Lost counties, cities, and towns of Virginia

Lost counties, cities and towns of Virginia are those which formerly existed in the English Colony of Virginia or the Commonwealth of Virginia.

This article will focus on the some of the lost cities, counties, and towns (both incorporated and not) once located in Virginia. At least at the local level, most (if not all) are not truly lost, as was North Carolina's Lost Colony from Roanoke Island. For most, it is known with a high degree of certainty (and some secrecy in a few instances) what became of them. Some of these "lost" communities which are now in other states currently exist under their prior names, and surely the citizens of each do not consider them to be "lost" at all. Within Virginia, most records seem to prefer the word "extinct" as opposed to "lost." In this article, the words should be considered to have the same meaning.

One former Virginia county now forms an entire state. A wave of consolidations of local governments in southeastern Virginia in the 20th century (from 1952-1976) eliminated 5 counties, 3 cities, and 1 incorporated town, but did result in creation of 2 brand new cities, and expansion of one city from 2 to 250 square miles (5 to 650 km²). Now, even the Virginia portion of the Great Dismal Swamp is located in two cities: Chesapeake and Suffolk.

The stories of the lost counties, cities and towns of Virginia lead to tales of success, failure, great wisdom, honor, tragedy, natural and historic preservation and even national security. They are a combination of fact, fiction, and legend. Although the fictional Mayberry and neighboring Mt. Pilot belong to North Carolina, Virginia can lay claim to television history and a bit of fun with Walton's Mountain, Valleyville, and real places with names like Wash Woods, said to have been built from the wreckage of ships at the False Cape along the Atlantic Ocean.

History: 400 years
Local government in Virginia has one of the longer histories of the English-speaking settlements of North America. It all began with the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 (a poorly-sited location later abandoned) and Kecoughtan a better-sited location essentially stolen from Native Americans in 1610 which in the 21st century lays claim to status as the oldest continually-occupied settlement in the British Colonies in what is now the United States.

For almost 400 years, hundreds of counties, cities, and towns were formed in the Colony of Virginia and later the Commonwealth (State) of Virginia (the Old Dominion). It was generally the tradition of the English during the colonial period to establish large geographic units, and then to subsequently sub-divide them into smaller more manageable units. This two-phase process was conducted in order to establish legal claims to maximum territory. As areas were settled the large territories were subdivided for a variety of reasons.
Counties
The local governmental unit of a "county" came to Virginia following the form of shires (or counties) in England in 1634. The concept as it was brought to North America, was to have an area of size such that legal matter such as recordation of land and property transfers, resolutions of disputes, and other matters could be handled at a "court" within a day's journey of travel from all of its parts. As the population of counties grew, especially into more distant geographic extremities, many counties were subdivided to form additional counties. Having counties comprised of areas of common interests to the citizens became a more important factor as the distance one could travel in a single day increased. Throughout the United States, counties are generally the setting for local courts, and local courts are still the designated places for recording land transactions and resolving civil disputes and criminal matters.

Of the 50 states, only in Louisiana and Alaska are no counties found. In Louisiana, parishes are essentially the equivalents of counties. Most of Alaska is divided into boroughs, although much of the state does not fall under any division below the state level. Both Connecticut and Rhode Island are nominally subdivided into counties for census purposes and ease of geographic reference, though neither state actually has any governmental entity operating on the county level. In both states, therefore, the local municipalities are direct subdivisions of the state, and state courts are located primarily in the states' population centers.
Independent cities
In Virginia, under state constitutional changes after the American Civil War (1861-1865), beginning in 1871, cities became politically independent of the counties. For many practical purposes, an independent city in Virginia since then has been comparable to a county. Many agencies of the U.S. Government consider Virginia's independent cities to be county-equivalents.
Incorporated towns
Formally organized towns with an elected central government are incorporated towns. In Virginia, all incorporated towns are located within counties, and do not have their own courts, which are shared with the host county. Most share school systems and provision of other governmental services with their respective county.
Unincorporated towns
In Virginia, unincorporated towns are essentially unincorporated communities which are not formally organized. They may also be called villages. Virginia does not officially recognize villages or unincorporated towns or communities as units of political subdivision of the state, as are all counties, independent cities, and incorporated towns. Township is also an unused term in Virginia.
Virginia in 2005
As of February 2005, Virginia currently has 95 counties, 39 independent cities, and 43 incorporated towns. There are also hundreds of communities in Virginia with their own identities which may be considered by some to be unincorporated towns.

