The Reynolds family

In 1810, Abram Reynolds made his way west and purchased 180 acres in Patrick County. He continued to purchase more land, and in 1825, he purchased 598 acres of land near the small town of Critz, Virginia, at the base of No Business Mountain.

Abram and his wife, Polly Harbour Reynolds, had two sons, Hardin and David. After David died at age 25, Hardin became the heir to his father’s estate. Hardin, a successful farmer, merchant, banker, and tobacco manufacturer, and his wife Nancy resided on and built the Rock Spring Plantation, including the 1843 historic home. They had 16 children, eight of whom lived to be adults.

Their oldest son, Major Abram David (A.D.) Reynolds led a Civil War regiment at the age of 17, established his own tobacco factory, and was father to Richard S. Reynolds, who transformed the metals industry when he founded Reynolds Metals, the maker of Reynolds Wrap.

Their second son, Richard Joshua (R.J.) Reynolds, founded the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston Salem, North Carolina, about 50 miles south of his boyhood home. His 1917 estate, Reynolda, also is open for tours.

The Reynolds Homestead has been designated a State and National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Registry of American Homes.