Lynsey Allie with Botetourt’s History

photos: Tom Field

Botetourt’s history champ By Tom Field

Lynsey Allie directs historical preservation and story of Botetourt County—a history as rich and deep as any in the nation.

“A lot of us were Botetourt residents and didn’t know it.”

Lynsey Crantz Allie is talking about Botetourt County, and one of the most interesting facts of which most folks outside of this area aren’t aware. That is—Botetourt County used to be quite a bit larger than its current 546 square miles. How much bigger? Get this: founded in 1770, and after a post-Revolutionary War extended jurisdiction, Botetourt County went all the way to the Mississippi River, encompassing West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, even parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.

So, yes, indeed, there are generations of Americans with roots and connections to Botetourt County, Virginia far beyond the residents and families tied to the current map.

As executive director of the Botetourt County Historical Society and Museum, Lynsey says her primary charge is that of “preserving history.”

“We’re here in a place that actually precedes US history,” Lynsey reminds us. “With such a historic area, we would do well to preserve it. We can’t forget the past.”

Lynsey’s love of history, her position at BCHS, and her upbringing are well matched. She grew up in Botetourt and graduated from Lord Botetourt High School. An “archivist by training,” she says, she got her degree in archival studies at Clayton State University (Georgia), and she’s worked with groups such as the Historical Society of Western Virginia and the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation.

Botetourt County Historical Society began in 1966; and Lynsey says she’s honored to continue the legacy of the Society’s mission.

“I enjoy welcoming visitors,” she says, and describing everything from the most obvious contributions of figures like Lewis and Clark, all the way to the details of family life here over the past 250 years.

“Of course, genealogy research and family histories [are popular requests of BCHS],” Lynsey says; but she can describe the impact of commerce and culture throughout all of the “ages” as well, and likes conducting tours, presenting, and setting up exhibits.

From the “massive stretch of land” in 18th Century to today, Lynsey tells the stories of the family farms (including the rather recent transition to agritourism by some of them), and the contributions of not only agriculture, but the mills, the canneries, mining, and more.

It’s such a colorful tapestry, Lynsey shows how those developments helped to create current-day Botetourt, even as our society has faced great changes. Many changes were challenging (wars, economic hardships, pandemics), and many have demonstrated progress and improvement (access to education, transportation, business).

Recently, the BCHS building and museum moved from the historic brick building adjacent to the Fincastle Courthouse complex to another historic building, the “Hagan House” (1871), just a few buildings down the road. Lynsey, BCHS members, and volunteers have been busy moving all the artifacts and configuring the new space, which doesn’t officially fully open to the public until summer.

It’s a great time being the “chief host” of Botetourt’s history. The 250th Anniversary hit in 2020, but due to the disruptions from the COVID pandemic, “we’re all continuing to celebrate this milestone,” says Botetourt Chamber of Commerce director Khari Ryder. “We’re calling it 250-Plus.”

We can only imagine the great assembly of people, their lives, and their stories if everyone who had a real connection to Botetourt County gathered in Fincastle to recognize their history.