081-0121

Brownsburg Historic District

VLR Listing Date

02/20/1973

NRHP Listing Date

07/02/1973

NHL Listing Date

NA

NRHP Reference Number

73002055

Established in 1783, the Rockbridge County village of Brownsburg was laid out on the lands of Robert Wardlaw and Samuel McChesney along a main stage line. By 1835 the community was a hub of activity, containing about twenty dwellings, a mill, three stores, two shoe factories, three wheelwrights, two blacksmith shops, two tailors, a tanyard, a saddlery, a cabinetmaker, a carpenter, and a hatter. Brownsburg lost commercial importance after 1884 when the Valley Railroad was built several miles to the east, initiating a slide into a long decline. Now a well-preserved but somnolent residential village, the Brownsburg Historic District is composed of buildings dating mostly before 1860, and from the period 1870-1910. Prevalent along the tree-shaded main road is the unembellished Valley Federal style, in both frame and brick construction, though several buildings have log cores. A noteworthy early dwelling in the Brownsburg Historic District is Sleepy Hollow, a ca. 1800 stone structure with an 1830s brick wing that is under a permanent preservation easement.

Last Updated: June 2, 2023

Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.

Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

For additional information Read

Nomination Form

081-0324

Taylor-Kinnear Farm

Rockbridge (County)

081-7171

Brown-Swisher Barn

Rockbridge (County)

081-0282

Scott-Hutton Farm

Rockbridge (County)