Fincastle Historic District

Fincastle is a small county-seat town in Botetourt County, Virginia, laid out in 1770 by County Surveyor William Preston and established by the Virginia Assembly in 1772. It began as a frontier village and was among the last outposts for pioneers heading west through the Valley of Virginia. The nominated district of about 85 acres keeps the look of a nineteenth-century agricultural community. Its skyline is still marked by three church spires and the court house cupola. The 1845 court house is a Roman Revival building of red brick and whitewashed stucco, and local tradition links it to plans by Jefferson. Greek Revival churches, the 1837 Gothic Revival St. Mark's Episcopal Church, a late Victorian jail, and houses such as the log Peck House, the Federal Ammen House and the Kyle House add variety. Local materials and a consistent scale unify the town. Later documentation adds its role as a supply point for westward settlers and its ties to Lewis and Clark.