Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
- We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
- On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.
By learning about Gaines Mill (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.
As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Gaines Mill. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.
Name Variations for Gaines Mill ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.
- A typical abbreviation for Gaines Mill: Gaines Ml. (or less commonly used: Gaines Mll.)
- While the name of this community is Gaines Mill, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Gaines Mill may originally have been Gaine's Mill.
Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Gaines Mill might be written as Gaine Mill.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
Neighboring Counties ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived: their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Gaines Mill is located in Hanover County.
To see how the shape of Virginia's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Hanover County: Caroline, Goochland, Henrico, King William, Louisa, New Kent & Spotsylvania.
Below are the counties that are near Gaines Mill. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Gaines Mill:
- Hanover County (The home county of Gaines Mill)
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Mechanicsville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Westwood
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Westwood is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood
- Atlee Station
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Atlee Station is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atlee Station
- Hanover
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Gwathmey
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Gwathmey is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gwathmey
- Ashland
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Taylorsville
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Taylorsville is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylorsville
- Doswell
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Hylas
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Hylas is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hylas
- Casco
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Casco is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casco
- Goodall
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Goodall is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodall
- Rockville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Caroline County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Burruss Corner
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Burruss Corner is located in Caroline County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burruss Corner
- Penola
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Penola is located in Caroline County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penola
- Ruther Glen
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- DeJarnette
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- DeJarnette is located in Caroline County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DeJarnette
- Sparta
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Sparta is located in Caroline County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sparta
- Central Point
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Central Point is located in Caroline County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Point
- Charles City County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Roxbury
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Roxbury is located in Charles City County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxbury
- Kimages
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Kimages is located in Charles City County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kimages
- Ruthville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Ruthville is located in Charles City County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruthville
- Westover
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Westover is located in Charles City County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westover
- Charles City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Chesterfield County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Ampt Hill
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Ampt Hill is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ampt Hill
- Bensley
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Bensley is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bensley
- Bellwood
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Bellwood is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
- Bensley Village
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Bensley Village is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bensley Village
- Chesterfield Village
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Chesterfield Village is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesterfield Village
- Beulah Village
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Beulah Village is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulah Village
- Drewrys Bluff
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Drewrys Bluff is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drewrys Bluff
- Bon Air
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Meadowville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Meadowville is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowville
- Centralia
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Centralia is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centralia
- Bermuda Hundred ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Bermuda Hundred is located in Chesterfield County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bermuda Hundred
- Chester
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Colonial Heights City
- Colonial Heights
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Dinwiddie County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Grant Village
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Grant Village is located in Dinwiddie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grant Village
- Addison
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Addison is located in Dinwiddie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Addison
- Maitland Village
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Maitland Village is located in Dinwiddie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maitland Village
- Sutherland
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Essex County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Minor
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Minor is located in Essex County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minor
- Millers Tavern
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Millers Tavern is located in Essex County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millers Tavern
- Beazley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Beazley is located in Essex County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beazley
- Dunbrooke
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Dunbrooke is located in Essex County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbrooke
- Goochland County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Oilville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Thorncliff
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Thorncliff is located in Goochland County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorncliff
- Henrico County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Fair Oaks
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Fair Oaks is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Oaks
- Highland Springs
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Sandston
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Green Meadows
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Green Meadows is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Meadows
- Lee Park
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Lee Park is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Park
- Heckler Village
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Heckler Village is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heckler Village
- East Highland Park
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- East Highland Park is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Highland Park
- Oak Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Oak Hill is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Hill
- Fort Lee
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Fort Lee is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lee
- Currituck Farms
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Currituck Farms is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Currituck Farms
- Montrose
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Montrose is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose
- Chamberlayne
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Chamberlayne is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamberlayne
- Hopewell City
- Hopewell
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- King and Queen County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Walkerton
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Walkerton is located in King and Queen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walkerton
- Bruington
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Bruington is located in King and Queen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruington
- King and Queen Court House
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Cauthornville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Cauthornville is located in King and Queen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cauthornville
- Cumnor
