Historical & Background Items of Interest

The Handbook of Virginia History

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy.

Virginia, A Guide to the Old Dominion

Nottoway, is the county seat, described in 1835 "a courthouse, clerk's office and criminal and debtor's jail, besides 15 dwelling houses, one mercantile house, one hotel, one saddler, one tailor, and one blacksmith shop".