Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District

This rural historic district encompasses 50 square miles of the Piedmont. Native Americans lived here for more than 12,000 years before settlers of European descent, drawn to the fertile soil, arrived early in the 1700s. Several notable houses, including Montpelier and Barboursville, were built by the mid-1800s. Communities such as Tibbstown were established by emancipated African Americans, and Somerset emerged to serve local farmers. The architectural styles of the district's more than 700 buildings range from Georgian to Colonial Revival to simple vernacular, reflecting a broad socioeconomic spectrum. Old Blue Run Baptist Church (ca. 1769) is the oldest of several churches.