Pearisburg and Giles County

Soon after Giles County was formed in 1806, George Pearis offered 53 acres, lumber, and stone to build the first courthouse. The building was constructed, and Pearisburg was established in 1808 at the geographic center of the county. The original courthouse was replaced in 1836 with the current brick structure that has been recently renovated and is still in use today. Giles County's story is one of water crossings and floods, agriculture, industrial development, railroads, tourism, and distinct communities isolated by the mountains and water. Natural resources, including mountains, springs, creeks, limestone cliffs, and 37 miles of the New River in Giles County, have shaped the settlement, industry, transportation, commerce, recreation, and tourism of the area. Photographs of life in each of these small communities depict the varied history of Giles County and those who have been drawn to this place.

Author Terri L. Fisher is the curator of the Giles County Historical Society; outreach coordinator at the Community Design Assistance Center at Virginia Tech, where she is an author of the forthcoming Lost Communities of Virginia book; and a resident of Narrows. Photographs from the Giles County Historical Society, Virginia Tech Special Collections, and other local sources tell the story of the many small communities in Giles County.