The village of Foster Falls -- originally Foster’s Falls, named for an early
settler and farmer at the location – was a product of the iron industry that flourished in
the New River Valley of southwestern Virginia in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
An iron furnace at Foster Falls was constructed in 1881. Soon thereafter,
a railroad passenger-and-freight station was built in close proximity, leading other businesses to locate there.
By 1895, Foster Falls had a population of 296, an elegant Victorian-style hotel, a post office, a gristmill and sawmill, a general store, a distillery, and about 100 houses.
In 1914, the furnace ceased operations, and five years later the hotel’s ownership was transferred to the Abingdon Presbytery to house an industrial school for young women. In 1938, the school became a co-ed orphanage.
By 1962, the buildings in Foster Falls had fallen into disrepair, and the children’s home relocated
Today, the village is a part of the New River Trail State Park.
Map by Dominic Bascone, DHR