Virginia, with 95 counties, is a mixed bag when it comes to county histories. As with the other southern states, publishing county histories, for the most part, didn’t happen much in the 1800s.

FAQ

1. While every county in the state is listed, links are only provided for titles that no longer fall under U.S. copyright laws. All (almost) links connect to free websites.
2. There are a few instances when a book has been digitized, but is only found on a paid site. In that case, no link is inserted, but a note as to the website where it has been found is given.
3. When a state history has also been found in digital format, it is listed in the STATE section that precedes the county list. I have limited STATE entries to those with county histories/biographical volumes in them.
4. There are a number of counties that DO have histories written, BUT they remain copyrighted material. Therefore, if a county has NONE after its name, it doesn’t mean there is no county history, just that none has been digitized. It’s also possible that the only digitized county history is included in one of the state volumes, so be sure to check those entries.
5. If the book is on FamilySearch, you will need a free account to access it. This list does NOT include town histories.
6. When all fifty states have been completed, I will post a PDF of them all.
7. One last note – it is very possible that a book is digitally available on more than one website. I’ve only included links to one site per book.

VIRGINIA

 STATE – Landmarks of old Prince William; a study of orginis in northern Virginia, Volume 1, Fairfax Harrison, Old Dominion Press, Richmond, 1924.
STATE – Landmarks of old Prince William; a study of orginis in northern Virginia, Volume 2, Fairfax Harrison, Old Dominion Press, Richmond, 1924.
STATE – Historical collections of Virginia : containing a collection of the most interesting facts, tradition, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc. relating to its history and antiquities, together with geographical and statistical description, to which is appended an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia, Henry Howe, Babcock, Charleston, South Carolina, 1847.
STATE – History of the lower Shenandoah valley: counties of Frederick, Berkeley, Jefferson and Clarke, their early settlement and progress to the present time, geological features, a description of their historic and interesting localities, cities, towns and villages, portraits of some of the prominent men, and biographies of many of the representative citizens, Volume 1, J.E. Norris, A. Warner, Chicago, Illinois, 1890.
STATE – History of the lower Shenandoah valley: counties of Frederick, Berkeley, Jefferson and Clarke, their early settlement and progress to the present time, geological features, a description of their historic and interesting localities, cities, towns and villages, portraits of some of the prominent men, and biographies of many of the representative citizens, Volume 2, J.E. Norris, A. Warner, Chicago, Illinois, 1890.
STATE – A history of middle New River settlements and contiguous territory, David Emmons Johnston, Standard Printing and Publishing Company, Huntington, West Virginia, 1906.
STATE – The border settlers of northwestern Virginia from 1768 to 1795: embracing the life of Jesse Hughes and other noted scouts of the great woods of the trans-Allegheny, with notes and illustrative anecdotes, Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, William Elsey Connelley, John Patterson MacLean, Republican Publishing House, Hamilton, Ohio, 1915.
STATE – Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish settlement in Virginia: extracted from the original court records of Augusta County, 1754-1800, Volume 1, Lyman Chalkley, M.S. Lockwood, 1912.
STATE – Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish settlement in Virginia: extracted from the original court records of Augusta County, 1754-1800, Volume 2, Lyman Chalkley, M.S. Lockwood, 1912.
STATE – Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish settlement in Virginia: extracted from the original court records of Augusta County, 1754-1800, Volume 3, Lyman Chalkley, M.S. Lockwood, 1912.
STATE – Chronicles of border warfare: or, A history of the settlement by the whites, of northwestern Virginia, and of the Indian wars and massacres in that section of the state with reflections, anecdotes, &c, Alexander Scott Withers, Robert Clarke Company, Cincinnati, 1895.
STATE – Sketches of Virginia: historical and biographical, William Henry Foote, J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1856.
STATE – Sketches of Virginia, historical and biographical, second series, William Henry Foote, J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1856.

ACCOMACK – Ye Kingdome of Accawmacke, or The eastern shore of Virginia in the seventeenth century, Jennings Cropper Wise, 1911.
ALBEMARLE – Index to roads shown in the Albemarle County surveyors books, 1744-1853, Nathaniel Mason Pawlett, Virginia Highway & Transportation Research Council, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1976.
ALBEMARLE – Albemarle County in Virginia: giving some account of what it was by nature, of what it was made by man, and of some of the men who made it, Edgar Woods, Michie Company, Charlottesville, 1901
ALBEMARLE – The Albemarle of other days, Mary Rawlings, Michie Company, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1925.
