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Brownton

Ghost town · Albemarle County, Virginia

Covesville quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1929, 1:62,500)
Covesville quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1929, 1:62,500) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Brownton is a ghost town in Albemarle County, Virginia. It is one of 5 former communities in Albemarle County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 21st among the 90 Virginia counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Brownton as a historical populated place on the Esmont topographic quadrangle: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 37.8501° N, 78.5717° W.

Key facts

USGS quadrangleEsmont
Elevation493 ft
Nearest living townEsmont, VA
Distance to it1.9 miles
GNIS feature ID1675012
Coordinates37.85014, -78.57168

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What's there now

Brownton is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Esmont, VA (population 413), about 1.9 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 493 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Brownton?

Brownton is in Albemarle County, Virginia, at 37.8501, -78.5717.

How many ghost towns are in Albemarle County?

Albemarle County, Virginia has 5 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.