Nelson County, Virginia
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 27 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1973. Most listings are in or near Wingina, Shipman, Nellysford.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Virginia is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Nelson titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP6 of 27 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
27 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead | Wingina | 2019 |
| Blue Ridge Tunnel | Afton | 2023 |
| Bon Aire | Shipman | 1980 |
| Edgewood | Wingina | 2006 |
| Elk Hill | Nellysford | 2007 |
| Lovingston High School | Lovingston | 2003 |
| Lovingston Historic District | Lovingston | 2005 |
| Mill Hill | Roseland | 2019 |
| Mitchell's Brick House Tavern | Arrington | 2006 |
| Montezuma | Norwood | 1980 |
| Nelson County Courthouse | Lovingston | 1973 |
| Norwood-Wingina Rural Historic District | Wingina | 2019 |
| Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass | Shipman | 1978 |
| Pharsalia | Tyro | 2009 |
| River Bluff | Wintergreen | 1980 |
| Riverside Farm | Roseland | 2016 |
| Rock Cliff | Wingina | 2015 |
| Ryan Hall Elementary School | Shipman | 2022 |
| Schuyler Historic District | Schuyler | 2007 |
| Shipman Historic District | Shipman | 2025 |
| Soldier's Joy | Wingina | 1980 |
| South Rockfish Valley Rural Historic District | Nellysford | 2016 |
| Tyro Mill | Tyro | 2006 |
| Warminster Rural Historic District | Warminster | 2024 |
| Wintergreen County Store | Nellysford | 2005 |
| Woods, Major James, House | Nellysford | 2013 |
| Woodson's Mill | Lowesville | 1992 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBNelson was formed in 1808 (1808-06-01) from Amherst.
NELSON created from AMHERST.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusNelson County population from 1810 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1810 | 1820 | 1840 | 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,684 | 10,137 | 12,287 | 13,015 | 16,536 | 16,075 | 17,277 | 16,241 | 14,042 | 12,752 | 12,204 | 14,445 | 14,775 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS24 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 24 of 24 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Adial Cemetery |
| Bethel Cemetery |
| Bethlehem Cemetery |
| Camden Cemetery |
| Cedar Grove Cemetery |
| Diamond Hill Cemetery |
| Giles Cemetery |
| Harewood Cemetery |
| Harvey Cemetery |
| Henley Cemetery |
| Jonesboro Cemetery |
| Liberty Hall Cemetery |
| Locust Grove Cemetery |
| Mount Shiloh Cemetery |
| Oak Hill Cemetery |
| Ridgecrest Cemetery |
| Rock Spring Cemetery |
| Sandy Ridge Cemetery |
| Stevens Cove Cemetery |
| Thompson Cemetery |
| White Rock Cemetery |
| White Rock Cemetery |
| Wintergreen Cemetery |
| Woodland Cemetery |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Nelson County, Virginia
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