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 abo
ut 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.”
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. 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.
