Uploads from mystuart, tagged virginia

Old Jail, Fincastle, VA.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 03:55:42 -0800

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Mentioned in the National Register nomination as a noteworthy structure. Built 1897.

from the Historic Fincastle, Virginia, website:

"Fincastle, located 25 miles north of Roanoke on U.S.Highway 220, was established in 1770. Incorporated in 1772, today the quiet and quaint village of about 325 residents is a virtual museum of American architecture from the late 1770's through the 20th century.

The town began as and remains the seat of Botetourt County. Fincastle was the governmental center of a vast tract of land that once included the present state of Kentucky and much of what is now West virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and part of Wisconsin.

George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and other prominent Virginians either appeared in Fincastle or sent their agents to lay claim to tracts of wilderness lands. Thousands of English, German and Scots-Irish pioneers passed through on their way down the great Valley Road that traversed the famed Shenandoah Valley to settle the western frontier county.

Combining the talents of German craftsmen and Scots-Irish merchants and lawyers, early Fincastle residents built a town of well-proportioned houses and public buildings, a substantial number of which still survive. Court House Square contains the Jeffersonian Court House, a Victorian-style jail and the old Western Hotel.

Three antebellum and two late 19th century churches still serve their congregations. The narrow streets are lined with a variety of architectural styles. Houses of early smiths, wagon makers, and saddlers were usually built of logs and covered with clapboard and shingles. Commercial establishments and houses of the more wealthy were built of brick. The surrounding countryside is also rich in frontier architecture and historic lore."

Garden Get-Away

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 06:40:27 -0800

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in Fincastle, Virginia.

Houseman House in Historic Fincastle, Virginia.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:22:56 -0800

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Housman House, circa 1802, has been remodeled to its present exterior condition. Part of the interior is brick masonry with smooth horse-hair plaster. The house has four major fireplaces, but none of the chimneys is visible from Main Street.

One more of the pretty Victorian houses to be found in this little mountain town near the James River and Roanoke. The main part of the town, which is hilly and small, is a National Register HIstoric District.

The Crowder House, Historic Fincastle, Botetourt County, Virginia.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 03:59:33 -0800

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Up in the mountains, where the James River meets the heights. Part of the Fincastle Historic District on the National Register.

www.hisfin.org/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fincastle,_Virginia

Cullop's Old Stone House Tavern

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:08:07 -0700

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Atkins, VA. A favorite. I 've stopped to admire it a number of times. There's no sign of life. No ownership sign and never anyone about.

Ah, this explains it! (Privately owned, preserved, not open to the public.) I think not long ago it was a bed-and-breakfast lodging for a time.

From the National Register nomination form which makes great reading, linked below. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cullop family were pioneers in that portion of Wythe County which became the present Smyth County in 1831. St. Mark's, an early church located a short distance from the Old Stone Tavern, was known as Cullop's Church, indicating the prominence of the family in the area.Frederick Cullop f i r s t appears i n the tax records of Wythe County i n 1797.
[Cullop (variant spellings) is a Scots name.]

Between 1806 and 1808 he acquired the parcel of land on the Middle Fork of the Holston River where the present structure stands. From the tax rates and the personal property tax records,
it can be inferred that he built the tavern prior to 1815. Material for it was undoubtedly obtained from a limestone quarry that was worked across the road.

The location of the tavern on the Wilderness Road made the building convenient for the many settlers heading west to Kentucky and Tennessee in the early 19th century. County records indicate that Frederick Cullop obtained a license for operating a place of private entertainment in 1818. A young traveler, Mrs. Julia Tevis, writing in her diary in 1822, noted that ".:.we reached the old Stone Tavern where we were ready to tarry for the night..."I Her entry indicates that the tavern already had become a well-known Southwestern hostelry.

While little is known of Frederick Cullop's life, the fact that his tavern was one of the most highly taxed structures in the county indicates that he was a very prosperous gentleman. His wealth and position are also attested by an inventory of his estate taken upon his death in 1826. Included were substantial livestock, a windmill, a distillery valued at $75, spinning wheels, looms, and furniture, as well as nine bedsteads and related furniture, the latter likely used in his establishment. Cullop's possessions also included a dulcimer, a Bible, and a hymn book.

Following Cullop's death, his heirs eventually sold the "Stone House" tract to John Snavely. One of Snavely's heirs, Thomas J. Snavely, lived there until the Civil War. The building survives in excellent condition and is presently the property of Isaac Freeman."

