Mr. Turner here captures the golden age of Nottoway County in southside Virginia, from 1781 to 1861, with over 200 sketches of venerable county homes and their resident families. While most of the sketches are less than a page in length, some are illustrated, and all describe the location and history of the structure under consideration. In addition, a goodly number of the essays trace the principal families over several generations, referring to the occupants' dates of birth and marriage, names of spouse(s) and children, profession, military service, other biographical milestones, and more.