Some of the older counties still operating under their earliest names (or with only very minor variations) are Charles City County, James City County and Henrico County, each of which is one of the original eight shires (or counties) which were formed by the Virginia House of Burgesses (predecessor to the Virginia General Assembly) and King Charles I of England in 1634. Of these, with a substantial portion of the mostly rural population claiming Native American roots, Charles City County probably has the best claim to being still being in its earlier form in the 21st century.

While dozens of other localities in Virginia also trace their roots to the 17th century, hundreds more have changed their names, were merged or been annexed by neighbors, are now located in other states,or for many other reasons no longer exist in Virginia.
Areas of Virginia now in other states
In the simplest terms, most or all of four other states (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia) were originally located in Colonial Virginia. It is important to bear in mind that the major highways of travel were waterways in the 17th century. Generally, the earliest border descriptions used were more specific regarding eastern edges and waterways, and much more vague about western extremities, especially in the description of land areas.
Pennsylvania: 1 lost county
There were many disputes over boundaries in western Virginia and Pennsylvania prior to 1780. Similar conflicts between Maryland and Pennsylvania were resolved by 1767 through the work of two men chosen by the sixth Lord Baltimore (for Maryland) and Thomas Penn and his brother Richard Penn (sons of Thomas Penn, and proprietors of Pennsylvania). Astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon came from England to do this work. The line they surveyed in 1766 and 1767 has since been known as the Mason and Dixon's Line. However, their authority extended west only as far as Western Maryland, and did not resolve border conflicts in the area known as Yohogania County. Virginia and Pennsylvania disputes there and elsewhere along the Virginia-Pennsylvania border areas continued throughout the remainder of the colonial period.

After the areas in dispute became part of the newly-formed United States, the new states of Virginia and Pennsylvania (each one of the first thirteen states which formed the union) soon reached an agreement, and most of Yohogania County became part of Pennsylvania in the 1780s under terms agreed of the state legislatures of both Virginia and Pennsylvania. A small remaining portion left in Virginia was too small to form a county, and was annexed to another Virginia counties, Ohio County. It is now Hancock County, West Virginia and part of Brooke County, West Virginia.

The areas of Yohogania County ceded to Pennsylvania included all of present-day Westmoreland County and parts of the present counties of Allegheny (including most of the city of Pittsburgh, Beaver, Washington, and Fayette Counties. Ohio and Monongalia Counties also lost territory that they claimed to Pennsylvania (Washington, Greene and Fayette) counties in this realignment.
Illinois and Indiana: 1 lost county
By the time the United States was formed late in the 18th century following the American Revolutionary War, the areas which formed Illinois (the Prairie State) and Indiana (the Hoosier State) were all contained in only one Virginia county, which was named Illinois County.

In 1787, the future states of Indiana and Illinois became part of the original Northwest Territory, part of which was partially carved from land previously in the far western portions of Virginia. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 passed by the United States Congress allowed for the creation of as many as five states in the northwest portion of the Ohio Valley on lines originally laid out in 1784 by Thomas Jefferson.

Known as the Northwest Territory (not to be confused with the Northwest Territories of Canada), the new federal lands were east of the Mississippi River, and between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes. The region comprised more than 260,000 square miles. The ordinance defined the boundaries of the future states, excluded slavery and required that 60,000 inhabitants be present for statehood. Ultimately, the territory was organized into the present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Subdivided from the Northwest Territory, the Indiana Territory came into being in 1800, and included both Indiana and Illinois. In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state. In 1818, Illinois became the 21st state.
Kentucky: 10 lost counties
At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, large numbers of Virginia settlers began migrating through the Cumberland Gap into what is now Kentucky. Kentucky County was formed in Virginia in 1776. Four years later it was divided into the Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties of Virginia. The State of Kentucky (the Blue Grass state) was formed in its entirety from the State of Virginia, being admitted to the Union as the fifteenth state in 1792.

