What to See in Buena Vista - Top Sights and Attractions

Glen Maury, also known as the Paxton Place and Elisha Paxton's house, is a historic home located in Rockbridge County, Virginia, near the independent city of Buena Vista. It was built between 1829 and 1832, and is a 2 1/2-story, brick dwelling. It sits on a high basement, made of native stone, and has a two-story rear ell addition. The front facade features a somewhat crude, two-story, Doric order Classical Revival portico with paired columns. The river side is dominated by a five-bay, two-story verandah with turned wooden posts and simple brackets. It was added about 1900.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.^[1]

Building. Southern Seminary Main Building, originally known as the Hotel Buena Vista and now Main Hall of Southern Virginia University, is a historic hotel building located at Buena Vista, Virginia. It was built in 1890, and is a 3 1/2-story, brick and frame building in an eclectic combination of Queen Anne and French Renaissance style architecture. It features a steep slate covered gable roof, round towers with conical and domical roofs, three-level wooden galleries, and Palladian windows. By 1907, the building was known as the Southern Seminary Main Building, after consolidation of three campuses of that school.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.^[2]

Courthouse. The Old Courthouse, also known as the Buena Vista Land Company building, is a historic courthouse building located at Buena Vista, Virginia. It was built in 1890, and is a 2 1/2-story, brick building with a mansard roof in the Second Empire style. It originally housed the Treasurer's Office, Mayor's Office, Office of the Clerk of Court, the courtroom Attorney's offices, the telephone exchange, and the local Odd Fellow's Lodge. The local public library has occupied the building since 1971, after a new municipal building was constructed.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is located in the Buena Vista Downtown Historic District.^[3]

Building in Buena Vista. W.N. Seay House is a historic home located at Buena Vista, Virginia. It was built in 1889, and is a two-story, weatherboarded balloon-frame Late Victorian style dwelling. It features a highly decorated, one-story, three-bay porch with turned, bracketed posts and jig-sawn balustrade. Also on the property is a garage/utility building with board-and-batten siding. It was built by William Nelson Seay who helped found Buena Vista.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.^[4]

Museum in Buena Vista, Virginia. Buena Vista Colored School is a historic school building for African American children located at Buena Vista, Virginia. It was built in 1914, and expanded in 1926. It is a one-story, brick structure with a hipped, sheet metal roof. Also on the property is a contributing brick outbuilding once used to store wood and coal. The building served as the only local school for African American children in grades 1–7 from 1914 to 1957. The Buena Vista Colored School Historical Society was organized in 2002 to restore the school as a museum and community center.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.^[5]

Liberal arts college in Buena Vista, Virginia. Southern Virginia University is a private liberal arts college in Buena Vista, Virginia. The school, though not officially affiliated with a particular faith, embraces the values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was founded in 1867 as a school for girls, and is now a private four-year coeducational institution. The Carnegie Classification categorizes it as a very small baccalaureate-only college with an arts & sciences focus.

SVU is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.^[6]