On the eve of the American Revolution, the Virginia backcountry was a place of colliding cultures, clashing ideals, and physical danger. Wolves howled at night; panthers roamed the forest. Europeans and native Shawnee and Cherokee vied for the same fertile farmlands, often erupting into murderous violence.
It
was here, at the eastern continental divide - the literal edge of
European/American
civilization - that leader of westward expansion and Revolutionary War
patriot William Preston established Smithfield Plantation. In a
land
of log cabins and physical hardship, Smithfield provided a haven of
aristocratic
elegance and became the social and political center of the county.
Historic
Smithfield is on the National
Register
of Historic Places, the Virginia
Landmarks Register, and is an Association
for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities property.
1000 Smithfield Plantation Road
Blacksburg, Virginia 24060
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please contact tlfisher@vt.edu