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It had been a little over 100 years since the Virginia colony was begun in Jamestown. Alexander Spottswood, colonial Governor of Virginia, saw the economic necessity of opening new areas west of the capital at Williamsburg. He set out to find the key to the expansion he sought for Virginia’s growth. The land, the resources and the people that collectively would become Brunswick County became his first discovery. Governor Spottswood saw this new southern frontier as complete and satisfying.
In the 1720 Colonial Assembly meeting in Williamsburg, Governor Spottswood called for the establishment of Brunswick Couny, a name chosen for the king Spottswood served, King George I of England, born Duke of Braunschweig (Brunswick) Germany. Stretching from the fall line of the James River on the east to the Blue Ridge Mountains on the west and southward to the North Carolina border, the land the new county encompassed was mammoth and allowed it to become the mother of many Virginia counties as southern Virginia was settled.
Many of the early homes built of Brunswick’s best natural resources — stone, clay and wood — still stand today. Chimneys and fireplaces that have kept families warm for over two hundred and fifty years stand tall against the sky as monuments to the craftsmanship of early Brunswick settlers and to the dedication of the families that would come after and preserve them.
The Brunswick County Museum & Historical Society looks forward to welcoming you to our great county and to sharing with you the important and historic place in Virginia history that Brunswick County occupies.
Museum Visiting Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In the Historical Courthouse Square
The Brunswick County Museum & Historical Society
P.O. Box 837 • Lawrenceville, Virginia 23868
434.848.0964 / 434.848.5385 • E-mail Brunswickmuseum@peoplepc.com
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