HISTORY · HISTORICAL MARKER
Orange County / Louisa County
History
7
Orange County, a pastoral Piedmont county formed from Spotsylvania County in 1734, was probably named in honor of William IV, the Dutch prince of Orange, who earlier that year married Anne, the Princess Royal, daughter of George II of England. President James Madison lived here at Montpelier, and President Zachary Taylor was born here. Some fifty square miles of the county comprise the Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District, an area rich in historic resources including the ruins of Barboursville, the home of Gov. James Barbour, which was designed in 1817 by his friend Thomas Jefferson. Louisa County, a rural county in the heart of the Virginia Piedmont, was named for Princess Louisa, a daughter of George II. It was formed from Hanover County in 1742, and the county seat is Louisa. Its historic resources include Green Springs Historic District, including Boswell's Tavern, which was used on one occasion during the Revolution as headquarters of the Marquis de Lafayette. Other landmarks include the monumental Louisa County courthouse and the old jail.
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