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History · Surry

Surry dates to 1652, and 44% of its homes were built before 1940

2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 195 buildings. Below: maps from 1919 on and the census since 1930.

1652founded
2on the National Register
44%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Surry began, and where its name came from

When was Surry founded?

1652

Surry dates its founding to 1652 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1930.

First census: 243 in 19302020 census: 208374 years

How did Surry get its name?

Surry’s name is derived from the county of Surrey in England.

Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1797. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What stands out about Surry’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Town of Surry Historic District takes in 195 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Surry are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Older than the countryEstablished in 1652, 124 years before the Declaration of Independence.Boom and bustPeaked at 288 in 1960; 208 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

2 listings protect 201 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
201
each building in a district counts
first listed
1986
Surry County Courthouse Complex
Surry County Courthouse ComplexTown of Surry Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Neo-Classical1
Surry County Courthouse ComplexNeo-Classical
All 2 listings
Town of Surry Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2017

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Surry’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Surry’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

Surry, 1652 to 1960

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1652
    FoundingSurry is established
  3. 18th century
  4. 1797Post officeThe Surry Courthouse post office opens
  5. 19th century
  6. 1860Born hereJoseph T. Deal is born here
  7. 1893Post officeThe Surry Courthouse post office closes
  8. 1893Post officeThe Surry post office opens
  9. 20th century
  10. 1919On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1937Born hereCharles Sherrod is born here
  12. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 288
The story so far

Surry, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Surry yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Surry (formerly Cross Roads, McIntosh's Cross Roads, McIntoshs Cross Roads, Scuffletown, Smithville, Surry Court House, and The Crossroads) is an incorporated town in Surry County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Surry had a population of 208. It is the county seat of Surry County. Its name is derived from the county of Surrey in England.

Surry was established in 1652. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 244 to 208 (-15%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Surry, decade by decade

Today15 recent
Town Hall in2023Town Hall inChanco plaque2017Chanco plaque2017-07-12 17 54 34 View north along Virginia State Route 31 (Rolfe Highway) just north of Virginia State Route 10 (Col…20172017-07-12 17 54 34 View north along Virginia State R…2017-07-12 17 50 58 View east along Virginia State Route 10 (Colonial Trail) east of Bank Street in20172017-07-12 17 50 58 View east along Virginia State Ro…Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (9)2014Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (9)Surry, VA, USA2012Surry, VA, USASurry, VA, USA - panoramio (8)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (8)Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (7)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (7)Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (6)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (6)Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (5)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (5)Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (4)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (4)Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (3)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (3)Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (2)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (2)Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (1)2012Surry, VA, USA - panoramio (1)SurryVAShops2008SurryVAShops
On the map

Surry on the map, 1919 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Surry. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Surry on the 1919 USGS mapSurry on the 1953 USGS mapSurry on the 1965 USGS mapSurry on the 1979 USGS mapSurry on the 1983 USGS map1919Surry sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Surry.

People over time

Surry, census by census

010020030019401960198020002020Peak: 288

Peaked at 288 in 1960; 208 people lived here in 2020.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Surry’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Surry

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Joseph T. DealAmerican politician · b. 1860
Charles SherrodAmerican civil rights activist · b. 1937
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Surry’s post office has been open since 1893. Another post office, Surry Courthouse, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Surry Courthouse
1797–1893
Surry
1893–today
17901910today
1cemetery inside Surry
Oakwood

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Surry’s history

What year was Surry founded?

In 1652, according to Wikidata. Surry’s post office opened in 1797, and the census of 1930 counted 243 people here.

What is on the National Register in Surry?

Two places: the Surry County Courthouse Complex (listed 1986) and the Town of Surry Historic District (2017).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (15), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.