6 Oldest Incorporated Towns In Virginia
It is said that the oldest incorporated town in the continental United States is St. Augustine, Florida, being both founded and incorporated in the year 1565 by Pedro Menendez de Aviles. The commonwealth state of Virginia has its own share of towns that were founded and incorporated some time ago. From Fredericksburg, founded in 1727 and incorporated in 1781, to Wytheville, founded in 1790 and incorporated in 1839, these eight towns are some of the oldest incorporated towns in the Old Dominion State. Each of them has a wealth of history. They also possess a vast wealth of phenomenal historic and natural attractions, from buildings to museums to town squares.
Fredericksburg
The historic town of Fredericksburg, situated along the banks of the Rappahannock River, is about an hour's drive from Washington D.C. It was named after Frederick, Prince of Wales, when it was founded in 1728. It was incorporated 54 years later in 1781. Three centuries later, the thriving town of Fredericksburg is home to around thirty thousand residents.
A couple of the historic attractions that call Fredericksburg home are its Historic District and the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. While the military park honors those who gave their lives defending what was considered to be a part of “America’s Battleground,” Historic Fredericksburg, also known as Old Town, is home to more than 350 buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Abingdon
Just north of Tennessee, the town of Abingdon was founded and incorporated in 1778 by the Commonwealth of Virginia. A vast number of prominent people have called Abingdon home since its founding, including Gen. Francis Preston, who built one of the largest houses in Virginia here in 1832. This house, located on Main Street, is now known as the Martha Washington Inn.
Along with Gen. Francis Preston’s house, several other historic buildings await the avid historian in downtown Abingdon. Barter Theater first opened in 1933, while the Fields-Penn House Museum, featuring how an average family lived before the beginning of the American Civil War, was first built in 1860. Both of these can be found on Main Street, in close proximity to the Martha Washington Inn.
Petersburg
The town of Petersburg was first founded as Fort Henry in 1646 by the Virginia Colony. Over a century later, it was founded and incorporated as the town of Petersburg in 1748. Today, Petersburg is a thriving transportation hub of around thirty thousand residents, first through the Appomattox Canal Navigational System, then through the Appomattox Railroad, and finally through I-85 and I-95.
Some of the more prominent historic attractions in Petersburg include Pamplin Historical Park, the Blandford Church, and Petersburg National Battlefield Park. The Blandford Church began in 1735 as an Anglican Church. Pamplin Park is home to the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier. Petersburg National Battlefield Park provides guests with a sixteen-stop driving tour over almost three thousand acres.
Lexington
Less than an hour northeast of the city of Roanoke, the town of Lexington was first founded in 1777 and incorporated a year later, in 1778. It was named after Lexington, Massachusetts, a name synonymous with the “Battle of Lexington,” which happened in April of 1775, the site of the first shots of the American Revolutionary War.
Lexington, Virginia, has its own share of historic attributes, including the Jackson House Museum and Stonewall Jackson’s Grave. The Jackson House Museum is a part of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Museum System. Stonewall Jackson’s Grave, where Jackson was interred, is located within the Oak Grove Cemetery.
Staunton
Best known for being the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, the town of Staunton was first settled in the 1730s and founded approximately fifteen years later. Named after a Virginia governor’s wife, the town of Staunton was incorporated in 1801 and became a transportation hub through the railroad fifty-plus years later.
Some of the more prominent buildings in Staunton that assist with its heritage include Mary Baldwin University, founded in 1842 as “Augusta Female Seminary,” and three different historic districts. Newtown Historic District is home to the 1746 Trinity Episcopal Church. Beverley Historic District is home to the 1924 Hotel 24 South, formerly known as the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. Wharf Historic District is home to the 1902 C&O Train Station. Visitors to this charming town won't want for historic sites to visit.
Wytheville
Wythe County was named after one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, George Wythe, when it was founded in 1790. Wytheville, the county seat, was also founded in 1790, though, at that time, it was called Evansham, after a prominent citizen of the area, Jesse Evans. This changed to Wytheville, also named after George Wythe, when it was incorporated in 1839.
Wytheville is home to some great museums. The Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum is the only museum to preserve the birthplace of a First Lady in the U.S. and is one of only eight in the U.S. dedicated to the interpretation of a First Lady. The Great Lakes to Florida Highway Museum revisits the time when Route 21 was the most popular way to travel from Ohio to Florida. This town will surprise and delight you with its historic offerings.
From one end of the state of Virginia to the other, many of the towns within the Old Dominion State have been around for quite some time. From small towns like Lexington to larger ones like Fredericksburg, these towns have their own history as well as their own heritage. Whether it is a museum, a county courthouse, or even an old building on the corner of Main Street, these six towns are some of the oldest incorporated towns within Virginia.
