Are you a recent newcomer to the Roanoke Valley? Or maybe you have lived in the area for awhile and just haven’t had time to check out that quaint, well preserved village called Fincastle just 35 minutes away?
Did you know the town, incorporated in 1772 sits within a beautiful view shed among five steeples of the court house and four churches? As a Virginia Department of Historic Resources official recently exclaimed during a tour of the town, “I had no idea —!!!” And, as Richmond historians have also commented in the past, “…next to Jamestown and Williamsburg, Fincastle is one of the most historically important towns in the state as an early American outpost for settlers heading west.”
Perhaps you have been to or through Fincastle, but have you ever toured this historic town, often referred to as a “virtual museum of American architecture from the 1770’s to the 21st Century?” Have you ever visited inside its historic homes and other structures, viewed the marriage documents of the famous expedition explorer, William Clark, who married Judith Clark of Fincastle, and seen other historic papers signed by some of the country’s most notable leaders – Patrick Henry and George Washington as examples?
And what about that brick vault within the Botetourt Court House? Did you know it has survived ravaging fires in the town that has preserved genealogical records of early settlers; and, as the county seat that once geographically stretched all the way to the Mississippi River, now hosts hundreds of family and other genealogical seekers per year?
Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 10, 2017, 10:30 to 3:00 pm. Mountain Valley Preservation Alliance, Inc., in partnership with Historic Fincastle, Inc. is inviting folks from near and far to participate in “Evolving Landscapes of Historic Fincastle,” a walking and site visit tour of the town that includes entering and viewing some of its oldest historic buildings.
Experienced tour guides from Historic Fincastle, Inc. will lead participants through the streets and into the homes and other historic structures where they will be able to observe an array of architecture and hear about the people who built them and lived there. The tour will include some unique information about the town’s fires and their impact on the landscape as well as fun stories about “Jockey Alley” and the telephone operator who sat in an upstairs bay window overlooking Main Street partaking of and “promoting” all the local gossip going on below.
Come experience the “past in the present” on Saturday, June 10, 2017, 10:30 am – 3:00 pm. Registration begins at 9:45 am at the Botetourt Court House, Main Street in Fincastle. (Rain Date: Sunday, June 11, 2017, 1:30.) To provide the best possible experience, this event is limited to the first 100 registrants.
Registration forms and flyers with additional information can be obtained from: http://mountainvalleypreservation.org or www.hisfin.org. The cost per MVPA or HFI member is $ 25.00; $30.00 for non-members; and $ 12.00 per child, age 12+. A box lunch per attendee by Heritage Family Market is included during the tour.
The preregistration deadline is Tuesday, May 30, 2017 (the day after Memorial Day.) For further information, contact Sharon Horn, 540-430-0910, [email protected]; or, Peggy Crosson, 540-354-9698, [email protected].
