Previously known as "Rocktown," Harrisonburg was renamed for early settler Thomas Harrison, who deeded 2.5 acres of his 12,000 for the construction of a courthouse.
The town of Harrisonburg was recognized by the Virginia House of Delegates in 1780 as the seat of the newly-formed Rockingham County. Always looking forward, the town fathers proclaimed a grand industrial future for the town, and Harrisonburg was incorporated as an independent city in 1916. By the mid-20th century, planned growth, urban renewal, and nearby Interstate 81 had transformed the small town into a metropolis. The remarkable photographs reproduced in
Harrisonburg
offer glimpse of the city's growth from a crossroads trading post to the host of an interstate clover leaf.