Set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Martinsville was named for General Joseph Martin, a frontiersman, soldier, and statesman. When the western portion of Henry County was broken off to form Patrick County in 1790, Martinsville was named the county seat of Henry. Incorporated as a town in 1873, it was made an independent city in 1975. It is no longer the site of the county's courthouse and offices (HR1, HR2), which have been moved
just beyond the city limits. Martinsville was once a major textile and wood-working center and, today, while most of its factories and plants have closed, the city remains a service center for the area, although much of its commercial activity has moved from downtown to the outskirts.
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