James Patton Preston [SEP] position held
James Patton Preston
James Patton Preston (June 21, 1774May 4, 1843) was a U.S. political figure who served as Governor of Virginia.
Biography.
James Patton Preston was born at Smithfield Plantation, in what is now Blacksburg, Virginia. He attended the College of William and Mary from 1790 to 1795, and managed his family's estate.
A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he served for four years the Virginia State Senate, and two years in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Smithfield (Blacksburg, Virginia)
Smithfield is a plantation outside Blacksburg, Virginia built from 1772 to 1774 as a home by Col. William Preston. It was the birthplace of two Virginia Governors: James Patton Preston and John B. Floyd. The house remained a family home until 1959 when the home was donated to the APVA.
History.
The plantation site was part of 120,000 acres originally granted to James Patton by the British Crown. Patton died in an Indian massacre in 1755. The property passed to Patton's