Abram Penn, Sr was born in Caroline County, Virginia 27 December 1748 to George Penn and Ann Fleming and spent his early years there. He is the nephew of Moses Penn, whose son, John Penn, signed the Declaration of Independence. On 3 March 1767, he married Ruth, the daughter of George Stovall, Jr, and Mary Cooper, also of Albemarle County.

During Lord Dunmore’s War against the Shawnee Tribal fighters, he commanded a fort at Culbertson’s Bottom and, under General Andrew Lewis, was in command of a company (Penn’s Mounted Rifles) at the battle at Point Pleasant. The Native American troops were defeated in the battle on 10 October 1774.
Three years later, he enlisted as a Captain in the Continental Army, Virginia Militia. In 1779, after two years of distinguished service, he was promoted to Colonel. After being granted a furlough and moving to Pittsylvania County, the area later became Henry County.

On his return to the army, he was commissioned a Colonel of Militia and sent back to organize a regiment in this sparsely settled region, out of which all of Henry and Patrick and a part of Franklin counties were subsequently carved. Abram Penn became active in Henry County affairs and was a Justice presiding over the first county court. 

Abram was a Henry County delegate to the General Assembly in 1777 and 1779. A County record notes that Patrick Henry, John Dillard, William Letcher, Archelaus Hughes, and Abraham Penn were recommended to serve on the Committee of Safety.

During the winter of 1780 and 1781, he organized a Regiment. It was the first and only organized body of Revolutionary troops from Henry and adjoining counties. He commanded the regiment when it marched to the assistance of General Greene in the battle of Guilford Court House. The Militia fought at Eutaw Springs and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis’ troops at Yorktown in Oct. 1781.

After the war ended, Colonel Penn was granted a large tract of land on the Mayo River in Patrick County by the State of Virginia in recognition of his service. He built a large house there, which he surrounded with Lombardy Poplars and named it “Poplar Grove.”

The Patriot died in 1801 and was buried at Poplar Grove in Patrick County, Virginia.