Russell County / Washington County

Russell County was formed from Washington County in 1786 and was named for William Russell, a Clinch Valley pioneer and member of the Virginia House of Delegates who introduced the legislation creating it. The Clinch River runs through the county, and the Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve lies within the river's watershed; named for a towering rock outcrop known as the Pinnacle, the preserve contains an assortment of geological features, a variety of freshwater species, and the region also has many caves. Lebanon is the county seat. Washington County was formed from the extinct Fincastle County in 1776, with portions of Montgomery County added later, and was named for Revolutionary War leader and first president of the United States George Washington. Emory and Henry College, in the community of Emory, opened in 1838 and is the oldest institution of higher learning in southwestern Virginia. Abingdon, the county seat, is the site of the renowned Barter Theatre, which in 1946 was designated the State Theatre of Virginia.

Virginia · United States