AUGUSTA COUNTY
Virginia
United States

INTRODUCTION

Augusta County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 65,615. Its county seat is Staunton, although most of the administrative services have offices in neighboring Verona.

Augusta County was formed in 1738 from Orange County, although county government was not organized until 1745. It was named for Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales and mother of the future King George III of the United Kingdom.

Originally, Augusta County was a vast territory with an indefinite western boundary. Most of what is now West Virginia as well as all of Kentucky were formed from it, and it also claimed the territory north and west of those areas, theoretically all the way to the Pacific Ocean. A series of maps show the formation and division of Augusta County from 1738 through 1791. An animated map shows the formation of Virginia and West Virginia counties from 1617 to 1995.

Reductions in its extent began in 1770, when its southern part became Botetourt County. In 1776 part of western Augusta County, an area also known as the District of West Augusta, became Monongalia County, Ohio County, and Yohogania County (abolished in 1786). In 1778 the part of Augusta County west of the Ohio River became Illinois County (abolished in 1784); the northeastern part of what was left became Rockingham County, and the southwestern part was combined with part of Botetourt County to form Rockbridge County. In 1788 the northern part of the still shrinking county was combined with part of Hardy County to become Pendleton County. Augusta County assumed its present dimensions in 1790, when its western part was combined with parts of Botetourt County and Greenbrier County to form Bath County.

GEN TOOL-KIT

COUNTY RECORDS

Augusta County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1785 , Land Records from 1745 , Probate Records from 1745 and Court Records from 1745 and is located at the County Courthouse on 6 East Johnson Street, Staunton, VA 24401-4301, (540) 245-5321. Source: Family History 101 States

HISTORICAL / GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY(s)

Augusta County Historical Society, P.O. Box 686, Staunton, VA 24402-0686

Augusta County Historical Society

Augusta Genealogical Society, 2002 Lyndhurst Road, Waynesboro, VA 22890-5226

Augusta Genealogical Society

COUNTY LIBRARIES

Augusta County Library. [web site ] [online catalog]

Churchville Branch Library. [web site ] [online catalog]

Craigsville Station Library. [web site ] [online catalog]]

Deerfield Station Library. [web site ] [online catalog]

Staunton Public Library. [web site ] [online catalog]

Source: lib-web-cats: Search for Libraries

HISTORICAL PLACES

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

National Park Service

National Historic Landmarks

National Battlefields

National Historic Sites

National Historical Parks

National Memorials

National Monuments

SURNAMES

The following are surnames of persons, found within our databases,

as having been either born, married or died in this location.

To find out more about each surname listed above click on the corresponding LINK.

McVicker; Moreland; Pinnell; Scruggs and allied families

Campbell; Douglass; Downing; Eades; Kerr; Robertson; White

Bozarth; Peiffer; Quigley; Rhubart and allied families

Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar and allied families

Additional information regarding these and other surnames may also be found at:

Surname Locator Resources

ANCESTRAL

GEN-SITES

Augusta Stone Church; Beverly Manor; Rocky Ford; Staunton; Tinkling Spring Church

AUGUSTA STONE CHURCH

LOCATION: 38°14′17″N 078°58′32″W / 38.23806, -78.97556

FAMILY HISTORY NOTES(s): In 1740 the Donegal Presbyterian Society in Pennsylvania, of which the Kerr’s were members, directed the Reverend John Craig, who had recently arrived from Ireland, to accept a call to minister among the Presbyterians in the Valley of Virginia. Traveling along the path to Augusta County, he established the Augusta Stone Church at Fort Defiance located eight miles north of Staunton. A year later he planted another church at Tinkling Spring, near the future town of Lexington, Virginia. The Kerr surname appears in records of the Stone Church.

INTERNET WEB LINK(s): Augusta Stone Church - Wikipedia; Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church, Augusta Co., VA

BEVERLY MANOR

LOCATION: Latitude: 38.12056; Longitude: -79.0225

FAMILY HISTORY NOTES(s): James Robertson had moved to Augusta County, Virginia by 1740 where he purchased 385 acres in the southwestern section of Beverly Manor. In 1772 William Robertson and his son Alexander purchased 170 acres of land at Beverly Manor.

