April 14, 2022 / Joanne Yeck

Dillwyn, Buckingham County: A Short History, Part III

buckingham county, dillwyn, post offices

Buckingham County Postal Map, 1896

Need to catch up? Click here: Dillwyn, Buckingham County: A Short History, Part I

In 1960, Buckingham County historian Lulie Patteson wrote a short history of Dillwyn for Charlottesville’s Daily Progress, entitled “Dillwyn Grew Up as Lumber Town.” At that time, citizens of the county remembered anecdotes of the founding of a new commercial center and the earliest days of the Buckingham Branch of the Ohio and Chesapeake Railroad. These personal anecdotes are characteristic of Miss Lulie’s charming style. Her article continues:

Another forceful character of the time was the station agent, a Mr. Harden. His family was the first to move into the new town.

Laborers moved in very quickly to be near their work. Businessmen came in eager to establish their particular line of goods. Then came the post office, named White Hall in honor of two of the most active men who fostered the town. James Anderson was appointed postmaster and Willie Smith was his assistant. Zach Griffin was the first mail carrier out of Dillwyn and the first two rural mail carriers were Garnet Smith and W. E. Hardiman.

Business grew as years passed and there were calls for food and lodging. So William Pryor and his wife moved to the town and set up a boarding house.

If a Slate River Ramblings reader knows more about the station agent, Mr. Harden, please comment!

Interested in the history of post offices in Buckingham County? There’s lots to explore at Slate River Ramblings. Begin by clicking this link: Buckingham County Post Offices, Part I

Want to learn more about lodging in early Dillwyn, click here: The Culbreth Hotel

Coming next: Dillwyn, Buckingham County: A Short History, Part IV