–Not graded

History · Fincastle

Fincastle dates to 1772, and 37% of its homes were built before 1940

7 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 9 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1947 on, and the census since 1860.

1772founded

7on the National Register

37%homes built before 1940

1old photo or paper

11famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Fincastle’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Fincastle began

When was Fincastle founded?

1772

Fincastle dates its founding to 1772 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 896 in 18602020 census: 755254 years

Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1792.The full story ↓

What stands out about Fincastle’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost two-thirds of its people between 1860 and 1990, then grew 3-fold.Landmarks on the Register7 places on the National Register.Older than the countryEstablished in 1772, 4 years before the Declaration of Independence.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Fincastle’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Fincastle’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewHistorical Collections of Virginia: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

People over time

Fincastle, census by census

Lost two-thirds of its people between 1860 and 1990, then grew 3-fold.

15 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fincastle’s Wikipedia page.

On the National Register

7 listings protect 25 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed

National Historic Landmarks

none yet

historic buildings protected

each building in a district counts

first listed

1969

Fincastle Historic District

BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Federal2

I House2

Greek Revival1

Queen Anne1

Fincastle Historic DistrictDistrict

SantillaneBuilding

Prospect HillFederal

Breckinridge MillBuilding

WilomaI House

Hawthorne HallFederal

Breckinridge Mill ComplexQueen Anne

All 8 listings

GlencoeBuilding · listed 2021

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Fincastle came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Fincastle.

Read it all →

The town of Fincastle was originally settled by Scotch-Irish and German immigrants from Pennsylvania who arrived in the region in the mid-18th century. John Miller erected a sawmill which became the nucleus of the early village of Fincastle. In 1770, Botetourt County was separated from Augusta County, and Miller's home was selected as the meeting place for the court. Two years later, Israel Christian donated 45 acres (18 ha) of land and laid out the streets and lots for the new town of Fincastle. The town's name was selected to honor George, Lord Fincastle, the eldest son of Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, Lord Dunmore.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Fincastle, 1772 to 1947

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

18th century
1772
FoundingFincastle is established
1792Post officeThe Fincastle post office opens
19th century
1806Born hereJacob Ammen is born here
1813Born hereJoseph Reid Anderson is born here
1842Born hereWilliam Alexander Anderson is born here
1845In the archiveHistorical Collections of Virginia
1860CensusPopulation peaks at 896
1863Born hereCharles H. Grasty is born here
20th century
1947On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey

By decade

Fincastle, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1840s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1840s1 item

1845Historical Collections of Virginia

Today17 recent

2014Fincastle, Virginia

2014Fincastle, Virginia (14034445697) (2)

2014Fincastle, Virginia

2012Fincastle VA

2007Fincastle, Virginia - panoramio (1)

2004Old barn 3-09 snow

2004Fincastle, VA, USA

On the map

Fincastle on the map, 1947 to 1971

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fincastle. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1947Roanoke sheet · 1:250,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Fincastle.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewHistorical Collections of Virginia, 1845

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Fincastle’s page.

Retake this view · +15

Famous people

11 famous people were born in Fincastle

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Joseph Reid AndersonAmerican civil engineer, industrialist, and sol… · b. 1813

Jacob AmmenUnion Army General · b. 1806

Charles H. GrastyAmerican newspaper executive · b. 1863

William Alexander AndersonAmerican lawyer and politician · b. 1842

Jack N. YoungAmerican stunt performer · b. 1926

William RadfordUnited States Navy Rear Admiral · b. 1808

Questions about Fincastle’s history

What year was Fincastle founded?

In 1772, according to Wikidata. Fincastle’s post office opened in 1792, and the census of 1860 counted 896 people here.

What is on the National Register in Fincastle?

7 listings: 7 buildings and 1 historic district, the Fincastle Historic District, with 9 contributing buildings. 25 historic buildings in all.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (18), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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