Community News
As of April 8, 2025, Council decided to change the time of Regular Council Meetings to 6:30 PM on the second Tuesday of each month unless otherwise posted.
Thank you,
Town Staff
Notice
On June 11, 2024, the Gretna Town Council voted to update and adopt new ordinances. Those ordinances can be viewed/received at Town Hall, located at 107 S. Shelton Street, Gretna, VA. These ordinances went into effect as of June 11, 2024.
The ordinances include:
Inoperable Vehicles and Scattered Motor Vehicle Parts
Zoning Ordinance and New Map
Business License Ordinance
Nuisance Ordinance
The new Gretna Museum of local history is now open for visitors interested in how our town came to be. From the time it was a rural farming community until today many artifacts remind visitors of when the Lynchburg & Danville Railroad first came through the property of Jeremiah Talbot in 1871. The town started to grow rapidly when a rail spur was built to the mines at Pittsville that lead to the construction of the Franklin & Pittsylvania Railroad in 1880.
Displays are still being added but many details of the past are available for viewing. Objects relate to the towns tobacco history, the railroad, mining and everyday life when the town of Gretna was still known as Elba.
For those wanting to know more about the town's history there are many resources for further study including some publications by local authors about the past.
The projected date for the firstopening is April 6, the first Saturday in April. After that date the museum will be open from 10:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. the first Saturday of each month until further notice but tours can be had by calling Vivian Robertson at 434-656-2537 and arranging a visit. The museum is located at 108 S. Shelton St. in Gretna. There is no charge for visiting.
The "Pay My Bill" option is now working. If you are still having trouble, use the Microsoft Edge browser
With many people being concerned about health issues, please remember that your payment to the Town of Gretna may be paid in several ways other than in person:
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On this website, click on the PAY MY BILL icon at the top right-hand corner of this page
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Mailed to PO Box 602, Gretna, VA 24557
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Paid over the telephone (434-656-6572) with a debit or credit card
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Or placed in the drop box across the street or in slot on the front door of Town Hall
Water bills are sent out on the first of the following months:
January, March, May, July, September and November
To avoid a penalty, bills must be paid by the fifteenth of the billing month.
The cut off date for delinquent accounts is the first Monday of the following months:
February, April, June, August, October and December.
A $50.00 reconnection fee is added to each account that is cut off.
Delinquent Collections -
The following Delinquent Collections Policy applies to all monies owed to the Town of Gretna, including utility billing, taxes, business license and miscellaneous charges.
Water is billed on the 1st of January, March, May, July, September and November. The payment period, to avoid penalty, is from the 1st to the 15th of each billing month. If an account is not paid by the first Monday in the month following billing (February, April, June, August, October and December), WATER WILL BE DISCONNECTED. Business Licenses are due by March 1 each year. After that date any business that has an unpaid business license is subject to be closed until such license is paid for. Real Estate Taxes, Personal Property Taxes and Vehicle License Fees were due on December 5 each year. Any accounts that were not paid are now subject to being sent to collections.
The Town of Gretna as the following ordinance concerning animals within Town limits.
Now here is something you don’t see every day. Although no one alive really knows for sure, but the thought is that this photo was taken right around the late 1890’s. This obviously is the old City Market building which now houses the Gretna Little Theater. Notice the road, or should I say lack thereof, it appears to be simply mud and rocks. I was told that the second story ramp exiting the building was used for unloading the goods that had been sold. There was a similar ramp in the rear of the building that went from the third floor to the railroad tracks that was used to unload the goods from the freight cars into the building. That ramp would have been about 30 feet or so off the ground. I wanted to share this with everyone so that we could get a look at the way things were back in the day. If you know of anyone that has older photos of anything in or near Gretna, I sure would appreciate a copy for the records. We don’t know where we are going unless we know where we have been. Remember to surprise someone with a random act of kindness.
- David Lilly, Town Manager
