A Brief History of Clintwood, Virginia

Clintwood, VA was founded in 1882 when the General Assembly opted to create a brand new city on Holly Creek to serve as County Seat to Dickenson County. Prior to that decision, the county seat was located on McClure River, on or near the mouth of Caney Creek in a town called Ervinton. 

Clintwood is located in the beautiful upland Holly Creek Valley in the western part of Dickenson County and is about six miles from the Kentucky state line.

The Clintwood Namesake

Clintwood was named after Major Henry Clinton Wood of Scott County, Virginia, who was nicknamed “Clintwood.” He was an influential member of the Virginia Senate at the time. In repayment for Major Woods’ valuable advocacy of the proposed change of the county seat, Captain John P. Chase (a Confederate Army captain and a first settler of Holly Creek) caused the new town to be called Clintwood.

Incorporating the town

In 1864, the General Assembly incorporated Clintwood, VA as a town with appropriate officers, but the resulting local governmental unit didn’t function very long and no record of its activities are known to exist. Thirty years later, in 1894, the General Assembly passed an act to reincorporate the town. This new act embraced all the territory “within the limits of one half mile each way from the courthouse.” 

The First Settlers of Holly Creek

The Mullins Family

Around 1829, John Mullins came to Holly Creek from Burke County, North Carolina. William Broadwater, a transient hunter, had previously built a pole cabin in the area, but had vacated it and returned to Scott County. 

John Mullins moved into this abandoned cabin on what is now Main Street. After a short while, he left his fourteen year old daughter Mary and two younger sons to care for his property while he returned to North Carolina to bring back the remainder of his family. 

Winter set in early and the snow was so deep that Mr. Mullins was unable to return to Holly Creek until the following spring.  His three young children lived in the wilderness all this time, with their nearest neighbor at least ten miles away.
 
John Mullins later brought his aged father, John Mullins Sr., to his mountain home in Holly Creek, where he remained the rest of his life. The elder John Mullins was reputed to have been one of the American heroes at the battle of Kingsport Mountain and is the only known solider of the Revolution to be buried in Dickenson County.  

The younger John Mullins raised a large family on his new farm.  Most of them married and settled in the vicinity of Clintwood.  It is said that his sons and sons-in law owned most of the land between Pound and Cranesnest Rivers from Nickels Gap to Georges Fork Mountain.

John P. Chase

John P. Chase, a young  man from Tennessee, came to Holly Creek in 1854 and was employed by John Mullins on his large farm. Later, young Chase purchased a part of Mullin’s farm and remained a leading citizen of the community. Mr. Chase served as a captain in the Confederate Army and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for two terms.

The first Clintwood Streets & structures

A brick courthouse and wooden jail were constructed on the public square fixed by Commissioners, who laid out the town with Main Street in the middle, High Street parallel on the north side and Walnut Street on the south. Narrow alleyways connected these three streets. Captain Chase sold lots to officials and other interested persons seeking home sites in the new community.

Community Spirit

Citizens of Clintwood have shown a keen interest and pride in local school facilities for many years.  The first public school was established long before the community became the county seat, and a high school opened its doors in 1910.  In 1921, construction began on the Dickenson Memorial High School, dedicated to the memory of Dickenson County boys who made the supreme sacrifice in the First World War.

Clintwood had one moving picture theatre in those early years with a capacity of 200.  The playhouse showed silent movies two nights a week. These films were very popular with the community.

Today, Clintwood is a vibrant small town with beautiful natural surroundings. Our town boasts multiple restaurants, modern lodging options, a great elementary school as well as a modern middle school and high school, a thriving music scene and exceptional recreation opportunities. Whether you're here for a day or decide to stay for your entire life, Clintwood will leave its mark on you!

Clintwood was and always will be a good place to live.

Historical Society
128 FFA Street
Clintwood, VA 24228
(276) 926-6355

Clintwood Government

Mayor/TOWN MANAGER DANNY LAMBERT

Danny Lambert is a lifelong resident of Clintwood and has served on the Town Council since 1992. Danny has been a local entrepreneur and also worked for the Virginia Department of Taxation before retiring in 2014. He's most proud of Clintwood's cleanliness and dedicated employees. Danny is married, has one daughter, and is a member of the Clintwood Baptist Church.

