SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                          WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549


                              _______________

                                  FORM 8-K

                               CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

                    THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                              _______________



Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):  May 31, 1996


                         NATIONAL BANKSHARES, INC.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)



   Virginia                0-15204                         54-1375874      
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other          (Commission                      (IRS Employer    
jurisdiction of          File Number)                   Identification No.)
incorporation)


               P.O. Box 90002
            Blacksburg, Virginia                            24062-9002     
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     (Address of principal executive offices)               (Zip Code)     



Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (540) 552-2011









                             Page 1 of 5 Pages
                      Exhibit Index appears on Page 4





Item 2
- ------

     On May  31, 1996, at  11:59 P.M.,  National Bankshares, Inc.  (NBI) of
Blacksburg, Virginia,  parent company of  The National Bank  of Blacksburg,
consummated  a  transaction  with the  Bank  of  Tazewell  County (BTC)  of
Tazewell, Virginia,  in which NBI  Interim Bank (a  bank organized for  the
sole purpose of  the transaction and a wholly owned  subsidiary of NBI) was
merged  into BTC  and BTC  as the  surviving entity  became a  wholly owned
subsidiary of NBI.  BTC is a Virginia state bank headquartered in Tazewell,
Virginia with seven offices.

     Pursuant to  the Agreement and Plan  of Merger dated  August 28, 1995,
between  NBI and  BTC (Plan),  each share  of the  1,888,209 shares  of the
common stock ($1.10 par value) of  BTC outstanding immediately prior to the
merger  was converted  into the right  to receive  one share  of the common
stock ($2.50  par value)  of NBI (NBI  Common Stock).   The merger  met the
requirements  for a tax-free transaction under the Internal Revenue Code of
1986,  as amended, and will be accounted  for as a pooling-of-interest.  As
provided in the Plan,   NBI effected a stock  split in the form of  a stock
dividend aggregating 190,768 shares of NBI Common Stock for stockholders of
record at  the closing of  business on May  30, 1996,  payable on June  14,
1996.  The exchange ratio provided  for in the plan took into consideration
the NBI stock split.


Item 7    Financial Statements and Exhibits
- ------    ---------------------------------

     (a)  It  was deemed impracticable at  this time to  file the financial
statements.  Those statements will be filed by August 10, 1996.

     (b)  It was deemed  impracticable at  this time to  file the  proforma
financial  information required  by this  Item.   That information  will be
filed by August 10, 1996.

     (c)  The exhibit  listed in the  "Exhibit Index"  is filed as  part of
this report.















                             Page 2 of 5 Pages





                                 SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements  of the Securities Exchange Act  of 1934,
the registrant  has duly caused this report  to be signed on  its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                              NATIONAL BANKSHARES, INC.


                              By:    s/James G. Rakes
                                     ------------------------------
                                     James G. Rakes
                                     President and
                                     Chief Executive Officer



                              Date:  June 14, 1996
                                     ------------------------------
































                             Page 3 of 5 Pages





                               EXHIBIT INDEX

                                     TO

                         CURRENT REPORT ON FORM 8-K

                                     OF

                         NATIONAL BANKSHARES, INC.


                                                  Sequential
      Exhibit                                      Page No. 
      -------                                     ----------

      I.   Press release dated                         5
           June 1, 1996




































                             Page 4 of 5 Pages