Henry County was created on 31 Dec. 1776 from the western border lands of Pittsylvania County. Its name honored Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia. Nine years later, in 1785, the northern portion of the new county was cut off to form a part of Franklin County. In 1790 Patrick County was formed from the western part of Henry, and an additional small piece was transferred from Henry to Patrick in 1791. The final boundary change for Henry County occurred in 1858 when thirty-four square miles of Patrick County was transferred to Henry County's authority.
The county's records are complete, with the exception of the early land surveys, which were lost