Created in 1734, Orange County was largest Virginia County, covering the vast unknown territory that extended to the eastern boundary of the Mississippi River. Colonel James Taylor II, one of the first settlers of Orange, was great-grandfather James Madison and Zachary Taylor, both of whom became Presidents of the United States. Lifetime home of President Madison and birthplace of President Taylor, Orange boasts more than two centuries of history. President James Madison and his trend-setting wife Doarea also set the stage for many Civil War engagements and events, including the Battle of tlley lived here before, during, and after his presidency. The town and its surrounding he Wilderness where Lee and Grant encountered for the first time, Rapidan Village which changed sides fifteen times on Christmas Eve 1863, and the town of Orange which witnessed a brisk skirmish in its streets. Robert E. Lee worshipped here during the winter of 1864, and Confederates made extensive use of the railroads throughout the county during war.  Many hospitals were established here to care for the sick and the wounded .

	Lifelong home of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, Montpelier was the Madison family homestead for more than three generations. It was here that James and Dolley retired. Here you can enjoy self-guided tours of the Madison home, behind-the-scenes tours of rarely seen rooms, the restored Madison cemetery, and the beautiful formal gardens and historic trees.
Montpelier	Route 20 South, Montpelier Station, 540-672-2728
	St. Thomas Episcopal Church, which was copied after Thomas Jefferson's only ecclesiastical work, is noted for its stained glass windows, including one by Tiffany, as well as for the fact that Robert E. Lee and other Confederate officers worshipped here during the winter of 1863-64. The tree where Robert E. Lee tied his horse, Traveler, is duly marked.
St. Thomas Church	119 Carolina Street, Orange, 540672-3761
	Exchange Hotel and Civil War Museum, originally an elegant hotel that welcomed passengers traveling on the Virginia Central Railway, the Exchange Hotel was transformed into a receiving hospital during the Civil War. Today it serves as a museum of the medicine, military, and railroads of the Civil War.
Exchange Hotel	400 South Main Street, Gordonsville, 540-932-2944felon
	Some of James and Dolley Madison's possessions can also be seen at the James Madison Museum, which features their furnishings, clothing, jewelry, books, and correspondence from Madison's library. The museum also houses early farm equipment and machinery along with a restored 1730s house.
James Madison Museum	129 Caroline Street, Orange, 540-672-1776
	The burial site of the arm of General "Stonewall" Jackson, Ellwood Manor served as a Confederate hospital and later as the headquarters of three Union generals during the Civil War. Included in the rich heritage of this plantation is a visit by the marquis de Lafayette in 1824.
Ellwood Manor	Route 20, Locust Grove, 540-786-2880.
	Designed by Thomas Jefferson to be the grandest resident in Orange County, the Barbour mansion was the seat of a thriving agriculture estate of early Virginia. It was the home of James Barbour, Governor of Virginia from 1812-1814, as well as U.S. Senator, Secretary of War, Ambassador to Great Britain, and President of the Albemarle Agricultural society. Destroyed after a Christmas fire in 1884, the estate houses a simple gravesite where the family is buried.
Barboursville Ruins	17655 Winery Road, Barboursville, 540-832-3824
	Designed by the Washington, D.C., architectural firm of Haskins and Alexander, the Orange County Courthouse is an exceptional  example of the classic Italianate style with its square Tuscan tower, arched windows, and bracketed roof. It was the sight of a brisk skirmish between three Union Calvary regiments and the Confederate 7th Virginia Calvary in August 1862.
Orange County Courthouse	Main Street and Madison Road, Orange.
	Wilderness Battlefield. The opening battle of Grant's sustained effort against the Confederates. the Battle of the Wilderness marked the first time Lee and Grant met in battle. Though it ended in a stalemate, the battle resulted in nearly 30,000 casualties.
Wilderness Battlefield	Route 20, Orange