Doswell is an unincorporated community in Hanover County in the Central Region of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. Originally called Hanover Junction, it was located on the Virginia Central Railroad, which later became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at a crossing of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a north-south route. Both railroads are now owned by CSX Transportation, although the former Virginia Central line is leased to a short-line carrier, Buckingham Branch Railroad. The area near the Doswell train station is a popular train-watching site for railfans.The name was changed to Doswell in the early 1890s in honor of Major Thomas Doswell. The first Doswell in the area was James Doswell, a captain in the American Revolution.Formerly consisting primarily of farmland, Doswell currently has many residents who commute to jobs in Richmond.