The ten (10) Virginia counties "lost" in the formation of the new State of Kentucky were (alphabetically):

* Bourbon County
* Fayette County
* Jefferson County
* Kentucky County
* Lincoln County
* Madison County
* Mason County
* Mercer County
* Nelson County
* Woodford County



Many of these names were later reused to name other new Virginia counties. Some of those were "lost" again when the state of West Virginia was formed in 1863.
West Virginia: 50 lost counties
Much as counties were subdivided as the population grew to maintain a government of a size and location both convenient and of citizens with common interests (at least to some degree), as Virginia grew, the portions which remained after the subdivision of Kentucky in 1776 became more populated. For the western areas, problems were the distance from the state seat of government in Richmond and the difference of common economic interests resultant from the tobacco and food crops farming, fishing, and coastal shipping on the Eastern Continental Divide (waters which drain to the Atlantic Ocean) along the Allegheny Mountains, and the interests of the western portion which drained to the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Gulf of Mexico. The western area focused it commerce on neighbors to the west, and many citizens felt that the more populous eastern areas were too dominant in the State Legislature and insensitive to their needs. Major crisis in the Virginia state government were adverted during the period before the American Civil War, but the underlying problems were fundamental and never well-resolved.

Although slavery was not the major economic issue for the western counties, which were much less dependent upon large scale labor-intensive farming than their eastern counterparts, states rights were an issue for the majority of Virginians, regardless of geographic location. The American Civil War brought Virginia's internal problems with eastern and western conflicting state governmental needs to resolution. The early occupation of the western lands by Union forces and Virginia's divided loyalties led to the formation of the new State of West Virginia, which was admitted to the Union in 1863. West Virginia is known as the Mountain State.

Although the State of Virginia had lost only ten counties when Kentucky became state in 1776, the number of lost counties (and cities and towns) was much greater when West Virginia was subdivided. Some of these were names which had been reused by Virginia after the State of Kentucky was subdivided in 1776.

Listed alphabetically, the 48 counties of Virginia lost to the formation of West Virginia were:

* Barbour County
* Boone County
* Braxton County
* Brooke County
* Cabell County
* Calhoun County
* Clay County
* Doddridge County
* Fayette County
* Gilmer County
* Greenbrier County
* Hampshire County
* Hancock County
* Hardy County
* Harrison County
* Jackson County
* Kanawha County
* Lewis County
* Logan County
* McDowell County
* Marion County
* Marshall County
* Mason County
* Mercer County
* Monongalia County
* Monroe County
* Morgan County
* Nicholas County
* Ohio County
* Pendleton County
* Pleasants County
* Pocahontas County
* Preston County
* Putnam County
* Raleigh County
* Randolph County
* Ritchie County
* Roane County
* Taylor County
* Tucker County
* Tyler County
* Upshur County
* Wayne County
* Webster County
* Wetzel County
* Wirt County
* Wood County
* Wyoming County



In 1866, two more counties decided in local referendums that they also wanted to be part of the new state of West Virginia, bringing the total to 50. These last 2 counties were:

* Berkeley County
* Jefferson County



Also lost to Virginia with the formation of West Virginia were many cities and towns. A partial listing of these (there were many more) are:

* Beckley
* Bath (Berkeley Springs)
* Capon Springs
* Charles Town
* Charleston
* Clarksburg
* Elkins
* Fairmont
* Fayetteville
* Franklin
* Grafton
* Harper's Ferry
* Harrisville
* Jackson's Mill
* Lewisburg
* Martinsburg
* Moundsville
* Morgantown
* New Cumberland
* Parkersburg
* Philippi
* Point Pleasant
* Princeton
* Ripley
* Romney
* Shepherdstown
* St. Marys
* Summersville
* Union
* Weston
* Wheeling
* White Sulphur Springs

Summary of areas Virginia "lost" to other states
By the time Virginia drafted a new state constitution during Reconstruction, 62 former counties had become located in other states. Of course, many cities and towns were "lost" in those areas as well.
Areas now in Virginia
Virginia began losing counties, cities, and towns as almost as early as any were formed. The reasons vary widely, from known and very logical to unknown. The very first town, Jamestown, which was first settled in 1607, is probably the best known of all of these.
Jamestown 1607: Where it all started
When Captain Christopher Newport sailed the three tiny ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, and the Discovery up the James River and found the site of Jamestown, the location seemed most ideal from the considerations of defense against other humans. It was a semi-island, technically a narrow peninsula separated from the mainland by a narrow isthmus of land.

