On South James Madison Highway (U.S. 15) at Little Skyline Drive (County Route 674), on the right when traveling south on South James Madison Highway.
Orange County. Formed from Spotsylvania County in 1734, Orange County, a pastoral Piedmont county, was probably named in honor of William IV, the Dutch prince of Orange, who married Anne, the Princess Royal, daughter of George II of . . . — — Map (db m4758) HM
On Constitution Highway (State Highway 20) at Bloomsbury Road, on the right when traveling west on Constitution Highway.
A mile north is Bloomsbury, estate of the pioneer, James Taylor, ancestor of Presidents James Madison and Zachary Taylor. He was a member of Spotswood's expedition over the mountains in 1716. — — Map (db m4699) HM
On South Madison Road (U.S. 15) at West Church Street, on the right when traveling south on South Madison Road.
Andrew Maples grew up in Orange and completed the Civilian Pilot Training Program at Hampton Institute in 1941. He graduated from the Advanced Flying School at the Tuskegee Army Air Field on 14 Jan. 1943, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the . . . — — Map (db m104683) HM
On Constitution Highway (State Highway 20) at Clifton Road (County Route 628), on the right when traveling west on Constitution Highway.
Courageous leader of the Baptist Doctrine Ardent advocate of the principles of democracy Vindicator of separation of church and state. Near this spot in 1788, elder John Leland and James Madison, the father of the American Constitution, held a . . . — — Map (db m4697) HM
On West Main Street (State Highway 20) at Madison Road (U.S. 15), on the right when traveling west on West Main Street.
A valiant soldier General Zachary Taylor 1784-1850 Twelfth President of the United States Born in Orange County Virginia Erected by Orange County Post No. 156 The American Legion 1934 — — Map (db m83144) HM
On Short Street just south of East Main Street, on the left when traveling north.
In 1998, The Orange Commercial Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in recognition of the distinctive characteristics of its architecture and its association with events . . . — — Map (db m170873) HM
On James Madison Highway (U.S. 15) at Little Skyline Drive (County Route 674), on the right when traveling south on James Madison Highway.
A mile south is the grave of James Lawson Kemper, who led his brigade of Virginia troops in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, and fell desperately wounded. He became a Major-General in 1864. Kemper was governor of Virginia, 1874-1878. — — Map (db m170878) HM
On West Main Street just west of North Madison Road (U.S. 15), on the right when traveling west.
In honor of the men and women of Orange County, Virginia, who served in the Korean War, 1950-1953 and in memory of the seven who gave their lives
Arnold, Wallace M. •
Brown, William F. •
Clatterbuck, Roland W. •
Collier, John A. • . . . — — Map (db m170678) WM
On Constitution Highway (State Highway 20), on the right when traveling west.
Half a mile west, at the Rogers farm called Middle Hill, Gen. Robert E. Lee kept his headquarters from Dec. 1863 to May 1864. His Army of Northern Virginia, in winter camp, guarded the south side of the Rapidan River from the vicinity of Liberty . . . — — Map (db m4700) HM
On Tomahawk Creek Road (Virginia Route 637) 0.1 miles east of Old Gordonsville Road (Route 647), on the right when traveling east.
At the end of the Civil War, African Americans constituted a majority of the congregation of the white-led Zion Baptist Church, organized nearby in 1813. Exercising newfound autonomy after emancipation, black members withdrew and established Little . . . — — Map (db m170879) HM
On West Main Street (State Highway 20) at Madison Road (U.S. 15), on the right when traveling west on West Main Street.
Five miles southwest is Montpelier, the home of James Madison, "Father of the American Constitution" and fourth president of the United States, 1809-1817. Near the house is the tomb of Madison, who died at Montpelier on June 28, 1836. — — Map (db m4703) HM
On Constitution Highway (State Highway 20), on the right when traveling west.
Dr. Robert Thomas, a prominent Orange County physician, constructed Oakley in the Greek Revival style in 1843. His daughter Sarah (Sally) Thomas Browning and her husband, G. Judson Browning, later owned it. George W. Bagby (1828-1883), Southern . . . — — Map (db m22226) HM
On Dailey Drive west of Caroline Street (U.S. 15) and Berry Hill Road (Virginia Route 20), on the left when traveling west.
Orange Graded School, built in 1925 to replace
the African American schoolhouse on West Main
Street, stood here. Of the several county schools
for black students, Orange Graded was the only
one built using the Julius Rosenwald Fund, which
was . . . — — Map (db m89880) HM
On East Main Street (State Highway 20) at Short Street, on the right when traveling east on East Main Street.
Beginning in 1749, Orange County's successive courthouses have been located just west of here. In 1854, the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, constructed to link Alexandria with central Virginia, reached Orange and a train station was built near here. . . . — — Map (db m170870) HM
On Piney Woods Road (Virginia Route 677) 0.2 miles north of Monrovia Road (Route 612), on the right when traveling north.
The Orange County School Board acquired five acres here in 1894 and established Shady Grove School for African American students. With contributions from African American patrons, the county erected a new two-room frame building here ca. 1923. . . . — — Map (db m170702) HM
On Caroline Street (Virginia Route 20) just north of Brooking Street, on the right when traveling north.
The bricks let into the floor below were part of the foundation of the old Middle Church built prior to 1740 and located on Church Run at Meadow Farm, Orange, Virginia. — — Map (db m170675) HM
On Short Street just south of East Main Street, on the right when traveling south.
1965
On the snowy evening of February 1, 1965, this railway station was severely damaged when steel girders being carried on three piggybacked trailers of a northbound freight train broke loose and swung to the right as the train rounded . . . — — Map (db m170705) HM
On Short Street, on the right when traveling south.
After Gettysburg and some minor operations during the summer and fall of 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Confederate army settled into winter quarters on the hills around the town of Orange Court House. Lee relied on the Orange and Alexandria . . . — — Map (db m4701) HM
On West Main Street just west of North Madison Road (U.S. 15), on the right when traveling west.
In honor of the men and women of Orange County, Virginia who served in the Vietnam War 1964-1975 and in memory of the seven who gave their lives
Clarke, William Mosby, Jr. •
Estes, Richard Hirum, Jr. •
Fincham, William Edward •
Hurst, . . . — — Map (db m170682) WM
On Short Street just south of East Main Street, on the right when traveling south.
town history
Orange was born as one of Virginia's Court House villages on November 24, 1749, when the Gentlemen Justices of Orange County voted to hold County Court sessions in Timothy Crosthwait's tavern alongside "Swift Run Gap Road," the . . . — — Map (db m170689) HM
On West Main Street just west of North Madison Road (U.S. 15), on the right when traveling west.
In honor of the men of Orange County, Virginia who served in the Great War and in memory of the eighteen who gave their lives
Daniel Ashby McIntosh •
Edward D'Oyley Northrop •
Bernard E. Verling •
Charles R. . . . — — Map (db m170679) WM
On West Main Street just west of North Madison Road (U.S. 15), on the right when traveling west.
In honor of the men and women of Orange County, Virginia who served in the Second World War and in memory of the 44 who gave their lives
Andrews, Wm. McKendree •
Beck, William Edwin •
Breeden, General Lee •
Bryant, Gordon Otto • . . . — — Map (db m170680) WM
On Constitution Highway (State Highway 20), on the right when traveling west.
Here, on 12 July 1888, occurred one of Virginia's largest train disasters, the wreck of the Virginia Midland Railroad's Train 52, the Piedmont Airline. As it crossed the 44-foot-high, 487-foot-long trestle, called the Fat Nancy for a local African . . . — — Map (db m170880) HM
