Lost Communities of Virginia Book

The Lost Communities of Virginia book project highlights 30 once thriving communities through photographs, maps, historical information, and interviews with long-time residents.  The book ties the communities, and their fates, to the larger context of regional, state, and national history.

While some of the lost communities have found ways to reinvent themselves, all have in common a lost industry or way of life that has forever changed the place and the reason for the community’s development.  The chapters are positive, urging people to look past the current visual landscape to find out why the communities were built in the first place and what it was like to live there during earlier boom times.  The book’s epilogue provides an opportunity to discuss revitalization or other changes in the communities since they were first visited five years ago.

The Lost Communities of Virginia book is expected to be published in 2010.  CDAC is currently raising funds for the publication.  A donation of $1,400 sponsors a book chapter, though lesser amounts are greatly appreciated.  Checks should be sent to CDAC and made payable to “Treasurer, Virginia Tech” or donate via the Virginia Tech Foundation using your credit card.  In the "Gift Information" area, please choose "Other Designation" and enter "Community Design Assistance Center - Lost Communities of Virginia book " as the designee.  

CDAC received a donation of $5,000 from Nancy Mulheren in January 2010 to fund the Paint Bank (Craig County) chapter and publication of the Lost Communities of Virginia book.

CDAC received a grant from the M. Meade Palmer Fund at the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation in January 2010 to fund the Uno (Madison County) chapter of the Lost Communities of Virginia book.

CDAC received a $10,000 grant from the Roller-Bottimore Foundation in June 2009 to partially fund the design layout of the Lost Communities of Virginia book. The primary interests of the Roller-Bottimore foundation are historic preservation and Virginia history and projects and programs of an educational, historical, or charitable nature.

Purchases of Lost Communities of Virginia merchandise also support book publication.

The 30 communities featured in the book are Almagro (Danville City), Boydton (Mecklenburg County), Branchville (Southampton County), The Bridge (Carroll County), Capeville (Northampton County), Clements Mill (Franklin County), Derby (Wise County), Doe Hill (Highland County), Eagle Rock (Botetourt County), Eggleston (Giles County), Jerome (Shenandoah County), Mendota (Washington County), Milford (Caroline County), Mineral (Louisa County), Moneta (Bedford County), Mount Solon (Augusta County), Mouth of Wilson (Grayson County), Newport (Giles County), Nortonsville (Albemarle County), Paint Bank (Craig County), Pamplin City (Appomattox County), Pamunkey Reservation (Prince William County), Pocahontas (Tazewell County), Riner (Montgomery County), Sharps (Richmond County), Stonega (Wise County), Sweet Chalybeate (Alleghany County), Troutdale (Grayson County), Uno (Madison County), and Woodford (Caroline County).

* Community chapters highlighted in blue, as well as the Introduction and Preface, have been sponsored.

For more information, please contact CDAC Director, Elizabeth Gilboy, egilboy@vt.edu, 540.231.5644