About the town » Crewe, Nottoway County, Virginia, United States

Crewe is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,326 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1888 as a central location to house steam locomotive repair shops for the Norfolk and Western Railroad which has a rail yard there for east-west trains carrying Appalachian coal to Hampton Roads for export abroad, and the street pattern was laid out at that time. It was named for the large railroad town of Crewe, England. The railroad repair facility's importance diminished sharply in the 1950s, as the switch to diesel-electric locomotives required less labor and equipment. Crewe has a small railroad museum. Lottie Moon, a noted Baptist missionary to China, is buried in the town cemetery. A chicken festival is held annually on the third Wednesday in June. The Battle of Sayler's Creek, the last major American Civil War engagement before the Army of Northern Virginia's surrender at Appomattox Court House, occurred nearby. The Southside Electric Cooperative and the Piedmont Geriatric Hospital are in the vicinity as well.