The location upstream on the James River from Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay leading to the Atlantic Ocean was relatively safe from the ocean-going navies of the other European non-English countries who were also establishing colonies and periodically at war with England, notably at the time, the Dutch, the French, and especially the Spanish.

The site selected for Jamestown was also not on land occupied by Native Americans, whom the settlers called "Indians" (a name derived from the mistaken belief of early explorers of the Americas that they had reached Asia, and hence, the riches of India). Unfortunately for the settlers at Jamestown, there were very good reasons why the Native Americans did not consider Jamestown as prime real estate upon which to locate a village.

The area at Jamestown was isolated from most hunting game such as deer and bears, who like to forage over much larger areas. The settlers quickly killed off and ate all the large and smaller game which were to be found on the tiny peninsula. The low marshy area was infested with mosquitoes and other air-borne pests. The brackish water of the tidal James River was not a good source of drinking water. Most of the early settlers died of disease and starvation. All might have died had not Chief Powhatan, the local Native American leader, decided to provide some food to them. However, Powhatan limited the rations, and used food as leverage to gain power over the settlers.

By 1611, it seemed that Jamestown was a failure. Virtually every settler died within a few years of arriving in the colony. After four years, no gold or precious gems were discovered. No crops or animals were found that could be exported back to Europe for a profit. However, financial incentives including a promise of more land to the west from King James I to the investors financing the new colony kept the project afloat. By 1617, tobacco exports were starting to generate enough profit to ensure the survival of the colony economically, and the Jamestown settlement became capital of the colony in 1619.

When the Capital of the Virginia Colony was relocated to Middle Plantation in 1699 (and renamed Williamsburg), the settlement was finally abandoned shortly thereafter. It soon reverted to its natural state and actually became an island as the isthmus was severed by weather events at a later date which no one seems to have bothered to record. It would be fair to say that the town of Jamestown was "lost" for all the right reasons.

Apparently, it took earlier generations of Virginians a while to forget about the tough times at Jamestown, and (perhaps like a recent bereavement of a relative) for a long time, no one seemed ready to celebrate what did occur there. However, as the tercentennial of the founding of Jamestown approached early in the 20th century, a celebration of the 300th anniversary was planned. Although there was competition for a site, all of the organizers apparently knew they should hold it somewhere else rather than the original site of the abandoned settlement.

The Jamestown Exposition in 1907 was held at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads, near Norfolk and visitors came from all over the world. By the 350th anniversary in 1957, new attention had been drawn by the extensive restoration of the nearby capital of Colonial Williamsburg. The National Park Service extended its bucolic Colonial Parkway to reach Jamestown and restored the isthmus to Jamestown Island, making it accessible as a peninsula once again. The state of Virginia relocated the landing for the Jamestown Ferry (which crosses the river to Scotland in Surry County) and built Jamestown Festival Park. Three replica ships of Christopher Newport's fleet were built at Portsmouth and docked nearby. Queen Elizabeth II of England and her consort, Prince Phillip paid a state visit.

Since, 1957, Jamestown has remained as a permanent attraction. Big plans are underway for the 400th anniversary in 2007. The State of Virginia has made a major commitment and has enlisted big corporate sponsors such as Norfolk Southern Corporation, a Fortune 500 company which itself has a rich Virginia railway heritage to support Jamestown 2007. (The Norfolk Southern Railway's predecessor railroads, including the Norfolk and Western Railway and the Virginian Railway, provided major transportation services for attendees at the 1907 event).

