Thaxton is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in western Bedford County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The community is located along US Route 460 between

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

and Montvale. It is part of the Lynchburg

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

Thomas Methodist Episcopal Chapel was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2004. Thaxton was the site of a deadly train accident on July 2, 1889 that killed at least 18 and injured 21. The accident, caused when a passenger train derailed over a section of track that had been washed away by unusually heavy rains, was one of the deadliest railroad accidents in Virginia's history. A memorial was erected later that year in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

in memory of three of the victims, all from prominent families in that city, who were on their way to attend the

1889 World's Fair The Exposition Universelle of 1889 () was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two million visitors. The ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. A historical marker was placed near the site of the accident in 2015.

Government

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

operates the Thaxton Post Office within the community, although portions of the area have a Bedford ZIP Code. Law enforcement is provided by the Bedford County Sheriff's Office. Fire protection is provided by the Bedford Fire Department and Montvale Volunteer Fire Department.

Emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

are provided by the Montvale Volunteer Rescue Squad and Bedford County Department of Fire and Rescue.

Education

The CDP is served by

Bedford County Public Schools Bedford County Public Schools is a school district based in Bedford, Virginia, United States. It serves Bedford County, Virginia, United States. Schools Elementary schools *Bedford Elementary School *Bedford Primary School *Big Island Eleme ...

. Public school students residing in Thaxton are zoned to attend either Bedford Elementary School or Montvale Elementary School, Liberty Middle School, and Liberty High School. Thaxton Elementary School, an elementary school operated by Bedford County Public Schools, previously served the community before being closed in 2015. The former school site was sold to a private business in 2017. A branch campus of

Central Virginia Community College Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) is a public community college in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) oversees a network of 23 community colleges in Vi ...

in nearby Bedford is the closest higher education institution to the community.

Infrastructure

The transmitter for the Lynchburg-Roanoke market

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television network affiliate

WSET-TV WSET-TV (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, United States, serving as the ABC affiliate for the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and has studios on Langhorne Ro ...

is located approximately 2.8 miles SSE of the community center.

Transportation

Air

The

Lynchburg Regional Airport Lynchburg Regional Airport , also known as Preston Glenn Field, is a public use airport in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. It is located at the intersection of Route 29 South and Route 460, five nautical miles (6 mi, 9&nbs ...

and Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport are the closest airports with commercial service to the community.

Highways

* US Route 221 * US Route 460

Rail

The

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...

Blue Ridge District runs through the community. The closest passenger rail service is located in Roanoke and Lynchburg.

References

Unincorporated communities in Bedford County, Virginia {{BedfordCountyVA-geo-stub