Montross, Virginia - A Place In History

Montross, the county seat of Westmoreland, has a rich history and deep patriotic roots, nurtured since it’s founding in 1653. In the run up to the American Revolution, its citizens added their voices to the call for independence and lashed out at British tyranny.

Citizens gathered at the court house in Montross on the eve of the Revolution to protest the British action against the Port of Boston. Some of the county's most prominent citizens had earlier drawn up and signed the Westmoreland Resolves, which served as a forerunner to the Declaration of Independence.

Today visitors to Montross can relive some of this history at the Westmoreland County Museum and Library, across from the Westmoreland Court House at 43 Court Square. Among the museum’s exhibits are many life-size portraits of the country’s famous residents.

Montross today is the Northern Neck’s largest town, with more than 7,000 residents. Its commercial center includes grocery stores, car dealers, restaurants, banks, and a fairly recent addition, the Art Of Coffee, which is both a coffee shop and art gallery.

Montross’s commercial area serves the county’s growing population of retirees and “weekenders,” who maintain second homes in the areas along the Potomac’s shore. It’s especially popular with residents of the Washington, DC area, who find it an easy 90 minute drive.