Virginia Frances Townsend

Virginia Frances Townsend (1836 – August 11, 1920) was an American author.

She was editor of Arthur's Lady's Home Magazine and a contributing author to other magazines. She later taught at Dr. Dio Lewis's School for Young Ladies, where she was an advocate of exercise and physical education for women. She was a member of the Boston Authors Club.

A group of librarians in Boston put Townsend's name on a list of authors whose books should be banned from libraries because of "false and dangerous ideas of life" purportedly in the books.