ALBEMARLE – Jefferson’s Albemarle, a guide to Albemarle County and the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, Writers’ Program, Work Projects Administration, 1941.
ALBEMARLE – Historical guide to Albemarle county, including Monticello, The University of Virginia and Charlottesville, Colonial Dames & DAR, Charlottesville, 1924.
ALLEGHANY – A centennial history of Alleghany county, Virginia, Oren Frederic Morton & Boutwell Dunlap, J.K. Ruebish Company, Dayton, Virginia, 1923.
AMELIA – NONE
AMHERST – The Amherst County story: a Virginia saga, Alfred Percy, Percy Press, Madison Height, Virginia, c1961.
AMHERST – Hardesty’s historical and geographical encyclopedia, illustrated, Robert Alonzo Brock, H.H. Hardesty, New York, 1884.
APPOMATTOX – NONE
ARLINGTON – A brief history of Alexandria County, Virginia: its wealth and resources, great and growing industries, educational and social advantages, County Board of Supervisors, Newell Printing Company, Falls Church, Virginia, 1907.
AUGUSTA – Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, Joseph Addison Waddell, W.E. Jones, Richmond, 1886.
AUGUSTA – Supplement to Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, Joseph Addison Waddell, J.W. Randolph & English, Richomnd, 1888.
AUGUSTA – History of Augusta County, Virginia, John Lewis Peyton, Samuel M. Yost, Staunton, Virginia, 1882.
AUGUSTA – Augusta County, Virginia, in the history of the United States, Boutwell Dunlap, Kentucky State Historical Society, Frankfort, Kentucky, 1918.
BATH – Annals of Bath County, Oren Frederic Morton, McClure Company, Staunton, Virginia, 1917.
BATH – A brief history of Bath County, Virginia, Jean Graham McAllister, 1920.
BEDFORD – Historical sketch of Bedford County, Virginia, 1753-1907, J.P. Bell Company, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1907.
BLAND – NONE
BOTETOURT – Botetourt bicentennial: souvenir program and history celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of Botetourt County, Virginia, Botetourt County Bicentennial Souvenir Program Committee, Fincastle, Virginia, 1970.
BOTETOURT – Botetourt County History before 1900 through newspapers, Botetourt County American Bicentennial Commission, 1976.
BOTETOURT – A seed-bed of the Republic : a study of the pioneers in the Upper (Southern) Valley of Virginia, Robert Douthat Stoner, Roanoke Historical Society, Roanoke, Virginia, c1962.
BRUNSWICK – NONE
BUCHANAN – NONE
BUCKINGHAM – NONE
CAMPBELL – Campbell chronicles and family sketches: embracing the history of Campbell County, Virginia, 1782-1926, Ruth Hairston Early, J.P. Bell Company, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1927.
CAMPBELL – Lest it be forgotten: a scrapbook of Campbell County, Virginia, Historical Committee of the Bicentennial Commission of Campbell County, Virginia, Altavista, Virginia, 1976.
CAROLINE – A history of Caroline County, Virginia, from its formation in 1727 to 1924: compiled from original records and authoritative sources and profusely illustrated, Marshall Wingfield, Trevvet Christian, Richmond, 1924.
CARROLL – NONE
CHARLES CITY – NONE
CHARLOTTE – Charlotte County, Virginia: historical, statistical and present attractions, J. Cullen Carrington, Hermitage Press, Richmond, Virginia, 1907.
CHARLOTTE – The old trunk, or Sketches of colonial days, Powhatan Bouldin, Andrews, Baptist & Clemmitt Steam Printers, Richmond, 1888.
CLARKE – History of Clarke County, Virginia and its connection with the War Between the States: with illustrations of colonial homes and of Confederate officers, Thomas Daniel Gold, C.P. Hughes, Berryville, 1914.
CLARKE – Shenandoah valley pioneers and their descendants: a history of Frederick County, Virginia (illustrated) from its formation in 1738 to 1908, Thomas Kemp Cartmell, Eddy Press Corporation, Winchester, Virginia, 1909.
CRAIG – NONE
CULPEPER – Genealogical and historical notes on Culpeper County, Virginia: embracing a revised and enlarged edition of Dr. Philip Slaughter’s History of St. Mark’s Parish, Raleigh Travers Green, Culpeper, Virginia, 1900.
