The Recorder

George M. Jordan and Philip E. Witts established The Recorder in Monterey in Oct. 1877 during a period of rapid growth for local journalism in the post-Civil War years. By horse and wagon they hauled a Washington printing press, the most popular type of iron, hand-operated press in America, from West Virginia. In use until 1903, the press was later donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Although based in Highland County, the weekly newspaper had a regional focus from its outset and later formally expanded into Bath and Alleghany Counties. Persisting despite downturns in the local newspaper industry, The Recorder became one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in Virginia.

Department of Historic Resources, 2025