philadelphia: R.L. Barnes, circa 1850. Library of Congress permalink=https://lccn.loc.gov/2014588019. Accessed December 31, 2021.
- ^ Hoge, Peyton Harrison. Moses Drury Hoge: Life and Letters, pp. 55 and 74. Richmond: Whittet & Shepperson, 1899, for the Presbyterian Committee of Publication. Accessed January 1, 2022.
- ^ Gannett, Henry. A Gazetteer of Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, Bulletin No. 232, Series F: Geography, 40, page 64. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1904. Accessed January 1, 2022.
- ^ From Richmond and Petersburg to Appomattox (map), Civil War Trails, Williamsburg, VA. Accessed December 31, 2021.
Municipalities and communities of Amelia County, Virginia, United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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