Located on a campus in the rolling hills of central Virginia's Piedmont region, Fork Union Military Academy was initially founded as Fork Union Academy in October 1898 by Dr. William E. Hatcher, a prominent local Baptist minister.
Some of its buildings are named after benefactors that have helped with upkeep, for example, the Guy E. Beatty Library, the Estes Dining Center, Hatcher Hall, the Wicker Science Center, and Jacobson Hall.