The original Sixteen Squares of Blacksburg were laid out in 1798 by William Black, who petitioned the state legislature to form the Town and named it after himself. He donated 37 acres to the venture, and situated his own house at the end of one of the center streets. The streets that he created are still intact today, and they form the center of the downtown. Within the boundaries of these blocks, there are houses which date to the early 1800's, and there are buildings constructed within the last decade. This diverse mixture of the historic and the modern still creates a unique small town feel, and makes the Town of Blacksburg a Special Place.