Lexington, Buena Vista, & Rockbridge County
Decades before the American Revolution, what is now Rockbridge County, Virginia, played a quiet yet formative role in the shaping of early American identity. Officially carved from parts of Augusta and Botetourt counties in 1778 – a frontier security measure during the heart of the War of Independence itself – Rockbridge was named for the Natural Bridge: a striking geological formation later owned by Thomas Jefferson, who’d purchased the land from King George III in 1774.
Settlers of largely Scots-Irish and German descent brought with them a strong sense of independence and Protestant traditions, cultivating farms and institutions that would shape the county’s character for generations. Although indigenous people had lived in the area for over 10,000 years, settled Monacan communities had largely left by 900 B.C.E. The spread of slavery from Virginia’s Tidewater and Piedmont into the Shenandoah Valley grew a population of free and enslaved Blacks to one-third of county’s population, by the Civil War (and approximately 3%, today). Presently, the Rockbridge Regional Area – including the independent cities of Lexington and Buena Vista – collectively total 35,000 residents, plus students from the four colleges that, remarkably, operate within its borders.
As Lexington became a regional 18th-century hub, at the intersection of the Maury River and the Great Valley Road, a range of early Presbyterian congregations developed across the county, including those at Timber Ridge (1746) on Main Street Lexington (1789). They stood at the heart of both spiritual and civic life, providing places for social gathering and political discussion, shaping Revolutionary debate, the evolution of the Early Republic, and Appalachian culture, more broadly.
A decade after the area’s first land patents were sold via the “Borden Grant” in 1739, Augusta Academy was established, before moving to Lexington as Liberty Hall Academy in 1776. In 1796, a transformational gift from George Washington led to its re-naming, with Robert E. Lee’s name was added to the University in 1870, as a tribute to its first post-Civil War President. Next door, Virginia Military Institute opened in 1839 to serve as a regional arsenal and to train cadets who’ve gone on to become prominent soldiers and state and national leaders for two centuries. Since its earliest years, Rockbridge has stood as one of the state’s notable educational centers, its tight-knit community home to no less than four colleges today: W&L, VMI, Southern Virginia University, and Mountain Gateway College.
Buena Vista, though not formally established until the industrial “Boom” of the 1890s, shares in the region’s early, revolutionary roots through its connection to the James and Maury Rivers. Those early transportation routes led to canals and railroads that supported local farms, then advanced commerce and industry, nestled today between two interstate corridors and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Today, Rockbridge County honors its Revolutionary-era foundations and subsequent legacies through a rich array of historical sites and museums, including the Rockbridge Historical Society, the Jackson House, the George C. Marshall Library, as well as museums at W&L and VMI. Natural Bridge State Park interprets the international landmark’s environmental, local, and national histories, from its early place in Monacan life, to its purchase by Thomas Jefferson in 1774, an internationally-celebrated tourist draw for over 250 years, since.
As part of Rockbridge-VA250 commemorations, local organizers are planning a series of events extending from Patriots’ Day 2025 (a nod to Lexington’s namesake battle, in Massachusetts) to 2028: the 250th anniversary of the county and town’s founding. Lexington’s annual Freedom Food Fest and Rockbridge Community Festival in July and August, along with Buena Vista’s Labor Day Parade – always a vital stop for candidates and distinguished speakers in state and national electoral campaigns – colored with authentic community creativity and spirit.
Rockbridge-VA250 is helping to coordinate curricular initiatives and free public history programs for lifelong learning, relevant museum exhibits, and music, film, and arts series. Also ahead are interactive revisitings of the bicentennial, and community rides that follow stretches of the transnational “Bikecentennial” that traversed the county in 1976. Rich recreational resources, a lively arts and music scene, and annual parades and festivals will memorably extend that “Spirit of ‘76” up through its hallmark 250th birthday in 2028. Collectively, these celebrations and commemorations are grounded in the unique features and traditions of the greater Rockbridge area, as it has grown and evolved through the Civil War, the 20th-century Civil Rights struggles, to its vital place in Virginia tourism, today.
While there are currently no events listed specifically for Rockbridge County, search the VA250 Statewide Calendar of Events for a comprehensive listing of programs across the state.
First Friday Summer Speaker Series: VA250Join us for our First Friday's Speaker Series on Friday, July 11 where we kick-off our local Rockbridge VA250 Celebration, commemorating America's Rev... Read More
Rockbridge Community FestivalEstablished in 1976 - the year of the U.S. Bicentennial! - the Rockbridge Community Festival is a one-of-a-kind festival and features local vendors,... Read More
Vietnam War Exhibit ~ Virginia and RockbridgeThe Rockbridge Historical is proud to partner with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, by hosting the traveling exhibit, "Virginia and the Vietn... Read More
GIVE ME LIBERTY Exhibit: Virginia & the Forging of a NationThe Rockbridge Historical is proud to partner with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, by hosting the traveling exhibit, "GIVE ME LIBERTY: Virgi... Read More
While there are currently no events listed specifically for , search the VA250 Statewide Calendar of Events for a comprehensive listing of programs across the state.