CUMBERLAND – The story of Cumberland County, Virginia, Garland Evans Hopkins, Manchester, Virginia, 1942.
DICKENSON – NONE
DINWIDDIE – An economic and social survey of Dinwiddie County, Walter Gordon Browder & Linwood Everett Lunsford, University of Virginia, 1937.
ELIZABETH CITY – History of Hampton and Elizabeth City County, Virginia, Lyon G. Tyler, Board of Supervisors, Hampton, 1922.
ESSEX – NONE
FAIRFAX – A brief history of the county of Fairfax, Virginia, 1962. [FamilySearch Film 908995, Item 10]
FAUQUIER – Fauquier County, Virginia, 1750-1959, Fauquier County Bicentennial Committee, 1959.
FAUQUIER – Fauquier during the proprietorship: a chronicle of the colonization and organization of a Northern Neck County, Harry Connelly Groome, Old Dominion Press, Richmond, 1927.
FLOYD – NONE
FLUVANNA – NONE
FRANKLIN – NONE
FREDERICK – Shenandoah valley pioneers and their descendants: a history of Frederick County, Virginia (illustrated) from its formation in 1738 to 1908, Thomas Kemp Cartmell, Eddy Press Corporation, Winchester, Virginia, 1909.
GILES – NONE
GLOUCESTER – Gloucester County, Mary Wiatt Gray, Cottrell & Cooke, Richmond, Virginia, 1936.
GLOUCESTER – Gloucester County, Virginia: a bicentennial perspective: the official booklet of Gloucester ’76 Celebration, Inc., commemorating Gloucester County’s 325th anniversary and bicentennial celebration, Gloucester ’76 Celebration, Gloucester, Virginia, 1976.
GLOUCESTER – Six periods in the history of Gloucester County, Gloucester Historical and Bicentennial Committee, DeHardit Press, 1970.
GOOCHLAND – Facets of Goochland County’s history, Helene Barret Agee, Dietz press, Richmond, Virginia, 1962.
GOOCHLAND – The Story of Goochland, Richard C. Wright, Richmond Press, Richmond, 1938. [FamilySearch Film 924002, Item 3]
GRAYSON – Pioneer settlers of Grayson County, Virginia, Benjamin Floyd Nuckolls, King Printing Company, Bristol, Tennessee, 1914.
GREENE – A history of Greene County, Virginia, Thomas Edward Johnson, Greene County Publishing Company, Stanardsville, Virginia, 1976.
GREENSVILLE – NONE
HALIFAX – Halifax County, Virginia: a handbook prepared under the direction of the Board of Supervisors, Alfred J. Morrison, Everett Waddey Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1907.
HALIFAX – History of Halifax, Volume 1, Pocahontas Wight Edmunds, Edmunds, c1977.
HALIFAX – History of Halifax, Volume 2, Pocahontas Wight Edmunds, Edmunds, c1977.
HANOVER – Hanover County: its history and legends, Rosewell Page, Richmond, Virginia, 1926.
HANOVER – Index of persons mentioned in Rosewell Page’s Hanover County – its history and legends, Henry Lockhard, typescript, n.d.
HENRICO – NONE
HENRY – NONE
HIGHLAND – A handbook of Highland County and a supplement to Pendleton and Highland history, Oren Frederic Morton, Monterey, 1922.
HIGHLAND – A history of Highland County, Virginia, Oren Frederic Morton, Monterey, Virginia, 1911.
ISLE OF WIGHT – Seventeenth century Isle of Wight County, Virginia: a history of the county of Isle of Wight, Virginia, during the seventeenth century, including abstracts of the county records, Volume 1, John Bennett Boddie & Eliza Timberlake Davis, Chicago Law Printing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1938.
ISLE OF WIGHT – Seventeenth century Isle of Wight County, Virginia: a history of the county of Isle of Wight, Virginia, during the seventeenth century, including abstracts of the county records, Volume 2, John Bennett Boddie & Eliza Timberlake Davis, Chicago Law Printing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1938.
ISLE OF WIGHT – Virginia, Isle of Wight, Works Progress Administration historical inventory, ca. 1634-1937, Virginia Historical Inventory Project, n.d.
JAMES CITY – NONE
KING AND QUEEN – King and Queen County, Alfred Bagby, Neale Publishing Company, New York, 1908.
