It is considered one of Virginia's ghost towns due to its history as a decoy airfield during World War II, then partially developed as an African-American mental hospital, before that project was abandoned.
During the war, however, the area was converted into a false city, its structure closely resembling that of Richmond.
It is widely accepted that the premise behind the work was to serve as a decoy for German or Japanese bombers on night raids.
At the same time, the lights would come up on Elko Tract - roads built in roughly the same pattern as the city, and a false landing strip arranged identically to the nearby airport, would convince the bombers that they had reached their target.
The bombs would then harmlessly fall on an uninhabited stretch of land, and the bombers would return, thinking they had successfully attacked Richmond.