Town of Stuart
At the time that Patrick County was formed from Henry County, the Henry County Courthouse was located near the home of Col. Abraham Penn on the North Fork of the Mayo River. Since this was in the new County of Patrick, but too near the Henry County line for the location of that county's courthouse, new places were chosen for the courthouses in both counties.
Col. George Hairston donated land for the new Henry County Courthouse at its present location, and the Town of Martinsville grew up around it. Due to the influence of Col. Samuel Staples, the courthouse for Patrick County was located on land donated by Capt. Eliphaz Shelton at a place near the center of the County where it is still located today. The Town of Taylorsville grew up around it. The town was named for a Revolutionary War soldier by the name of George Taylor. The name does not seem to have been a popular one, and most people called the town by the name of Patrick Courthouse. In 1884, the name was change to Stuart in honor of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, the great cavalry leader who was born and grew up in the County.
This page was written by Mr. O. E. Pilson for the 1996 Hairston Reunion - hairston.org