Vice Mayor Ron Kendrick

Ron Kendrick joined the Town Council as Vice Mayor in 2000. He is a lifelong town resident and is also a member of the Clintwood Rescue Squad. Ron is currently employed by the Virginia Office of Emergency Services as an investigator/inspector. The Clintwood United Methodist Church is where Ron worships with his wife. They have two sons.

Town Council:

Doris Rife

Doris Rife has been serving on the Town Council since 2012. In addition to her work on the Town Council, she serves on the Clintwood Planning Commission, Mountain Empire Foundation board of directors, Family Crisis board of directors, and she chairs the Aims Scholarship for Mountain Empire Community College students in Dickenson County. Doris is also a member of the Dickenson County Fair Committee, Clintwood Lions Club, and the Theta Theta Sorority. A graduate of Ervinton High School, she has received a resolution from the town for her work as a volunteer. Doris and her husband, Donnie, live in Clintwood.

Talbert Bolling

Talbert Bolling has had the pleasure of serving on the Town Council since 2008. He's a graduate of Clintwood High School and former member of the Clintwood Volunteer Fire Department. Currently, Talbert is a member of the Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority and also serves as the Training Sergeant at a state prison. He's married and has two daughters.

James ChildresS

James andrew rose

Clintwood Town Services

Clintwood's government workforce is made up of dedicated employees, which includes police officers and three staffed offices within Town Hall. Additional offices throughout the town manage beautification, waste water, as well as street and sanitation for the community. Please see below for departmental contacts, locations, and office hours.

Town Hall

248 Main Street, Clintwood, VA 24228
Office Hours:  8:00 am to 4:30 pm, M-F
Mailing Address:  PO Box 456, Clintwood, VA 24228
Phone:  276-926-8383 or 276-926-6076
Email:  jsteele_townofclintwood@verizon.net

Officials at this location:
Danny Lambert – Mayor / Town Manager
Judy Steele – Town Clerk / Treasurer extension 3302
Christina Deel – Utility Clerk / Cashier extension 3303
Lisa Deel – Utility Clerk / Cashier extension 3301

Clintwood Police Department

Phone:  276-926-8710
Emergency:  911
Email:  policedept1@verizon.net

Officials at this location:
Rick Mullins — Chief of Police
Jayson Kendall Mullins — Lieutenant
Chris Yates — Patrolman
Lester Turner — Patrolman
J.R. Stanley — Patrolman

Public Works

Phone:  276-926-8204
Email:  clintwoodwater@yahoo.com 

Water and Sewer Staff:
Robert Allen Taylor—Public Works Supervisor, Andrew Kyle Stanley, Scott Holland

Streets and Sanitation Staff:
Robert Stallard—Streets and Sanitation Supervisor, James Carty, Lonnie Owens, Michael Stanley, Brett Hamilton

Jettie Baker center

Phone:  276-926-6034
Email:  saraphillipsjbc@gmail.com
Sara Phillips — Manager

RALPH STANLEY MUSEUM

Phone:  276-926-8550
Darlene Yates — Attendant
Steven Hill — Attendant

Town Attorneys

Greg Baker Attorneys at Law, PLLC
Greg Baker and Susan Wood
Phone: 276-926-7115

Credit Card & E-Payments Available

Utility payments made online are processed by a third party organization for the Town of Clintwood and will not arrive to the Town's attention until the morning following your payment. A fee will be added by the card processor. Your must have your bill to reference your account number and amount to be paid. If it is close to the disconnect date, please let us know that payment has been made and give us your confirmation number which was given to you when payment was made. If you have any questions, please call our office at 276-926-8383 ext. 3301 or 3303 or 3302. The town is not affiliated with third party payment provider DOXO.

*A yard sale held in Clintwood requires payment of a $5 daily fee.