Starting in 1994, a major archaeological campaign, conducted by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, has discovered the remains of the 1607 settlement, and greatly increased our knowledge of Jamestown.



Even as Jamestown has been reborn (in a way), normally only the wildlife and perhaps security personnel from the U.S. Park Police regularly spend the night there. As a memorial of the past, representatives of several Native American tribes deliver turkeys and other gifts to the Governor at Richmond, the third capital city of Virginia, late each year.
Lost shires: 8
Since there are no "shires" in Virginia, and haven't been since the terminology was changed to "county" within a few years during the 17th century, under a strict interpretation, one might say they were all lost to posterity, at least in name. However, it is worthy of note that, of the eight shires created by the Virginia House of Burgesses (predecessor to the Virginia General Assembly) and King Charles I of England in 1634, although all have lost some areas, aside from name changes, 6 of the original 8 shires are still extant as counties in Virginia in 2005. Some of these local courthouses even contain land records and other documents which predate the shires of 1634, although were heavily damaged during the American Revolutionary War and American Civil War, each of which took a heavy toll on eastern Virginia. The eight shires of Virginia were:

* Accomac Shire (1634-1643) became Northampton County
* Charles City Shire (1634-1642-43) became Charles City County
* Charles River Shire (1634-1643) became Charles River County in 1636, then York County
* Elizabeth River Shire (1634-1636) became Elizabeth City Shire in 1636, and then name was changed to Elizabeth City County (now extinct)
* James City Shire (1634-1636) became James City County
* Henrico Shire (1634-1642) became Henrico County
* Warrosquyoake Shire (1634-1637) became Isle of Wight County
* Warwick River Shire (1634-1643) became Warwick County, later City of Warwick (now extinct)

Lost counties: 18
There were 18 counties located in parts of Virginia which are currently within the state which either no longer exist or radically changed their names.

One of these, Alexandria County (not to be confused with the City of Alexandria) left Virginia for approximately 57 years (1791-1846) to become part of the District of Columbia, then came back. 74 years after returning to Virginia, it changed its name and is now known as Arlington County. At only 26 square miles, it is Virginia's smallest county in land area.

Two other current counties in the state re-used the names of older lost counties. These newer counties (one name earlier lost to Kentucky, the other on the following list) are respectively, Madison and Rappahannock. Both the newer counties of that name are located in Virginia's piedmont region.

The extinct counties of Virginia (alphabetically) were:

* Alexandria County (1749-1791) and (1846-1920) (was part of the District of Columbia 1791-1846), changed its name to become Arlington County in 1920
* Charles River County (1637-1643) renamed York County
* Dunmore County (1772-1778) renamed Shenandoah County
* Elizabeth City County (1643-1952) consolidated with the Town of Phoebus into the independent City of Hampton
* Fincastle County (1772-1776) divided into Montgomery County, Washington County, and Kentucky County (the latter of which later became the state of Kentucky)
* Lower Norfolk County (1637-1691) divided in Norfolk County and Princess Anne County
* Nansemond County (1646-1972) became the independent City of Nansemond (later consolidated with Suffolk)
* New Norfolk County (1636-1637) divided into Lower Norfolk County and Upper Norfolk County
* Norfolk County (1691-1963) consolidated with the independent City of South Norfolk to form the independent City of Chesapeake
* Princess Anne County (1691-1963) consolidated with the independent City of Virginia Beach
* Rappahannock County (1656-1692) divided into Essex County and Richmond County (not to be confused with the current county of the same name located elsewhere in Virginia)
* Upper Norfolk County (1637-1646) became Nansemond County
* Warwick County (1643-1952) became the independent City of Warwick

Extinct independent cities: 6
There have been 6 cities in Virginia which are now considered to be extinct. These should not be confused with many small developments in the 17th century which were called "cities," but which we would probably call towns in modern terminology.

