The Warminster Rural Historic District is named for a two-acre town of 36 lots, laid out by Nicholas Cabell in 1788. While none of this town remains, the name has endured. The southeastern edge of the district winds along nearly 3.8 miles of the James River, which separates this portion of Nelson County from Buckingham County. Swan Creek Plantation was settled by Dr.William Cabell in 1742. Cabell used his connections as a land surveyor to acquire prime bottomland along the James River and established his home near the mouth of Swan Creek. Dr. Cabell was the father of Nicholas Cabell of Warminster, and grandfather of Joseph Carrington Cabell who promoted the James River & Kanawha Canal which runs along the entire riverfront portion of the district.
Apart from large plantations that line the riverfront, including Bon Aire and Edgewood, the district mostly consists of scattered rural residential properties along with large tracts of woodland,including the 1,213-acre James River Wildlife Management Area. The Midway Mill was within the district. Though now demolished, associated resources including a nearby brick culvert, a store, and a school remain. The most densely grouped properties occur in a historically African American community west of Mayo Creek. There are three churches in the district,though only one still houses a congregation. The district is particularly notable for many family cemeteries, most of which are African American. The district represents a microcosm of the historical settlement, agricultural, commercial, and transportation trends in the piedmont of central Virginia.
Hanbury Preservation Consulting in collaboration with the William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research conducted the architectural survey field work and prepared the nomination. The district was listed on the National Register in December 2024.