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Cumnor is located in King and Queen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumnor
- Crouch
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Crouch is located in King and Queen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crouch
- Contra
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Contra is located in King and Queen County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Contra
- Mattaponi
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- King William County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Enfield
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Enfield is located in King William County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Enfield
- Manquin
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Rumford
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Rumford is located in King William County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rumford
- Tuck Fork
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Tuck Fork is located in King William County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuck Fork
- Lanesville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Lanesville is located in King William County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanesville
- Beulahville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Beulahville is located in King William County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulahville
- Romancoke
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Romancoke is located in King William County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romancoke
- West Point
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- New Kent County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Tunstall
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Tunstall is located in New Kent County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunstall
- New Kent
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Plum Point
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Plum Point is located in New Kent County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plum Point
- Petersburg City
- Petersburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Powhatan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Huguenot
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Huguenot is located in Powhatan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huguenot
- Dorset
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Dorset is located in Powhatan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorset
- Prince George County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Garysville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Garysville is located in Prince George County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garysville
- Burrowsville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Burrowsville is located in Prince George County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burrowsville
- Newville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Newville is located in Prince George County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newville
- Richmond City
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Montrose Heights
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Montrose Heights is located in Richmond City
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose Heights
- Richmond
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Richmond County
- The following are listed by their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Cherry Gardens
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Cherry Gardens is located in Richmond County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Gardens
- Walmsley Village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Walmsley Village is located in Richmond County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walmsley Village
- Chippenham Village
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Chippenham Village is located in Richmond County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chippenham Village
- Surry County
- Claremont
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Claremont is located in Surry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claremont
- Population from the 2020 Census: 335 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Gaines Mill, see our County-by-County Page for Gaines Mill.
Cemeteries Near Gaines Mill ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Gaines Mill.
This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Gaines Mill - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Gaines Mill covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Cold Harbor National Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Beulah Presbyterian Church Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Rock Hill Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Walnut Grove Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Faith Tabernacle Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faith Tabernacle Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Faith Tabernacle Cemetery is located 5 miles [8 km]<3> to the east of Richmond.
- The Faith Tabernacle Cemetery has also been known as:
- Highland Springs Cemetery
- Sunnyside Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2250897 <4>
- Zion Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Gethsemane Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Seven Pines National Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Dry Bridge Court Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- New Bethesda Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Montezuma Plantation
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Garden of the Lilies
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (225 more) ...
- East End Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East End Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the East End Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the east of Richmond.
- The East End Cemetery has also been known as:
- Greenwood Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #50095 <4>
- Evergreen Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Abraham Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
Nearby Communities in 1895 ...
We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>
While we didn't find Gaines Mill in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Gaines Mill.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Gaines Mill, with the one closest to Gaines Mill listed first.
- Highland Springs
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Fair Oaks
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Fair Oaks is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Oaks
- Pole Green
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Pole Green is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pole Green
- Seven Pines
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Seven Pines is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Pines
- Old Church
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Old Church is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Church
- Ellerson
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Ellerson is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellerson
- Fort Lee
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Fort Lee is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lee
- Studley
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Dispatch ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Dispatch is located in New Kent County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dispatch
- Atlee Station
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Atlee Station is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atlee Station
- Brook Hill
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Brook Hill is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brook Hill
- Elko
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Elko is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elko
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Ashcake
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Ashcake is located in Hanover County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashcake
- Varina Grove
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Varina Grove is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Varina Grove
- Glendale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Glendale is located in Henrico County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendale
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Gaines Mill. See our List of 1890's Communities around Gaines Mill.
Newspapers Published in Gaines Mill ...
An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).
To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.
Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 461 newspapers that have been published in the area around Gaines Mill.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Gaines Mill, there are papers which were published within 7 miles [11.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Gaines Mill.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Gaines Mill:
- Websites specific to Virginia
- Pages specific to Hanover County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Caroline County
- Charles City County
- Chesterfield County
- Colonial Heights City
- Dinwiddie County
- Essex County
- Goochland County
- Henrico County
- Hopewell City
- King and Queen County
- King William County
- New Kent County
- Petersburg City
- Powhatan County
- Prince George County
- Richmond City
- Richmond County
- Surry County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Virginia
Footnotes ...
| <1> | It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties). |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Gaines Mill) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
| <5> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Gaines Mill, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |