Greene County covers less than 160 square miles, the western portion of which became part of Shenandoah National Park in 1935. The Blue Ridge Mountains have played an important role in its history. Travel between the eastern Piedmont and the Shenandoah Valley through Swift Run Gap has been a defining feature for thousands of years, beginning with the Native American tribes. By 1736, most of the land was taken up in patents from the British Crown. A thriving village that became Stanardsville developed close to the mountains and was a coach stop on the "Richmond Road." During the 19th century, many small hamlets with schools, stores, and churches grew up in the mountains and at the crossroads. In 1838, the county was formed from the western part of Orange County, and its Jeffersonian courthouse was built. One century later, the Shenandoah National Park changed the face of the county. Today, over a million visitors to the park each year enjoy the time they can spend there.