Hanover County was formed on November 26, 1720 by "An Act for Dividing New Kent County." Hanover County was named in honor of King George I, the first British monarch from the House of Hanover, who ruled over Great Britain and its colonies from 1714 to 1727.

Hanover County was the birthplace and a residence of Patrick Henry, whose concluding argument in the Parsons' Cause case of 1763 (held in the Historic Hanover Court House) may be said to have been the beginning of the American Revolution in Virginia, and made Hanover County a focal point in the Revolutionary movement.

The Hanover Tavern, Polegreen Church and Rural Plains are a few of the many Hanover landmarks that predate the Revolution, and the battles of Gaines' Mill, Totopotomoy Creek and Cold Harbor (among others) were fought in Hanover County during the Civil War.


Tuesday, September 10 at historic Lombardy!

Visit our Events page for more information.

•NEW MEMBERS• Join the Hanover County Historical Society at the Individual level for two years and receive a free copy of Nature's Bounty, Nation's Glory! Visit our Membership page for details.

Historic Courthouse Tours

Hanover County's Historic Courthouse is open for free tours once a month, from 10am 'til 2pm. Society Docents will be available to tell the story of this icon of American history, and under most circumstances will be happy to also give tours of the Old Stone Jail, which is next to the courthouse.

If you're interested in a tour for your group or family on a different day, please reach out to us on our Contact page and we'll work with you!
2024 Courthouse Tour Dates

Thursday, September 12
Thursday, October 10
Thursday, November 14

Won't you join us?

The HCHS Online Store Is OPEN!
Visit our ONLINE STORE to pay for Membership, purchase tickets to Society events, and purchase many of the Society's publications!

Please visit our Publications page for a list of all available Society publications, and information about how they can be purchased.



Tuesday, September 10 at historic Lombardy!

Please visit our Events page for more info!
Save the date!

2024 Annual Meeting & Dinner:
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Details TBA.
(please note date change from December 3)
The Historic Polegreen Church Foundation has acquired Pine Slash, Patrick Henry's "Honeymoon Cottage," circa 1750. Click here for more information.
Click here to watch a video of historic preservation expert Gordon Lohr describing the restoration of Pine Slash.
Dendrochronology: The science of dating and deciphering the significance of tree rings. Click here to see Dendrochronologist Michael Worthington demonstrating and explaining the process, in a video filmed at Sycamore Tavern, Montpelier, Virginia in Western Hanover County.

Click here to download a PDF version of the Hanover County Historical Society's June, 2024 issue of Highlights!
Check out the Hanover County Historical Society's Facebook page, always up to date with the latest info!