In 1732, Edward Scott, a burgess from Goochland County, laid claim to 550 acres west of town. Scott's Landing is now split between Fluvanna and Albemarle Counties, but was once a major port on a horseshoe bend of the James River, particularly during the heyday of the James River Canal, which opened in 1840 and was rendered inoperatable during the American Civil War. Albemarle County was founded during a gathering at Scotts' Landing in 1741, and the county formally received a charter from what became the Virginia General Assembly in 1745, although Charlottesville became the county seat in 1762. Fluvanna County was established from the southeast portion of Albemarle County in 1777, and the area south of the James River became Buckingham County, so Scotts Landing was no longer centrally located. During the American Revolutionary War, British raiders led by Col. Tarleton occupied much of the area, and attempted to secure military supplies stored in the old courthouse but was out-maneuvered by General Lafayette. Reportedly Governor Thomas Jefferson escaped capture during Tarlton's raid after Jack Jouett's ride by hiding in a cave near Scott's Landing. The town's oldest church is the Scottsville Presbyterian Church ; the oldest portions of the United Methodist Church date from a similar date, but it suffered severe damage in 1976. The Scottsville Christian Church, built 1846, in 1968 became the Scottsville Museum. Although Scottsville ceased as county seat, in 1840 its economic importance in the area increased as the James River Canal opened. However, Union forces under the command of General Sheridan burned Scottsville in March 1865, and it never fully recovered. After the American Civil War, Scottsville gained a station on the C&O Railroad, and had flour and other mills, as well as stores and banks. A wood-plank bridge across the James River supplanted the ferry in 1907. However, Scottsville experienced several major floods of the James River, including one in 1914 which devastated the town. In 1976, fire destroyed a frame hotel built circa 1900, as well as damaged the Methodist Church. The Scottsville Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, with a boundary increase to include six estates in 2004.
