Virginia

Explore the historic streetscapes of Leesburg, Virginia, and how they've changed over time.

Established in 1758, Leesburg experienced steady growth in its first 200 years, blossoming from a small crossroads community into a thriving commercial, agricultural, social, and government center. Comparing historic images from the Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg Planning Department, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and Loudoun Museum with current views of the town, Leesburg resident and preservation planner Annie Laurie McDonald explores the town's historic streetscapes and how they have changed over time in response to growth throughout the Northern Virginia region.

Since its beginning as a ferry crossing in 1757, the city of Lynchburg has covered the hills that rise above the James River. A community that has managed to successfully blend its past with the best that the present has to offer, Lynchburg is truly the "Heart of Virginia."

Blacksburg has always been on the frontier's edge: pushing the boundaries of westward expansion in Colonial Virginia, as a leader in agricultural and mechanical education with the founding of a land-grant university in 1872, and home to a leading research institution known today as Virginia Tech. The history revealed by numerous historic structures is the foundation that makes Blacksburg "a Special Place."

The New River, creeks, limestone, timber, mineral springs, mountains, and railroads have shaped the small communities, industries, and tourism of Giles County, Virginia.

Many once-bustling places in the county are quieter today, but buildings and landscapes of earlier times are still present and interesting to compare to photographs of the past. Terri L. Fisher, executive director of the Giles County Historical Society and author of Images of America: Pearisburg and Giles County and Lost Communities of Virginia, is a resident of Narrows.

Prince William County, just south of Washington, D.C., has changed dramatically over the years.

The area welcomes thousands of visitors annually to historic sites and is home to thousands more residents. This volume takes readers on a journey through the county that preserves its past with an eye to the future.

Fredericksburg, one of America's most historic cities, sits midpoint between the nation's capital and Richmond.

Many visitors come to this city to walk in the footsteps of illustrious Americans, admire their homes, view the battlefields nearby, and enjoy true Southern hospitality. Following a broadcasting career in California and New York, author Tony Kent retired to Fredericksburg where he and 12 others founded the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center, a regional archive for the grass roots history of the city and its four neighboring counties. Many never-before-published images in this volume are from the center's collection.

Travel back in time and witness Roanoke Valley's humble beginnings and how it has grown into the region it is today.

Nestled in the shadows of the Blue Ridge, the Roanoke Valley has developed as the capital region for western Virginia. After a century of growth fueled by transportation, education, and healthcare, the region has undergone significant visible change. While some of the valley's landmarks remain, many have been replaced or dramatically altered.

In addition to being the state capital, Richmond, Virginia, was also the capital of the South during the Civil War. Today Richmond is a vibrant city that embraces its historical past while looking toward future developments.

After Reconstruction, businesses developed, and the warehouse district - Shockoe Bottom - was rebuilt, boosting Richmond's economic growth. Then & Now: Richmond uses late-19th-century photographs of Richmond neighborhoods, churches, businesses, and schools, contrasting these historic photographs with contemporary views of the same Richmond sites such as St. John's Church, the Capitol, Broad Street, Main Street, and the Old Stone House. Then & Now: Richmond takes a step back in time and compares the glory of the past with the progress of the future.

Just miles from the Washington, D.C. beltway is the small community of Lorton, Virginia. By the time it was formally named Lorton in the late 1800s, the area had already seen much history in the making. At the turn of the century, Theodore Roosevelt scouted out the territory for the makings of a new detention center in answer to the prison problems in the District of Columbia. When the land reverted back to Fairfax County in the late 1900s, the Lorton prison facilities were closed, and the community began a rapid development from a poor rural area to one of high-end

housing. Through the vintage and modern photos in this volume, walk the grounds of our founding fathers. See the home of George Mason, author of the Bill of Rights, and visit Pohick Church, designed by George Washington. Try to hear the laughter and conversation by the fire at the Fairfax Tavern, a favorite stopping place for anyone heading north. Witness the radical change from an agrarian Lorton to the subdivisions of today.

In a world that moves at a faster pace with every technological advance, the tempo of Mathews County remains relatively unchanged: pleasingly slow. As big box retailers homogenize nearby areas with a plethora of seemingly endless department stores, restaurant chains, and shopping centers, Mathews clings firmly and proudly to its rural charm and unspoiled natural beauty.

South Norfolk, Virginia, now a part of the bustling metropolis of Chesapeake, was once a small, close-knit community with sprawling farms and cozy locally-owned businesses. South Norfolk had its beginnings as a village. As population increased, it became a town, then a city of the second class, and finally, a city of the first class. By this time, South Norfolk was already offering residents a friendly, small-town identity in the midst of lovely homes, schools, and churches. Through vintage and present-day photographs, readers will experience the nostalgic and striking contrast between the world of old South Norfolk and the Chesapeake of today. Step back in time when life moved at a slower pace, and the community blossomed with friendship, trust, and goodwill. Meet prominent families such as the Portlocks and the Tilleys; travel dirt streets lined with horse-drawn wagons and a variety of vendors; walk the wintry snow-covered paths of beautiful Lakeside Park; visit the Grand Theatre, Jus Maid Ice Cream Store, Gornto's Bakery; or catch up with the gang at Preston's Pharmacy.

The rich history of Petersburg, Virginia, can be documented through images of the community. The photographs in Then & Now: Petersburg showcase Petersburg's past and also provide a visual record of the city in the first decade of the 21st century. While some images illustrate dramatic changes over time, others have a timeless appeal.

The engaging history of Buchanan County is explored in-depth in this book.

Buchanan County, like many small counties, has gone through boom and bust in its history. From floods and fires to economic prosperity, Buchanan went from being one of the wealthiest counties to one of the poorest in the state of Virginia. Unlike many small counties, Buchanan is reinventing itself. The original county is no more and is currently being rebuilt.