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C+History
History · Groveton

2 of Groveton’s places are on the National Register

More historic than 40% of U.S. towns · #111 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it

Most of Groveton was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: 6 old photos and papers and maps from 1900 on.

2on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Groveton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

About Groveton’s history

How historic is Groveton?

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More historic than 40% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
History grade

What drives Groveton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Groveton is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #111 of 253 in Virginia. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Groveton’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 19401.2% of homes (±1.3) · typical VA town 1.9% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register2 listings, 45 historic buildings, 32.3 per 10,000 residents · typical VA town 3.6 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 40%
NewerOlder
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 56%

Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Virginia town has 3.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Groveton’s 32.3 sits near the middle of its state (62% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 45 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Groveton’s past

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

A historic districtThe William H. Randall Estates takes in 40 historic buildings.On the map since 19006 editions of the USGS map, 1900 to 1983. Watch Groveton change.Lost villages5 hamlets and corners are still on the map.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

2 listings protect 45 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
45
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Huntley
HuntleyWilliam H. Randall Estates
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Federal1
HuntleyFederal
All 2 listings
William H. Randall EstatesDistrict · listed 2026

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

On the map

Groveton on the map, 1900 to 1983

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

Groveton on the 1900 USGS mapGroveton on the 1945 USGS mapGroveton on the 1951 USGS mapGroveton on the 1965 USGS mapGroveton on the 1971 USGS mapGroveton on the 1983 USGS map1900Washington sheet · 1:62,500

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

Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Bucknell HeightsBucknell ManorGroveton HeightsMemorial HeightsValley View
Gone or out of use
Hollin Hills Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Groveton
Collard - Darrell Family

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story so far

Groveton, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Groveton yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Groveton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Groveton had a population of 15,725. Located south of the city of Alexandria, it encompasses numerous neighborhoods including Groveton, Bucknell Manor, Stoneybrooke, and portions of Hollin Hills. Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County's largest park, is located in the southwest part of the CDP.

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 14,598 to 15,725 (+8%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Groveton, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s6 items
Dedication of monument on battle-field of Groveton1861Dedication of monument on battle-field of GrovetonRetreat of the Army of the Rappahannock (Gen. Pope) to Groveton, Manassas Junction1862Retreat of the Army of the Rappahannock (Gen. Pope) t…Defeat of the Army of Genl. Pope at Manassas on the Old Bull run battle[gr]ound1862Defeat of the Army of Genl. Pope at Manassas on the O…Warrens Brigade overpowered by Longstreets advance1862Warrens Brigade overpowered by Longstreets advanceThe Army of the Potomac marching over the second Bull Run battleground near Groveton1863The Army of the Potomac marching over the second Bull…Monument on battle-field of Groveton, Va1865Monument on battle-field of Groveton, Va
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.

Dedication of monument on battle-field of Groveton
Retake this viewDedication of monument on battle-field of Groveton, 1861

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

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Groveton

Nobody well known was born in Groveton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Dermot MulroneyAmerican actor · b. 1963
Jeff KinneyAmerican author and cartoonist · b. 1971
Angus KingAmerican politician and lawyer · b. 1944
Kali UchisAmerican singer-songwriter · b. 1994
D
Diedrich BaderAmerican actor · b. 1966
S
Stewart CopelandAmerican drummer and composer · b. 1952
Help out

Finish Groveton’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewDedication of monument on battle-field …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

HayfieldIts storyD−Belle Haven1 historic placeCHybla Valley1 historic placeC−Rose HillIts storyDFort Hunt5 historic placesCFort Belvoir2 historic placesCWoodlawn1 historic placeC−HuntingtonIts storyD

Questions about Groveton’s history

How does Groveton rank for history?

Groveton is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #111 of 253 in Virginia. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Groveton?

Two places: the Huntley (listed 1972) and the William H. Randall Estates (2026).

How old are the homes in Groveton?

1% of Groveton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1976.

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).

From the Library of Congress (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.