A Brief History of the Buchanan County Courthouse:

The Buchanan County courthouse has had a very interesting history.

All public business such as deeds, marriage licenses, or any business with the law or court has to be taken to the county seat. Before 1958, people in this area had to travel to the county seats at Lebanon, Castlewood, or other places to do business.

An act to form a new county out of parts of the counties of Tazewell and Russell passed February 13, 1858. This new county was named for the 13th President of the United States, James Buchanan.

Soon after Buchanan County was formed in 1858, a county courthouse was built at the mouth of Slate Creek. The town was named Grundy in honor of the Senator, Felix Grundy.

The first courthouse was a wooden structure and seven years after construction, in 1865, the building and all records were destroyed by fire.

The next courthouse, also constructed of wood, stood for thirty years until it was destroyed by fire in 1885. These fires caused many problems and law-suits for the people of the county because of the loss of deeds, land titles, and marriage records.

The Buchanan County Courthouse was named to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1983. The Virginia Landmarks Register is the State’s official list of placed worthy of preservation as part of our heritage. Historical structures, such as the Buchanan County Courthouse, are an important part of the history of Virginia.