The Kerr’s settled at Beverly Manor on a choice spot at the juncture of Christian's Creek, Long Meadow Run, and Middle River. A log home built by the family was near the beginning point of a survey made in 1736 for the Beverley Manor lands out of which all settlers of the area obtained their titles. James Kerr was among the first settlers of Beverly Manor whose title deeds are recorded in Orange County. This record states that James Kerr had a grant for 473 acres of land. Maps of the northeastern section of Beverley's Manor show this tract on a stream that appears to be called Meadows Run, which empties into Cathey's River. The land is south of the bend in Cathey's River on which James Kerr's son John settled. James Kerr built the aforementioned log house on Middle River between 1738-1740; it was still standing as late as 1954. This house was used as an early meeting and courthouse for the newly formed county of Augusta (created out of Orange County in 1745.). This building was a rather large structure, as it was needed to house his large family that recently arrived from Pennsylvania. The pioneer home of the Kerr Family is pictured and described in the book entitled Old Homes of Augusta County by Gladys B. Clem.

INTERNET WEB LINK(s): Historic Map: Beverly Manor Magisterial, Atlas: Augusta Co., VA; Beverly Manor Church, Augusta Co., VA (Maps, Photos, Weather, Local Links); Beverly Patent Augusta Co. VA; Beverly Manor Church in Augusta County;

ROCKY FORD

LOCATION: N37.67374° W79.73783° Located in Augusta County until 1770. Now located in Botetourt County.

FAMILY HISTORY NOTES(s): David White (1744-1832) husband of Rebecca Robertson, and son-in-law to William Robertson was born here.

INTERNET WEB LINK(s): Rocky Ford

Locale

37.6732°N

79.7364°W

1486734

View Map

STAUNTON

LOCATION: Coordinates: 38°9′29″N 79°4′35″W

FAMILY HISTORY NOTES(s): Robert Douglass, Jr. married Elizabeth Robertson at Staunton in 1784.

Lettica Kerr (1724-1773) died at Staunton as did her husband William Robertson (1720-1812).

INTERNET WEB LINK(s): Staunton, Virginia - Wikipedia

TINKLING SPRING CHURCH

LOCATION: Coordinates: 38°5′55″N 78°58′4″W

FAMILY HISTORY NOTES(s): James Kerr took a leadership role in the earliest records of the Tinkling Spring church as noted by the fact that he is among the subscribers to the 14 August 1741 petition to build a Presbyterian meetinghouse at Tinkling Spring.

INTERNET WEB LINK(s): Tinkling Spring Photo Album, Augusta Co., VA

LIST OF LOCALITIES

The red star in the map at the left designates thelocation of the seat of government for this county.

Source: MapQuest

The list below will assist in your research regarding the matching of your ancestors birth, marriage, death dates and in what locality of this county these events may have occurred.

Source: Wikipedia

The independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro (incorporated as such in 1902 and 1948 respectively) are located within the boundaries of Augusta County, but are not a part of the county, despite Staunton's status as the county seat. Most county administrative offices, however, are located in Verona, rather than in Staunton.

WEB SITE RESOURCES

We recommend that you use the following search engine and

external links to obtain additional knowledge about this topic.

GENERAL RESOURCES

· Our Genealogy Reference Library (USA Locations)

· Genealogy Forum: U.S. States

· Family Search, IGI Batches, Localities

· Genealogy.com: Resources by county

· Rootsweb.com - Localities

· Cyndi's List - General U.S. Sites

LOCALITY SPECIFIC RESOURCES

· Early Settlers of Augusta Co., VA - Genealogy

· Augusta County, Virginia - Wikipedia

·        Augusta Co. Court Records, Order Bk. XIV 1769-73

· Waddell's Annals of Augusta Co., VA, RoaneTNHistory

IMAGE GALLERY

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a variety of localities. Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.

The Frontier Culture Museum, 1290 Richmond Rd, Staunton, VA info@fcmv.virginia.gov

If you have any photographs or other images relating to this ancestral

location we would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Use the following LINK to ascertain whether we have any images that pertain to this location.

ANCESTRAL LOCATION PHOTOGRAPHS and IMAGES

Contact Information

Email

Pony Express:

Tom
27 Christopher Dr.
Burton, NB E2V3H4
Canada

Email

Snail mail:

Fred
889 Dante Ct.
Mantua, NJ 08051

USA