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History · Mineral

Mineral dates to 1890, and 27% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 222 buildings. Below: maps from 1942 on and the census since 1910.

1890founded
1on the National Register
27%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Mineral began

When was Mineral founded?

1890

Mineral dates its founding to 1890 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1910.

First census: 260 in 19102020 census: 470136 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1837.The full story ↓

What stands out about Mineral’s past

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

A historic districtThe Mineral Historic District takes in 222 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Mineral are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Mineral’s homes were built before 1960.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

1 listing protects 222 historic buildings

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

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
222
each building in a district counts
first listed
2005
Mineral Historic District
Mineral Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Italianate1
Queen Anne1
Gothic Revival1
Colonial Revival1
Mineral Historic DistrictItalianate

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

Help out

Start Mineral’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mineral’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
The story

How Mineral came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Mineral.

Read it all →

Mineral was originally known as Tolersville, but adopted its current name when it incorporated in 1902 due to the mining industry that supported the community. It was the center of gold mining activity in Louisa County; during its heyday, there were fifteen gold mines located within two miles (3 km) of the town. A zinc and lead mine also operated in the area into the 1970s.

Cuckoo, Harris-Poindexter House and Store, and the Mineral Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Mineral, 1837 to 1942

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1837Post officeThe Tolersville post office opens
  3. 1890
    FoundingMineral is established
  4. 1890Post officeThe Tolersville post office closes
  5. 1899Post officeThe Mineral post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1921Born hereRobert Jackson is born here
  8. 1926Born hereRay Edenton is born here
  9. 1942On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Mineral, decade by decade

Today6 recent
US Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 59 Virginia2011US Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 59 VirginiaUS Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 59 Virginia2011US Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 59 VirginiaUS Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 58 Virginia2011US Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 58 VirginiaUS Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 58 Virginia2011US Route 522 - 2011-10-14 11 58 VirginiaFour acres under cultivation2011Four acres under cultivationMineral C&O Depot WJGrimes2007Mineral C&O Depot WJGrimes
On the map

Mineral on the map, 1942 to 1973

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

Mineral on the 1942 USGS mapMineral on the 1969 USGS mapMineral on the 1973 USGS map1942Mineral sheet · 1:24,000

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

People over time

Mineral, census by census

0100200300400500192019401960198020002020Peak: 471

Between 260 and 471 people in every census since 1910.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Mineral

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

See all →
R
Ray EdentonAmerican guitarist · b. 1926
R
Robert JacksonAmerican college football coach · b. 1921
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Mineral’s post office has been open since 1899. Another post office, Tolersville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Tolersville
1837–1890
Mineral
1899–today
18301930today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Mineral’s history

What year was Mineral founded?

In 1890, according to Wikidata. Mineral’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1910 counted 260 people here.

What is on the National Register in Mineral?

One place: the Mineral Historic District (listed 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 (1), 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.