Historic Sites in Wytheville

Wythe County was created in 1789 and named for George Wythe, the “father of American Jurisprudence” and signer of the Declaration of Independence. In May 1790, Chris Simmerman donated 90 acres, along with John Davis’s 10 acres, to establish a town and county seat. Robert Adams completed a town survey in November of that year, dividing the area into half-acre lots. The town did not have an official name yet but was generally known as Wythe Court House.

Two years later, in October 1792, the town was officially named Evansham, for prominent local citizen Jesse Evans. After a disastrous fire in March 1839, the town was renamed Wytheville. At that time, it was home to about 500 residents.

Proud of its remarkable heritage, Wytheville has preserved much of it and features several museums, including The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center, the region’s only African American Heritage Museum.