Editing Fincastle, Virginia (section)

==History==
The town of Fincastle was originally settled by [[Ulster Scots people|Scotch-Irish]] and [[Germans|German]] immigrants from [[Pennsylvania]] who arrived in the region in the mid-18th century. John Miller erected a sawmill which became the nucleus of the early village of Fincastle. In 1770, Botetourt County was separated from [[Augusta County, Virginia|Augusta County]], and Miller's home was selected as the meeting place for the court. Two years later, Israel Christian donated {{convert|45|acre}} of land and laid out the streets and lots for the new town of Fincastle. The town's name was selected to honor [[George Murray, 5th Earl of Dunmore|George, Lord Fincastle]], the eldest son of Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, [[John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore|Lord Dunmore]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Botetourt Heritage Book Committee|title=Botetourt County, Virginia Heritage Book 1770-2000|date=2000|publisher=Walsworth Publishing Company |location=Summersville, WV|pages=21–22|edition=Millenium}}</ref>

In 1773, the first log courthouse was built on the designated court square at the center of Fincastle. Around the same time, a brick church was constructed on land donated by Israel Christian to serve as the established ([[Church of England|Anglican]]) house of worship for the town. The church closed after the disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Virginia during the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] and was later occupied by [[Presbyterians]] who rebuilt the structure to its present [[Greek Revival]] style.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fincastle Presbyterian Church|title=History of Fincastle Presbyterian Church|date=3 July 2015 |url=http://www.fincastlepresbyterian.org/resources/history/}}</ref> By the early-19th century, the village had grown into an important regional center of commerce, especially for the wool industry, aided by the construction of taverns, hotels, and shops. A second courthouse was erected in 1818 and replaced by a third, a larger brick structure of Greek Revival style in 1850. This courthouse continues to serve Botetourt County today, having been rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1970.

The [[Bowyer-Holladay House]], [[Breckinridge Mill]], [[Fincastle Historic District]], [[Greenfield (Fincastle, Virginia)|Greenfield]], [[Hawthorne Hall]], [[Prospect Hill (Fincastle, Virginia)|Prospect Hill]], [[Santillane]], [[Wheatland Manor]], and [[Wiloma]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>