The Mineral Historic District defines that part of the Louisa County town of Mineral that initially arose in response to local mining. Named for the area’s mineral deposits, the town was divided into large lots during the 1890s so as to allow for denser infill in the future. 151 blocks were laid out at that time, with a vision of as many as 1,500 houses being erected each year.  This grand plan never materialized, but many of Mineral’s buildings date to this period. Substantial turn-of-the-20th-century homes line the main street in the Mineral Historic District, while somewhat smaller homes are located on the side streets. The commercial area developed at the north end of the town where the railroad depot was located. Mineral weathered the loss of the mining industry by serving local agriculture and timber interests, and more recently, the growing residential areas around nearby Lake Anna. Although no longer the boomtown of its early years, the Mineral Historic District continues to retain the feeling of a historic small town.