“Alleghany County took its name from the mountain range in which it is located. It was formed by act of Virginia Legislature on January 5, 1822 from parts of Botetourt, Bath, and Monroe counties. At that time Monroe was a Virginia county and remained so until the formation of West Virginia in May 1862 during the war between the states. “

“The County comprises approximately 452 square miles of which nearly 50% is in the National Forest. The County surrounds one city, Covington, which forms the principal center of population. Covington, a city of the second class and the County seat, was named in honor of General Leonard Covington, hero of the war of 1812 and friend of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Covington was designated as a town in 1819 following a sale of lots from 25 acres of land owned by Dr. James Merry and in 1833 was incorporated as a city by the Commonwealth. Before the subdivision of Dr. Merry’s land and naming of the town by Acts of Assembly, contemporary records refer to this site as “Mouth of the Dunlap”.”

Alleghany County Courthouse Contact Information