The "lost" independent cities of Virginia (alphabetically) were:

* City of Clifton Forge (1906-2001) reverted to become an incorporated town in Alleghany County
* City of Manchester (1874-1910) consolidated with the independent City of Richmond
* City of Nansemond (1972-1974) consolidated with the independent City of Suffolk
* City of South Boston (1960-1998) reverted to become an incorporated town in Halifax County
* City of South Norfolk (1919-1963) consolidated with Norfolk County to form (new) independent City of Chesapeake
* City of Warwick (1952-1958) consolidated with the independent City of Newport News

Lost incorporated towns: 8
Many of Virginia's incorporated towns grew to become independent cities. In fact, most of Virginia's current independent cities began that way. Examples of towns which became cities of the same name include the current cities of Charlottesville, Danville, Fredericksburg, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Richmond, and Williamsburg, to name only a few. The town and then city of Roanoke made its two step transition in only a couple of years, the fast growth earning the nickname "Magic City".

It is actually rare in Virginia to find a city which had not previously been incorporated as a town or, in a few instances, as a county. Only two, Hopewell and Newport News, are known to have gone into existence directly as a city without having been previously incorporated as either a town or a county. Thus, if an incorporated town became a city of the same name, it will not be listed here as extinct or lost.

The lost incorporated towns of Virginia were:

* Town of Basic City (1890-1923) consolidated with Town and later the independent City of Waynesboro
* Town of Berkley (unknown-1906) became part of City of Norfolk by annexation in 1906
* Town of Big Lick (1874-1882) became Town and later the independent City of Roanoke (name change)
* Town of Central City (1885-1890) became Town, later City of Radford (name change)
* Town of City Point (1826-1923) became part of the independent City of Hopewell by annexation in 1923
* Town of Goodson (1856-1890) became the independent City of Bristol (name change)
* Town of Phoebus (1900-1952) agreed to consolidation with Elizabeth City County into City of Hampton in 1952
* Town of Potomac (1908-1930) in Arlington County became part of City of Alexandria by annexation in 1930.

Lost unincorporated towns and communities
As one might expect, there are currently hundreds of communities in Virginia which could be considered unincorporated towns. The vast majority of these simply lost their identity through name changes or growth and absorption into other entities. However, while many earlier ones have disappeared in name, and are therefore "lost" as defined in this article, some really are entirely gone.

A few of the lost towns of Virginia have very dramatic stories, and, somewhat like the early settlers of Jamestown, the residents experienced more than a little hardship. While natural factors doomed Jamestown, they also literally wiped out Boyd's Ferry, which was virtually entirely destroyed by flooding of the Dan River in Halifax County around 1800. That town was rebuilt across the river in a better location, and grew to become the Town of South Boston, which was even an incorporated independent city for over 25 years before the citizens decided to rejoin Halifax County as an incorporated town again in 1998.

Problems with Native Americans doomed other early Virginia towns. Henricus (also known as "Henricopolis") is now a historic site in Chesterfield County. In the early 17th century, it was a boom town with an emerging school system until the Indian Massacre of 1622 wiped it out, along with Wolstenholme Towne on Martin's Hundred Plantation downriver from Jamestown in James City County. (In fairness to the Native Americans, virtually all of their towns and communities were eventually wiped out by the ever-expanding English settlements in the Virginia Colony). Not all the destruction of communities which are simply no longer there occurred in the earlier times. For example, in the creation of Shenandoah National Park and the famous Skyline Drive between 1924 and 1936, a number of families and entire communities were required to vacate portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Many residents in the 500 homes in eight affected counties of Virginia were vehemently opposed to losing their homes and communities. Most of the families removed came from Madison County, Page County, and Rappahannock County. U.S. President Herbert Hoover selected a spot on the Rapidan River for what would become a 164 acre (664,000 m²) presidential retreat, Rapidan Camp, later known as "Camp Hoover".

