Boy looks inside the barrel of an old cannon - military history sites

Self-guided · County in Virginia

Military History Sites in Nelson County, VA

Forts, armories, barracks, batteries and memorials from every war the country has fought, listed with what happened at each.

Open the Virginia map · All states

Photo: Phyllis Lilienthal on Unsplash

Nelson County is one of 134 counties in Virginia. Reading about this period is one thing. Standing where it happened, with the record in your hand, is how it stops being a date on a test.

Child sits on a cannon with others walking by - military history sites — Photo: Belov Sergey on Unsplash

A woman standing in front of a display of guns - military history sites — Photo: Felix Ngo on Unsplash

A group of men in uniform holding guns - military history sites — Photo: Rusty Watson on Unsplash

On the record near Nelson County, VA

The 12 nearest

13 listed sites on the record match military history sites within 120 miles of Nelson County, VA, out of 57 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 9 listed sites carry Nelson County as their county.

Fishburne Military School18 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Waynesboro (Independent City) · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
Barracks, Virginia Military Institute31 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Lexington (Independent City) · listed 1966National Register of Historic Places
Fort Early and Jubal Early Monument33 miles from the center of Nelson County · Site · Lynchburg (Independent City) · listed 2002National Register of Historic Places
Fort Mitchell Depot65 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Fort Mitchell · listed 2009National Register of Historic Places
Salvation Army Citadel70 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Roanoke · listed 2020National Register of Historic Places
First Battalion Virginia Volunteers Armory80 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Richmond · listed 2009National Register of Historic Places
Blues Armory81 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Richmond (Independent City) · listed 1976National Register of Historic Places
Fort Harrison National Cemetery86 miles from the center of Nelson County · Site · Richmond · listed 1995National Register of Historic Places
Fort Pleasant92 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Moorefield · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
Barracks No. 194 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Blacksburg · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
Fort Colvin98 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Winchester · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
Fort Van Meter99 miles from the center of Nelson County · Building · Romney · listed 2009National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Nelson County, VA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Military History in Nelson County, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Nelson County, VA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Nelson County, VA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Nelson County, VA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Nelson County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Nelson County, VA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Nelson County, VA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.