William Preston, a leader of westward expansion and a prominent Southwestern Virginia Revolutionary War patriot came to settle at the eastern continental divide and established Smithfield as his home. In a land of log cabins and physical hardship, Smithfield, in its sophisticated elegance, became the political and social center of Fincastle County, Virginia (1772). Of course, the newly-formed County included all of Southwest Virginia and all of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a rather large area indeed.
Completed in 1774, Smithfield became not only the county’s political and social center, it was a beacon, a destination, for thousands of settlers moving west to seek new land and opportunity. Smithfield became a place of resting and storing new provisions before the next leg of the westward passage.
Travel back to the 18th century. Experience life in the home of a colonial leader with the guidance of a costumed interpreter who knows the culture as well as the artifacts.
Smithfield stands today as the finest example of an original, pre-Revolutionary structure in Western Virginia.
Smithfield is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register and is a member of the The New River Heritage Coalition. In 2014, Smithfield was designated by the Virginia General Assembly as the Family Homestead of Virginia Governors.
Open
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday.
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday
Visit us and step back in time.
Tours start on the hour.
Last tour at 4:00 p.m.
Contact us to schedule your event.
Call 540.231.3947.
1000 Smithfield Plantation Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Historic Smithfield Plantation
1000 Smithfield Plantation Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060 540.231.3947 info@historicsmithfield.org
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