KING GEORGE – NONE
KING WILLIAM – King William County, Virginia, King William County Virginia County Council, Garrett & Massie, Richmond, Virginia, 1925.
KING WILLIAM – Old King William homes and families, Peyton Neale Clarke, J.P. Morton & Company, Louisville, 1897.
LANCASTER – NONE
LEE – NONE
LOUDOUN – History and comprehensive description of Loudoun County, Virginia, James William Head, Park View Press, 1908
LOUDOUN – Legends of Loudoun: an account of the history and homes of a border county of Virginia’s Northern Neck, Harrison Williams, Garrett and Massie, Richmond, Virginia, 1938.
LOUDOUN – Loudoun Valley legends: true stories from the lives and times of the people of Loudoun County, Virginia, Joseph VanDevanter Nichols, Purcellville, Virginia, 1955.
LOUDOUN – An old home day in Loudoun County, Virginia: address, John W.H. Crim, 1927.
LOUDOUN – Loudon County, Virginia, past and present, Harriet Brockman Samuels, Graphic Arts Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1940.
LOUISA – NONE
LUNENBURG – The old free state: a contribution to the history of Lunenburg County and southside Virginia, Volume 1, Landon Covington Bell, Richmond, 1927.
LUNENBURG – The old free state: a contribution to the history of Lunenburg County and southside Virginia, Landon Covington Bell, Richmond, 1927.
MADISON – A history of Madison County, Virginia, Claude Lindsay Yowell, Shenandoah Publishing House, Strasburg, Virginia, 1926.
MATHEWS – NONE
MECKLENBURG – NONE
MIDDLESEX – NONE
MONTGOMERY – Montgomery County, Virginia, the first 100 years, Charles W. Crush, c1983.
NANSEMOND – The History of Nansemond County, Virginia, Joseph Bragg Dunn, Suffolk, 1907.
NELSON – Colonial history of Nelson County, 1734-1807, J.B. Coincon, Amherst Publishing Company, Amherst, Virginia, n.d.
NEW KENT – NONE
NORTHAMPTON – NONE
NORTHUMBERLAND – NONE
NOTTOWAY – Nottoway County, Virginia: founding and development with biographical sketches, A.B. Cummins, W.M. Brown, Richmond, Virginia, 1970.
NOTTOWAY – Index to “Old homes and families in Nottoway” by W. R. Turner, R. Bolling Batte, Virginia Genealogical Society, n.d.
ORANGE – A history of Orange County, Virginia: from its formation in 1734 (O.S.) to the end of reconstruction in 1870; compiled mainly from original records with a brief sketch of the beginnings of Virginia, a summary of local events to 1907, William Wallace Scott, E. Waddey Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1907.
PAGE – A short history of Page County, Virginia, Harry Miller Strickler, Dietz Press, Richmond, Virginia, 1952.
PATRICK – NONE
PITTSYLVANIA – The history of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Maud Carter Clement, J.P. Bell, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1929.
POWHATAN – Powhatan, a bicentennial history, Richard T. Couture, Dietz Press, Richmond, Virginia, 1980.
PRINCE EDWARD – A history of Prince Edward County, Virginia: from its formation in 1753 to the present, compiled mainly from original records and personally contributed articles : with a brief sketch of the beginnings of Virginia, a summary of the history of the county seat and a special chapter on the churches of the county, Charles Edward Burrell, Williams Printing Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1922.
PRINCE GEORGE – NONE
PRINCE WILLIAM – Prince William: the story of its people and its places, Writers’ Program, Works Projects Administration, Bethlehem Good Housekeeping Club, Manassas, Virginia, 1941.
PULASKI – Pulaski County, Virginia: a historic and descriptive sketch designed to show forth the natural advantages, rescources and general adaptability of the Banner County of Southwest Virginia to agriculture, cattle raising, and also commercial and industrial enterprises, Committee in charge of the Pulaski County Exhibit at the Jamestown Exposition, Southwest Publishing Company, Pulaski, Virginia, 1907.
RAPPAHANNOCK – NONE
RICHMOND – NONE
ROANOKE – History and wars of Roanoke County, Works Progress Administration, Salem, Virginia, c1953. [FamilySearch Film 33824]
ROANOKE – History of Roanoke County / by George S. Jack. History of Roanoke City and history of the Norfolk & Western Railway Company, Edward Boyle Jacobs & George S. Jack, Roanoke, Virginia, c1912.
