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History · Jonesville

Jonesville dates to 1794, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

Most of Jonesville was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. Its Register listings are the Jonesville Methodist Campground and the Dickinson-Milbourn House. Below: 1 old photo or paper from 1996 on.

1794founded
2on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Jonesville began

When was Jonesville founded?

1794

Jonesville dates its founding to 1794 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1827.

2020 census: 872232 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1827.The full story ↓

What stands out about Jonesville’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.Deep rootsEstablished in 1794: 232 years of Jonesville.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Jonesville’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFB IMG 1758420253437 Brett Clark and Ma…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

Jonesville, 1794 to 1996

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1794
    FoundingJonesville is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1827Post officeThe Jonesville post office opens
  5. 1829Born hereElbert S. Martin is born here
  6. 1838Born hereCharles T. Duncan is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1920Born hereGlen Morgan Williams is born here
  9. 1923Born hereRobert C. Duncan is born here
  10. 1996In the archiveFB IMG 1758420253437 Brett Clark and Mark Sweeney
The story

How Jonesville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jonesville.

Read it all →

Jonesville was a small but thriving center of local commerce in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but like most towns in the central Appalachian region, it fell into gradual economic decline as the coal boom ebbed in the latter half of the twentieth century. By the end of the century much of the commercial real estate in its downtown area was either unoccupied or underutilized. Most of Jonesville's remaining commercial activity is concentrated in the west end. Jonesville Drug, one of the oldest surviving downtown businesses, relocated to the old Chappell's Dairy site on the west end in 2004.

The Dickinson-Milbourn House and Jonesville Methodist Campground are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Jonesville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s1 item
FB IMG 1758420253437 Brett Clark and Mark Sweeney1996FB IMG 1758420253437 Brett Clark and Mark Sweeney
Today5 recent
Jonesville-from-Park-Street-va2017Jonesville-from-Park-Street-va2017-06-12 16 22 54 View south along Virginia State Route 70 (Trail of the Lonesome Pine) at U.S. Route 58 (Wilderness …20172017-06-12 16 22 54 View south along Virginia State R…Dickinson-Milbourn House2014Dickinson-Milbourn HouseWelcome to Jonesville sign2005Welcome to Jonesville signVAMap-doton-Jonesville2005VAMap-doton-Jonesville
On the National Register

2 historic places in Jonesville

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
3
each building in a district counts
first listed
1974
Jonesville Methodist Campground
Dickinson-Milbourn House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Federal1
Jonesville Methodist CampgroundBuilding
Dickinson-Milbourn HouseFederal

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Jonesville

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

See all →
E
Elbert S. MartinConfederate Army officer and American politician · b. 1829
G
Glen Morgan WilliamsUnited States federal judge · b. 1920
Robert C. DuncanAmerican engineer · b. 1923
C
Charles T. DuncanVirginia lawyer and state judge · b. 1838

Questions about Jonesville’s history

What year was Jonesville founded?

In 1794, according to Wikidata. Jonesville’s post office opened in 1827.

What is on the National Register in Jonesville?

Two places: the Jonesville Methodist Campground (listed 1974) and the Dickinson-Milbourn House (1993).

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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.