FARMVILLE, VA – Farmville, Virginia, covers about 7 square miles and is home to a little more than 8,000 people.
About 22,000 people live in Prince Edward County.
That's about half the student population at the University of Houston.
"This is a huge deal for Farmville, I think,” said Elizabeth Scott of California. “This is the most excitement and happening event since the Civil War."
Scott’s family is from the area. She grew up there. So she returned for the debate at Longwood University.
"It has a tremendous amount of history here. When I was a small child, you could still find bullets out in the fields from the Civil War. It's an amazing place. Everyone should visit here!" she said.
Locals will tell you this is where the civil rights movement began, and where the Civil War ended.
While it's full of history, why bring a vice presidential debate here?
"I guess the easy answer is why not? We have a new president at Longwood, a newer president, and he is just one of those that says let's do this. And it's really exciting to see that that's what people are willing to say, yeah, let's do this. This is fun," business owner Navona Hart said.
Now, the national spotlight is on the university and the small town.
The university president said student involvement helped convince the Commission on Presidential Debates to hold the debate there.
Any student who wants to volunteer, could. There are also classes built around the debates.
Monday night, the U.S. Secret Service cleared much of Longwood University’s campus.
They are preparing for the only vice presidential debate this election season.
"I think this is pretty exciting for Farmville and again, it's fun for us. This is Americana,” said Martin Mulholland, Special Agent in Charge with the Secret Service. "It's partnerships. We can't do it by ourselves, the Secret Service. Here at Longwood, it's the VA State Police, it's Farmville City Police, the sheriff’s department, it's Longwood University Police."
Workers spent Monday night finishing the stage and adjusting the lights as the small town becomes the focus of this presidential race.
On Tuesday, the entire country will learn where Farmville, Virginia, is on the map.