ROANOKE – Roanoke: story of county and city, Writers’ Program, Work Projects Administration, Roanoke City School Board, 1942. [FamilySearch film 1320756, Item 2]
ROCKBRIDGE – Historical significance of Rockbridge County, Virginia, James Willson McClung, McClure Company, Staunton, Virginia, 1939.
ROCKBRIDGE – A history of Rockbridge County, Virginia, Oren Frederic Morton, McClure Company, Staunton, Virgina, 1920.
ROCKINGHAM – A history of Rockingham County, Virginia, John Walter Wayland, Ruebush-Elkins Company, Dayton, Virginia, 1912.
ROCKINGHAM – Virginia Valley records: genealogical and historical materials of Rockingham County, Virginia and related regions (with map), John Walter Wayland, Shenandoah Publishing House, Strasburg, Virginia, 1930.
RUSSELL – NONE
SCOTT – NONE
SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah valley pioneers and their descendants: a history of Frederick County, Virginia (illustrated) from its formation in 1738 to 1908, Thomas Kemp Cartmell, Eddy Press Corporation, Winchester, Virginia, 1909.
SHENANDOAH – A history of Shenandoah County, Virginia, John Walter Wayland, Shenandoah Publishing House, Strasburg, Virginia, 1927.
SHENANDOAH – Memory days in which the Shenandoah Valley is seen in retrospection: with glimpses of school days and the life of Virginia people of fifty years ago, Alexander Sterret Paxton, Neale Publishing Company, New York, 1908.
SMYTH – General resources and advantages of Smyth County: in the most attractive section of Appalachian Virginia, John P. Sheffey, Stone Printing & Manufacturing Company, Roanoke, Virginia, 1907.
SMYTH – Smyth County history and traditions, Goodridge Wilson, Kingsport Press, Kingsport, Tennessee, 1932. [FamilySearch Film 547258, Item 2]
SOUTHAMPTON – Recollections of Franklin and historical sketches of Southampton County, Frances Lawrence Webb, Franklin, Virginia, 1963.
SOUTHAMPTON – Southampton County bi-centennial, 1749-1949: official program, Southampton County Bi-Centennial Celebration Committee, 1949.
SPOTSYLVANIA – Old homes and history around Fredericksburg: the northern neck and the southside, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties and battle sketches, John Tackett Goolrick, Garrett & Massie, Richmond, Virginia, 1929.
STAFFORD – The story of Stafford: a narrative history of Stafford County, Virginia, John Tackett Goolrick, Stafford County Board of Supervisors, Stafford, Virginia, 1939.
STAFFORD – Old homes and history around Fredericksburg: the northern neck and the southside, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties and battle sketches, John Tackett Goolrick, Garrett & Massie, Richmond, Virginia, 1929.
SURRY – Program, 300th anniversary of the founding of Surry County, 1652-1952, Surry, Virginia, 1952.
SUSSEX – Sussex County: a tale of three centuries, Writers’ Program, Work Projects Administration, Whittet & Shepperson, Richmond, 1942.
TAZEWELL – Annals of Tazewell county, Virginia from 1800 to 1922, John Newton Harman, W.C. Hill Printing Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1922.
TAZEWELL – History of Tazewell County and southwest Virginia, 1748-1920, William C. Pendleton, W.C. Hill Printing Company, Richmond, 1920.
TAZEWELL – History of the Settlement and Indian Wars of Tazewell County, Virginia, with a map, George W.L. Bickley, Morgan & Company, Cincinnati, 1852.
WARREN – NONE
WASHINGTON – Historical sketches and reminiscences of an octogenarian, Thomas Lewis Preston, B.F. Johnson Publishing Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1900.
WASHINGTON – History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870, Lewis Preston Summers, J.L. Hill Printing Company, Richmond, 1903.
WESTMORELAND – Westmoreland County, Virginia: birthplace of Robert E. Lee and of two signers of the Declaration of Independence – Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, 1940.
WESTMORELAND – Westmoreland County, Virginia, parts I and II: a short chapter and bright day in its history; addresses delivered by Lawrence Washington, esq., Rev. Randolph Harrison McKim and Rev. George Wm. Beale, at Montross, Va., May 3, 1910, Thomas Roane Barnes Wright, Lawrence Washinfton, Randloph Harrison McKim & George William Beale, Whittet & Shepperson, Richmond, Virginia, 1912.
WISE – NONE
WYTHE – NONE
YORK – NONE