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 The
area which is now Fluvanna County was once part of Henrico
County, one of the original shires of the Virginia Colony.
Henrico was divided in 1727 and the Fluvanna County area became
a part of Goochland County. In 1744 Goochland was divided
and the area presently known as Fluvanna became a part of
Albemarle County. Finally, in 1777, Albemarle County was divided
and Fluvanna County established. The County was named for
the Fluvanna River, the name given to James River west of
Columbia. Fluvanna means "Annie's River" in honor
of Queen Anne of England.
 From
an initial 882 "tithables," the population reached
3,300 by 1782. When Palmyra was made the county seat in 1828
it quickly became a thriving town after the new courthouse
was completed in 1830. While Palmyra has changed and modernized
over the years, it still possesses an aura of tranquility.
The Rivanna Navigation Company was organized in 1805 to
improve the Rivanna. Eventually a series of locks and dams
were built from Columbia to Milton, five miles below Charlottesville.
The James River and Kanawah Canal, which was completed in
1840, ran along the James on Fluvanna's southern boundary.
Both canals brought prosperity to the county until they were
supplanted by the railroad in 1881. There were numerous successful
gold mines located in the eastern half of the county during
the 1830's.
Fluvanna was defended by six militia companies during the
Revolution. The county was invaded by British forces in 1781
when the Point of Fork Arsenal was destroyed. While no Civil
War battles were fought in Fluvanna, Union soldiers burned
mills, bridges and damaged the James River canal.
Today Fluvanna County covers 287 square miles and has more
than 21,000 residents. Fluvanna is the second fastest growing
county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This population growth
is largely fueled by the popularity of the community Lake
Monticello.
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