Nelson County’s South Rockfish Valley Rural Historic District comprises a 1,620-acre swath of historic farms, agricultural landscapes, small crossroads, and residential communities. The district boasts a well-preserved rural landscape with a continuous tradition of farming since the first half of the 1700s. An exceptionally fertile valley, its agricultural history chronicles the rise of tobacco cultivation for international export from the 18th through the late-19th centuries, the transition to a thriving apple orchard industry from the 1880s through early 1940s, and the present mix of cattle farming and experimentation with viticulture and cider orchards. The South Rockfish Valley Rural Historic District hosts a vibrant collection of 18th-, 19th-, and early-20th-century residences and buildings, representing a variety of vernacular and more formal architectural styles. Particularly noteworthy are several well-preserved late-18th- to early-19th-century farmhouses, including three that are individually listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places, as is the 1908 Wintergreen Country Store. The historic crossroads community of Wintergreen saw a succession of stores, mills, and schools from the 1840s through the early 20th century.