Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Charlottesville County, Virginia

Canada

Community of free African Americans established in Charlottesville in the 19th century.

Record

About Canada

Canada was a small community of free African Americans established near the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in the 19th century. Many residents of Canada were employed by the university.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Canada, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Canada is

USGS topographic map around Canada
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

13 historic USGS maps cover Canada

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Canada

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Virginia index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Canada, Virginia": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q5029267.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).