Lignite

Lignite is a ghost town in Botetourt County, Virginia, with roots in the lignite mining industry. The town was built and operated by Allegheny Ore and Iron Company — later absorbed as a subsidiary of Lukens Steel Company in 1907 — and at its peak supported a company store, churches, a school, a post office, and a main street theater.

When ore demand declined and higher-grade coal was found in Pennsylvania, the company pulled out in the 1920s. Though the corporate era ended abruptly, some residents stayed on in the remaining houses until the 1950s. Today very little remains, and visitors should expect a quiet, largely unremarkable landscape rather than a preserved townsite. It suits those drawn to forgotten places and the quiet history embedded in rural Virginia.