Farthest West, 1750.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 05:08:53 -0700

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Historical markers just south of Marion, Virginia, along the old U.S. Route 11.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Walker_(explorer)

Forest Park Academy, Roanoke, VA.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:46:43 -0700

mystuart posted a photo:

I couldn't resist stopping for a few photographs of this wonderful old school. It sits in expansive grounds that highlight its early 20th C. architecture. Built as an elementary school, it has also been a high school, a magnet school, and now serves as a special public academy, offering a creative program for over-age young people who are giving secondary school another chance. Classes meet six days a week. I visited on a Saturday and found it lively. I was lucky enough to meet the principal (lower left), who took time to share with me the story of the school's present and past. I was impressed by what I saw happening here in public education. See the charming stone 'reading gnome' in the cast device, upper right.

Go Forest Park Academy!

From the website:
Our school is "a cutting-edge, non-traditional learning environment model that develops marketable, analytical, productive, and diverse students in the 21st Century."

Read more about Forest Park's program and their first graduation ceremony here:
theroanokestar.com/?p=768

Virginia Panorama

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:25:37 -0700

mystuart posted a photo:

Field of hay bales, just south of Buchanan, VA, along US11, a favorite byway.
Composed of eight exposures; panorama created by my kind husband, using an old version of Photoshop. Thanks, George!

Blogged and reblogged via Tumblr by unknown admirers!

View BLACK and/or LARGE.

Hunter's Retreat; Buchanan Public Library, VA.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:42:35 -0700

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A local story of the Civil War in the Roanoke Valley.
View LARGE.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hunter#The_Valley

www.historicsandusky.org/huntersraid/

Housing Opportunities

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 03:04:13 -0800

mystuart posted a photo:

last spring . . . in Fincastle. . . Virginia.
Part of the Fincastle Historic District, on the National Register of Historic Places, since 1969. As stated on the nomination form:
"Fincastle is an excellent example of a typical, small, 19th century town, and today retains the aura of a small agricultural community of that era."

Swing Bridge, walkers only, in Buchanan, VA.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 05:53:54 -0800

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www.townofbuchanan.com/attractions/buchanan-swinging-bridge/

National Register Historic Landmark.

Crossing the James River at Buchanan, VA.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 05:58:22 -0800

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As I suspected, this bridge was dedicated in the 1930s. It has the elegance of many Federal Works Progress projects about it. . . . .I'm sure I remember seeing a plaque on it, but can't find an exact date online.

articles.wdbj7.com/2011-10-03/james-river_30240497

James River at Buchanan, VA.

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:46:02 -0800

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Formerly known as the Powhatan River, at least near the coast, and before the English arrived. This is 250 miles west and into the mountains. On a grey day. Shot from the pedestrian swing bridge nearby.

Idyllic Public Library

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:24:59 -0700

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www.townofbuchanan.com/

On a quick search I am not able to find the individual history of the store that has become the home of the Buchanan Public Library; I'll keep searching.

Looking Upstream

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:32:24 -0700

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This little creek flows into the Upper James River near Buchanan, Virginia. It's always been a favorite of mine. Seen in springtime.

In the Blue Ridge

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:26:02 -0700

mystuart posted a photo:

I've always loved this stream that flows through a rolling pasture beside U.S. 11, also known as Lee Highway, just south of Buchanan, Virginia. We have driven past it in all seasons over a 20 year period; it never looked prettier than today. I had to stop for a few quick shots from the side of the road. Wish I had had time to compose them a bit better, but I hope you get the idea.!

Library on Main Street

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:44:55 -0700

mystuart posted a photo:

Small town Buchanan, VA--a wonderful place! Among other delights, the library exhibits a leather bound tome of literary selections published in London prior to 1700. Housed in an old store; the interior retains an original pressed-tin ceiling.

The center of old Buchanan, including this structure, is listed as a District on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikipedia yields the following info:
"Roughly along Main St., from 19th St. to the intersection of US 81 and Main St."

Old St. John's Lutheran Church, Wytheville, VA

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:01:47 -0700

mystuart posted a photo:

Photo taken in May 2006 and moved here from Wunderground.com, where I posted many pictures. (This is the graveyard where "Family Huddle" lives (a couple frames back in my 'stream'.)

Southern Kitchen, New Market, VA

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:12:31 -0700

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A favorite stop--and you can see why!! Mid-morning, between breakfast and lunch hours, hence the absence of other diners. Several arrived soon after this was taken. The food's dependably good, too!

www.roadfood.com/restaurant/reviews/427/southern-kitchen

Interior: Buchanan Public Library, VA

nobody@flickr.com (mystuart) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:42:24 -0700

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Charming facility housed in a retro-fitted early 20 C. commercial space. The skylight makes it!