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Augusta County Genealogy

Edited by Avery J. Parker · Virginia Genealogy · Last reviewed July 30, 2026 · Continuously operated research hub (1997-origin site)

  • Formed 1738
  • Parent county / earlier Orange County (western settlement)
  • County seat Staunton
  • Neighbors Staunton*, Waynesboro*, Rockingham, Rockbridge, Bath, Highland, Albemarle, Nelson

Augusta, Virginia — formed 1738. Jurisdiction-first research hub. Details below; confirm holdings at Library of Virginia.

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

10 places — view all town pages

Staunton county seat Fishersville Verona Craigsville Stuarts Draft Weyers Cave Mount Sidney Churchville Greenville Waynesboro

History notes

Augusta County is a Shenandoah Valley parent county. Staunton* and Waynesboro* independent cities keep separate series even when the county seat historically sat in Staunton.

German and Scots-Irish church records often outperform early civil vitals.

Historical markers in Augusta County

Virginia's Department of Historic Resources (DHR) lists 33 state historical highway markers in Augusta County. Below are short summaries, in our own words, of selected markers whose official text DHR has published in a news release, followed by the full list by marker number. Marker texts are copyrighted by DHR, so we link to them rather than reprint them.

  • A-118

    Augusta Stone Church near Fort Defiance opened in January 1749, replacing a log meetinghouse built soon after the congregation formed in 1740. DHR's text says Pastor John Craig and members fortified it during the Seven Years' War, and that this gave the Fort Defiance community its name.

    Official text: Virginia DHR (DHR release, 13 Apr 2015 (Board approval; approved marker text)) · Related here: Augusta churches and registers · Valley Germans and Scots-Irish
  • A-119

    John Craig, from County Antrim and schooled in Edinburgh, came to America in 1734 and in 1740 became pastor of the congregations later called Augusta Stone and Tinkling Spring. DHR describes him traveling the backcountry to preach and baptize; he and his wife Isabella raised six children and are buried in the church cemetery, so his baptisms are a lead for early Valley Presbyterian families.

    Official text: Virginia DHR (DHR release, 13 Apr 2015 (Board approval; approved marker text)) · Related here: Augusta churches and registers · Augusta cemeteries and burial
All 31 other markers in Augusta County, by number
  • A-31 Old Providence Church
  • A-39 New Providence Church
  • A-53 Bethel Church
  • A-99 Willow Spout
  • A-100 Augusta Military Academy
  • A-101 Middlebrook Historic District
  • A-102 Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • A-106 Mount Tabor Lutheran Church
  • A-111 Battle of Piedmont
  • AL-5 Glebe Burying Ground
  • D-40 Mossy Creek
  • I-11-a Roanoke College
  • I-18 Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center
  • I-34 Augusta County Courthouse
  • JD-12 Woodrow Wilson General Hospital
  • JD-14 Jarman's Gap
  • JD-15 John Colter
  • W-79 Last Indian Clash
  • W-149 Fort Edward Johnson
  • W-155 Tinkling Spring Church
  • W-156 James Edward Hanger
  • W-159 First Settler's Grave
  • W-220 George Caleb Bingham
  • W-226 Mount Pleasant
  • W-227 Colonel George Moffett
  • W-231 Augusta County Training School
  • W-234 Grandma Moses in Augusta County
  • W-241 Stokesville
  • Z-108 Augusta County/Rockbridge County
  • Z-109 Augusta County/Rockbridge County
  • Z-201 Rockingham County/Augusta County

Source: Virginia DHR Historical Highway Marker Program (marker numbers and titles from DHR's marker database), accessed 2026-10-11. Photos and visitor notes: HMdb listings for Augusta County (HMdb also lists memorials and non-state markers).

Newspapers

Title-by-title year ranges below are digitized holdings listed below (digitized issues), not always the full publication span. Open each title to confirm gaps. Mastheads and successors change often.

  • Staunton / Valley weeklies
    Staunton area · 1800–… · Weekly/varies
    Valley papers may cover Augusta County and nearby independent cities (Staunton*, Waynesboro*).

Statewide newspapers guide · newspaper portals · Chronicling America

Structured transcriptions

Searchable tables with book/page and microfilm-style citations for Augusta County. Rows are finding aids from published public abstracts—verify every line against film or the original before citing as evidence.

All transcription collections

Cemeteries & burial research

Starting points and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard in the county.

  • Augusta County cemeteries & churchyards
    Augusta
    Start with published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—pair stones with obituaries and church books.
    Find a Grave

Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

  • Augusta County Library / regional history network
    library · Fishersville area
    Valley research near Staunton* / Waynesboro* independent cities.
  • Augusta County public library / local history desk
    library · Augusta
    Start with the county public library local history desk or Virginia room for Augusta. Hours and catalog portals change—verify before visiting. Pair with Library of Virginia catalogs and Virginia Chronicle for newspapers.
  • Augusta County historical / genealogical societies
    society · Augusta
    Search for active historical and genealogical societies serving Augusta County. Names and websites change; VAGenWeb and Library of Virginia society lists are good discovery points.
  • Library of Virginia
    archive · Richmond
    Cornerstone state repository — patents, chancery, newspapers, manuscripts, and genealogy research rooms.
  • Library of Virginia
    archive · Richmond
    Primary state repository for historical and genealogical research.
  • Encyclopedia Virginia
    other · Online
    Published encyclopedia / historical essays useful for place and context research.
  • Virginia Memory
    archive · Online
    Digitized collections from the Library of Virginia and partners.
  • Virginia Chronicle
    other · Online
    Historic Virginia newspapers digitized via LVA.

Full societies & libraries directory

Vital records

Valley churches + newspapers for pre-registration decades.

Census

Federal schedules; city pages for Staunton*/Waynesboro* decades.

Courthouse & contacts

Augusta County offices; verify city* clerks for Staunton/Waynesboro events.

If not found here, try…

Virginia brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. When a deed, probate, or vital is missing here, try the parent district for the event year and neighboring counties for kin who lived across the line—not a substitute for later statewide birth/death registration.

  • Formed 1738
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Orange County (western settlement) — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):

Staunton* Waynesboro* Rockingham Rockbridge Bath Highland Albemarle Nelson

Also use Start here, the counties & formation guide, and local history news for recent heritage context.

What to do next

Stay in Augusta County only after the event year matches this courthouse. Otherwise open parents first.

Start here guide Cheatsheet bundle This week in Augusta history

Sources & further reading

Formation, place-names, and series notes on this hub will cite standard Virginia references. Always verify at the repository—fires and thin series vary by book and decade.

  • Encyclopedia Virginia
    State encyclopedia / published historical essays — search for Augusta County topics.
  • County formation & boundaries
    Virginia county formation and independent-city research — verify in Library of Virginia guides (this county formed 1738). See also the counties & formation guide when published.
  • Place-names & communities
    Virginia place-names, former communities, and watercourses (local histories + GNIS).
  • Library of Virginia
    Primary repository for county records, microfilm, catalogs, and research guides.
  • Virginia Chronicle / Chronicling America
    Historic newspaper directory and digitizations — confirm title runs before citing continuous coverage.
  • Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
    National newspaper directory + selected digitized pages.
  • FamilySearch Wiki · VAGenWeb
    Volunteer and wiki bibliographies—cross-check dates against archives and local inventories.

Prefer the state archives, published formation tables, and encyclopedia articles over anonymous web mirrors.