Place Information
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Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census. Popular legend has it that William Mahone (1826-1895), builder of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad (now Norfolk Southern), and his cultured wife, Otelia Butler Mahone (1837-1911), of Smithfield traveled along the newly completed railroad around 1858 naming stations. Otelia was reading Ivanhoe, a book written by Sir Walter Scott. From his historical Scottish novels, Otelia chose the place names of Wakefield, as well as Windsor and Waverley. She tapped the Scottish Clan "McIvor" for the name of Ivor, a small town in neighboring Southampton County. When they could not agree, it is said that they invented a new name, which is how the tiny community of Disputanta was created. The N&P railroad was completed in 1858. William Mahone became a Major General in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, and later, a Senator in the United States Congress. A large portion of U.S. Highway 460 between Petersburg and Suffolk is named in his honor. Wakefield is also famous for being the "Peanut Capital of the World" and the location of the famous Virginia Diner, as well as the site of Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center. Research Tips
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