History:

In 1890 Mr. William F. Kennedy, wrote to Washington asking that the new post office be named Tinsley, for his wife's maiden name. The story goes that his writing was hard to read and when the letter was read, the name requested appeared to be Tinkling. Thus Kenbridge received its first name. 

By 1906 William Kennedy had conceived of a plan to lay out and sell lots in his proposed town of Tinkling. Most of the land required would be from his 207 acre farm with his home nearly situated in the middle. However, he needed land that lay south of the railway right of way to complete his desired town lay out. After approaching Lewis W. Bridgforth with his plan, Bridgforth joined in the venture by offering a portion of his adjoining farm for sale to Kennedy to complete the Tinkling plan. Kennedy's son, Tinsley, drew up a forward-thinking design that included generous streets of 50, 60 and 70 feet wide that would accommodate traffic both then and now, and the venture began. Based on the actions of these men, a Tinkling town plat was drawn up and recorded in Lunenburg County August 23, 1907.  

The charter for the town of Kenbridge (combination of the names of the two men who owned the land) was applied for in February 1908 and granted by the Virginia General Assembly on March 14, 1908.