The linear district includes the buildings of governance for the county seat of Pittsylvania County, commercial buildings dating from the late 19th to mid-20th century, and residential neighborhoods constructed between 1807 and 1950. Included in the district are the 1853 National Historic Landmark Pittsylvania County courthouse, more than 60 commercial buildings, and a number of high-style residences. The number and quality of these buildings reflect the prosperity of Chatham as the seat of Pittsylvania County government and as a commercial center for the surrounding rural region of tobacco-rich Southside Virginia.
