Orange County
Formed from Spotsylvania County in 1734, Orange County, a pastoral Piedmont county, was probably named in honor of William IV, the Dutch prince of Orange, who married Anne, the Princess Royal, daughter of George II of England, earlier that year. President James Madison lived here at Montpelier and President Zachary Taylor was born here. Some fifty square miles of the county comprise the Madison-Barbour Rural Historic District, an area rich in historic resources including the ruins of Barboursville, the home of Gov. James Barbour designed about 1814 by his friend Thomas Jefferson.
Louisa County
Located in the heart of the Virginia Piedmont, this rural county was named for Princess Louisa, a daughter of George II. It was formed from Hanover County in 1742; the county seat is Louisa. Among the county's historic resources is the Green Springs Historic District including Boswell's Tavern, which was used on one occasion during the Revolution as headquarters of the Marquis de Lafayette. Other landmarks include the monumental Louisa County courthouse and the old jail.