Buchanan, VA

Buchanan sits on both banks of the James River, and the town’s history makes more sense once you know it began as two communities. Pattonsburg was incorporated in 1788 on the north bank; Buchanan was established on the south bank in 1811. The two merged in 1882. In between, the James River and Kanawha Canal reached Buchanan in 1851, turning the riverfront into a transport center with warehouses, hotels, docks, stores, and churches. The Buchanan Historic District still carries that layered map, including the old Pattonsburg street grid and the Buchanan Theatre. The town’s schools are part of Botetourt County Public Schools, but the river and canal are the real organizing threads.