Fincastle in Botetourt County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Fincastle
Erected 1941 by Virginia Conservation Commission. (Marker Number D-28.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Government & Politics • Political Subdivisions • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1770.
Location. 37° 29.938′ N, 79° 52.76′ W. Marker is in Fincastle, Virginia, in Botetourt County. Marker is at the intersection of Fincastle Road (U.S. 220) and West Main Street (Local Route T-630), on the right when traveling north on Fincastle Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fincastle VA 24090, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Botetourt County Courthouse Fire (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Santillane (approx. 0.4 miles away); Breckinridge Mill (approx. 1.7 miles away); Fort William (approx. 3.1 miles away); Roanoke Valley Baptist Association (approx. 3.7 miles away); Coming of the Railroad (approx. 4.3 miles away); Greenfield (approx. 4.6 miles away); Daleville College (approx. 6.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fincastle.
Regarding Fincastle. From Wikipedia: The population from the 2000 census is 359.
Fincastle was founded in 1772 and named after Lord Fincastle, son of Lord Dunmore, Virginia’s last royal governor. As the seat of Botetourt County, Fincastle was something of the last outpost before the Western frontier serving as a supply station for settlers heading West. From its inception until the Revolutionary war, Fincastle oversaw a massive governmental district that stretched to the Mississippi River and included parts of modern day Wisconsin. Town lore says that folks who lived more than 500 miles away were excused from jury duty. Fincastle’s courthouse was designed by Thomas Jefferson and today still houses county government functions for a much smaller county and contains a vast archive of public records relevant to the late colonial Virginia and the Western expansion periods. George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and other prominent Virginians either appeared in Fincastle or sent their agents to lay claim to tracts of wilderness lands. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark departed from Fincastle when they were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Purchase. A little over a year after his arrival back in Virginia, Clark married Julia Hancock of Fincastle, a cousin, on January 5, 1808.
The Judith River in Montana was named in honor of Julia Hancock by Clark during the Expedition; he mistakenly thought that was her given name, because he knew her as a child as “Judy.” Upon his return from the West, he quickly took up courting his cousin in Fincastle. She moved with him to St. Louis, where besides their children, they raised and educated Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the son of Sacagawea.
The Bowyer-Holladay House, Brugh Tavern, Breckinridge Mill, Fincastle Historic District, Greenfield, Hawthorne Hall, Prospect Hill, Santillane, Wheatland Manor, and Wiloma are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 950 times since then and 83 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 7, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.