The development of the Park and the Skyline Drive created badly needed jobs for many Virginians during the Great Depression. Nearly 90% of the inhabitants of the land taken by the worked the land for a living. Many worked in the apple orchards in the valley and in areas near the eastern slopes. The work to create the National Park and the Skyline Drive began following a terrible drought in 1930 which destroyed the crops of many families in the area who farmed in the mountainous terrain, as well as many of the apple orchards were they worked picking crops. Nevertheless, it remains a fact that they were displaced, often against their will, and even for a very few who managed to stay, their communities were lost. A little-known fact is that, while some families were removed by force, a few others (who mostly had also become difficult to deal with) were allowed to stay after their properties were acquired, living in the park until nature took its course and they gradually died. The last to die was Annie Lee Bradley Shenk who died in 1979 at age 92. Most of the people displaced left their homes quietly. According to the Virginia Historical Society, eighty-five-year-old Hezekiah Lam explained, "I ain't so crazy about leavin' these hills but I never believed in bein' ag'in the Government. I signed everythin' they asked me." [1] The lost communities and homes were a price paid for one of the country's most beautiful National Parks and scenic roadways.

During World War II, the U.S. Navy took over a large area in York County which became known as Camp Peary. All residents of the entire towns of Magruder and Bigler's Mill were removed. Magruder had been named for Civil War Confederate General John B. Magruder, and a civil war field hospital had occupied the site of Bigler's Mill. Camp Peary later became well-known as "The Farm," a training facility for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Although the roads and structures are still there and occupied, access to the base is still restricted. It would be fair to say that the two towns are "lost" to Virginia, albeit for purposes of national defense. Also in 1943, the site of another nearby town, Penniman, disappeared into the Cheatham Annex complex, which adjoins Camp Peary.

The following is a partial (alphabetically) listing of "lost" unincorporated towns and communities in Virginia, and in some instances, their dispositions:

