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History · Lovingston

Lovingston dates to 1809, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940

3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 130 buildings.

1809founded
3on the National Register
26%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Lovingston began

When was Lovingston founded?

1809

Lovingston dates its founding to 1809 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1809.

2020 census: 503217 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1809.The full story ↓

What stands out about Lovingston’s past

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

A historic districtThe Lovingston Historic District takes in 130 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Lovingston are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1809: 217 years of Lovingston.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

3 listings protect 134 historic buildings

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

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
134
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Nelson County Courthouse
Nelson County CourthouseLovingston High SchoolLovingston Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Colonial Revival2
Federal1
Greek Revival1
Gothic Revival1
Queen Anne1
Italianate1
Nelson County CourthouseBuilding
Lovingston High SchoolColonial Revival
Lovingston Historic DistrictFederal

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

Help out

Start Lovingston’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

Lovingston, 1809 to 1897

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1809
    FoundingLovingston is established
  3. 1809Post officeThe Lovington post office opens
  4. 1825Born hereThomas Whitehead is born here
  5. 1897Born hereRobert Whitehead is born here
The story

How Lovingston came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lovingston.

Read it all →

The town was formed in 1807 and has been the county seat of Nelson County since 1809 when the courthouse was built in the center of town. The original 30-acre parcel of land on which the town sits was given by the Loving family, a very influential family over the years of the town's history. The town is dominated by the courthouse in the center of town with a grid pattern of streets surrounding it. Front, Second, and Spring streets (which are now Route 29) run in a north–south direction, while Main and Pleasant streets run in an east–west direction. The layout of the town was designed by George W. Varnum and the original design is still present today with very few alterations.

ChaptersCourthouse SquareHurricane CamilleHistoric District

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Lovingston, decade by decade

Today6 recent
2016-05-27 09 54 54 View south along U.S. Route 29 and west along Virginia State Route 56 (Thomas Nelson Highway) at th…20162016-05-27 09 54 54 View south along U.S. Route 29 an…Main Street2009Main StreetNelson Co Magistrates Bldg Dec 082008Nelson Co Magistrates Bldg Dec 08Nelson Co Courthouse Dec 082008Nelson Co Courthouse Dec 08Lovingston View Dec 082008Lovingston View Dec 08Lovingston High School Dec 082008Lovingston High School Dec 08
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Lovingston

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

See all →
Thomas WhiteheadConfederate Army officer, newspaper editor and … · b. 1825
R
Robert WhiteheadVirginia lawyer and Democratic legislator, long… · b. 1897

Questions about Lovingston’s history

What year was Lovingston founded?

In 1809, according to Wikidata. Lovingston’s post office opened in 1809.

What is on the National Register in Lovingston?

Three places: the Nelson County Courthouse (listed 1973), the Lovingston High School (2003) and the Lovingston Historic District (2005).

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 (3), 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.