Pulaski County

Pulaski County once formed part of a vast tract of American frontier reaching to the Mississippi River. The first settlement west of the New River was established here in 1745. Over time, several ferries carried travelers across the New, and one became the main crossing on the Wilderness Road. The first county seat was established in the town of Newbern.

Sites

Wilderness Road Regional Museum

5240 Wilderness Road, Newbern, Virginia

Website Driving Directions

Newbern, established in 1810, contains a fine collection of frame and log buildings. Landowner Adam Hance recognized the economic benefits of developing a town along the Great Road, midway between Christiansburg and Evansham (now Wytheville). The building housing the museum is made up of two structures, an 1810 tavern and store and the 1816 Hance family home. The museum, owned and operated by the New River Historical Society, exhibits artifacts and documents highlighting life along the Wilderness Road.