* Beahm near Thornton Gap became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Beldore Hollow became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Belfield became part of Town and later the independent City of Emporia
* Belhaven became Town and independent City of Alexandria
* Bermuda City became Town of City Point (extinct)
* Big Meadows became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Big Ran became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Bigler's Mill in York County was taken into a U.S. Navy reservation during World War II and is now Camp Peary facility
* Blacks and Whites became town of Blackstone
* Blandford became part of independent City of Petersburg
* Bonaparte became the independent City of Galax
* Boyd's Ferry (1796) became Town of South Boston
* Broadwater was located on Hog Island on the Eastern Shore
* Brown Cove became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Burnt Ordinary became Toano
* Central Depot became the independent City of Radford
* Charles City Point became Town of City Point (extinct)
* Chesapeake City (not to be confused with the independent City of Chesapeake in South Hampton Roads area formed in 1963) became Town of Phoebus in 1901.
* Cohoon's Bridge was in Nansemond County and was county seat for a time
* Conrad's Store became Town of Elkton
* Constance's Warehouse became the town of and later independent city of Suffolk
* Cross Roads became Surry
* Dabb's became town of South Boston
* Dam Neck Mills was located south of Rudee Inlet in Princess Anne County
* Denbigh became part of the independent City of Warwick, later part of the independent City of Newport News
* Delaware became the Town of West Point
* Dinkletown became Town of Bridgewater
* Doncastle became Barhamsville
* English Ferry became the independent City of Radford
* Fairfax in Culpeper County changed its name and became the incorporated Town of Culpeper (The name was quickly reused by the former Town of Providence in Fairfax County)
* Frederick's Town became the independent City of Winchester
* Fourway became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Frazier Hollow became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Gayton was a small mining town in western Henrico County
* Goose Pond Hollow became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Granite became part of the independent City of Richmond
* Hans Meadows became Chistiansburg
* Hartâ??s Bottom became city of Buena Vista
* Hazel became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Henricus was wiped out by the Indian Massacre of 1622 and not rebuilt.
* Hicksford, also known as Hick's Ford, became part of Town and later the independent City of Emporia
* Holland became part of City of Nansemond, later the independent City of Suffolk
* Holly Creek became Town of Clintwood
* Ingle's Ferry became the independent City of Radford
* Isle of Wight Plantation was a town in what is now Isle of Wight County
* Jerusalem became Town of Courtland
* Kecoughtan (1610) became part of the Town of Hampton and later independent City of Hampton
* Keyser Run became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Lamb's Mill became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Liberty became Town and later the independent City of Bedford
* Little Island Station was located in Princess Anne County
* Lovely Mount became the independent City of Radford
* Magruder in York County was taken into a U.S. Navy reservation during World War II and is now part of the Camp Peary facility
* McIntosh's Cross Roads became Surry
* Middle Plantation (1632) became Town and later the independent City of Williamsburg
* Mill Place in Augusta County became town and City of Staunton
* Millwood became the incorporated Town of Phoebus, later part of the independent city of Hampton
* Mt. Pleasant became the town of Mt. Jackson
* New Market was a village in eastern Henrico County
* Nicholson Hollow became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Ocean View became part of the independent City of Norfolk
* Old Rag became part of Shenandoah National Park (The Mountain of the same name is still there)
* Opequon became the independent City of Winchester
* Osborne (or Osborne's) was located on the James River at the mouth of Proctor's Creek.
* Penniman in York County became part of Cheatham Annex (military reservation)
* Peter's Point became part of Town and later the independent City of Petersburg
* Pocahontas (not to be confused with the current incorporated Town of Pocahontas in Tazewell County) became part of the independent City of Petersburg
* Port Conway was across the Rappahannock River from Port Royal
* Town of Potomac was annexed by the City of Alexandria
* Prince's Flats became the independent City of Norton
* Princess Anne became part of the independent City of Virginia Beach
* Providence changed its name to became the Town of Fairfax and later the independent City of Fairfax
* Punch Bowl (aka Punch Bowl Hollow) became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Ravenscroft became part of the independent City of Petersburg
* Rio Vista was in Henrico County on the Westham Plank Road
* Rocklin became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Rocky Ridge became Town of and later City of Manchester, now part of City of Richmond
* Roseland Farms became the incorporated Town of Phoebus, and later part of the independent City of Hampton
* Scuffletown became Surry
* Skyland Resort (1895), a privately-owned resort which became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Sleepy Hole in Nansemond County became the town and later City of Suffolk
* Smithville became Surry
* Spring Hill became part of the independent City of Manchester, later part of the independent City of Richmond
* Strawberry Banks became the incorporated Town of Phoebus, later part of the independent city of Hampton
* Sydney became part of the independent City of Richmond
* Taskinas Plantation became Croaker.
* Teasville became Waynesboro.
* Tightsqueeze was outside Chatham in Pittsylvania County
* Upper Pocosin became part of Shenandoah National Park
* Town of Varina was county seat of Henrico County, now just an historic farm
* Wangle Junction
* Warwick was a town in Chesterfield County on the James River
* Warwick Towne was in Warwick County
* Wash Woods was located at today's False Cape State Park
* Wayland Crossing was renamed Crozet for Claudius Crozet in 1870.
* Westham was in Henrico County on the Westham Plank Road
* Whaleyville became part of the independent City of Nansemond, later the independent City of Suffolk
* Williamson Station became Town of Clifton Forge
* Wolstenholme Towne was wiped out by the Indian Massacre of 1622 and not rebuilt.
* Yorke was a town in York County which no longer exists.

Fictional sites
Walton's Mountain
Virginia has also hosted a number of fictional sites. Among these are those used in the family television series The Waltons, created by Virginian Earl Hamner Jr.. The fictional Walton's Mountain was patterned after Hamner's hometown of Schuyler in Albemarle County near Charlottesville, all of which are extant.

Shunpikers leaving Interstate 64 or U.S. Highway 29 a few miles away will be able to find Schuyler and the Walton's Mountain Museum, however. As far as can be determined, John Boy Walton's alma mater, Boatwright University, is also lost, although it bears a striking resemblance to the University of Richmond.
Valleyville
Featured on the "Little-known Attractions of Lynchburg and Central Virginia" website is the lost town of Valleyville, Virginia. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Valleyville is apparently the home of some type of secret governmental facility. It is said to be "Central Virginia's own twist on the legendary 'Area 51.' Like its famous counterpart, Valleyville is an off-limits region whose only access roads are gated and guarded, whose perimeter is electronically sealed and monitored, and whose existence itself is denied by the government."

The website also features a map. Valleyville and several other "lost" attractions of the parody website have been the subject of considerable searching and apparently sincere letters of inquiry (which may be read by visitors to the website).
See http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Lost+cou...ns+of+Virginia