thumb|Early employees of Bassett Furniture Company, Bassett, circa 1900

thumb|Virginia state historical marker for Fort Trial, built in 1756 near present-day Bassett

thumb|Bassett World Headquarters

Bassett is a census-designated place (CDP) in Henry County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bassett had a population of 1,028. It is part of the Martinsville micropolitan area. The town was founded along a rail line by the same family that later started Bassett Furniture. Bassett Furniture's headquarters have remained in Bassett since it began in 1902.

History

The John D. Bassett High School, Eltham Manor, and R.L. Stone House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The town of Bassett was originally part of Horsepasture, Virginia. After John D. Bassett started a general store on his family's land, the population started to grow around it and eventually his store incorporated a postal service. When the federal post office regulators asked John D. Bassett what they should call the area, he said "Well, how about Bassetts"? The "S" at the end was later dropped.

The train depot in Bassett was originally a combination station and had three trains a day picking up products from the company and providing railcar service to passengers. Its last passenger pickup was on February 18, 1961. Today it is used as a seasonal community market.

The Bassett Historical Center is located in the town. "The Bassett Historical Center is the repository for all genealogical research and local history for the counties of Henry and Patrick County, Virginia and the City of Martinsville, Virginia." Now operates as part of the Blue Ridge Regional Library. "Henry County is one of the seven counties in Virginia that has a Cohabitation List. Slaves were not permitted to marry legally but did have families, with the counties keeping records of which slaves were cohabitating. Also available is the "Afro-American Marriages of Henry County, Virginia", by Harris and Millner, which would be helpful to find an ancestor dating back to the early or mid-1800s."

Geography

Bassett is located at (36.759905, −79.986763).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.5&nbsp;square miles (9.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all land.

Bassett is located along the Smith River (Virginia), which flooded in 1937. "Flood of Oct. 19, 1937, reached a stage of about 22.9 ft, from information by local residents, discharge, 38,000 ft³/s, from rating curve extended above 23,000 ft³/s on basis of backwater studies and records for station at Martinsville." Since August 1950, the water flow of the river in Bassett has been regulated by the Philpott Dam, 6.2 miles upstream.

Demographics

As of the census

Points of interest

  • Philpott Dam and lake
  • Historic John D. Bassett High School and venue

Notable people

  • John E. Tinsley — country bluesman known for "Keep Your Hands Off Her" and "Trouble Blues"
  • Ward Armstrong – former minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates
  • John D. Bassett – primary founder of Bassett Furniture Company
  • Sherman Dillard – former American basketball player and coach
  • Michael C. Maxey – former president of Roanoke College
  • A. L. Philpott – former Speaker of the House of Virginia Delegates
  • Harry M. Philpott – former president of Auburn University
  • Harvey Cloyd Philpott – American businessman and 24th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
  • Philip C. Stone – former president of Bridgewater College and Sweet Briar College

References

Bibliography

  • Henika, W.S., 1971, Geology of the Bassett quadrangle, Virginia: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, Report of Investigations 26, scale 1:24,000.