Place:Castle's Wood, Washington, Virginia, United States

Watchers


NameCastle's Wood
TypeSettlement
Located inWashington, Virginia, United States     (1769 - c1800)


Related

WIkipedia:Castlewood, Virginia

DIscussion

"Castle's Woods" was an early settlement on the Virginia frontier from about 1769 to after the Revolution. The settlement consisted of a number of dispersed farmsteads over a broad area in a bend of the Clinch River. Originally, its center was on Castle's Run to the west of the modern community of Castlewood, in Russell County, Virginia. During the period of Indian hostilities (1774-1792) two defensive forts were erected by the settlers. The larger of the two, Moore's Fort, was located near Castle's Run, while the Smaller (Cowan's Fort) was located closer to the center of the modern Castle's Woods. Settlers gathered in these places during periods of threatened Indian attacks. After the threat of Indian attack ended about 1792 a centralized village began to form eastward and close to the Clinch. In the 1880's the Post Office designated this village as "Castlewood", and the term "Castle's Woods" fell out of usage.