Greens and fairways at Roanoke Country Club. The clubhouse is just visible in the background.
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073 for permission to use.
The first observation tower on Mill Mountain was constructed in 1910 and destroyed by a violent wind storm in 1914. It was replaced shortly thereafter by another observation tower, which burned in 1936.
Mill Mountain’s Prospect Road, commonly called the Loop Road or Old Toll Road, still has the same basic design when it originated as a graded carriage road in 1891. Today, the road is part of the Roanoke Valley’s greenway system within Mill Mountain Park.
Melrose Athletic Club baseball team and mascot.
In the days before trucks were ubiquitous, farmers brought their goods to the City Market in buckboards, carts, and Conestoga wagons.
Roanoke Auditorium was located along Wells Avenue NE, between Williamson Road and 2nd Street. Built in 1916, it was purchased in 1947 by the American Legion and thence called the American Legion Auditorium. It served the city well as an all-purpose civic center until destroyed by fire in 1957.
Buena Vista was contructed by Colonel George P. Tayloe around 1840.
Built in 1926, the Coulter Building is located at 601 S. Jefferson Street.
Jackson Ferry Shot Tower in Wythe County. The tower is 75 feet tall and was used for manufacturing lead shot. Construction began shortly after the American Revolution and was completed in 1802. The shot tower is now Shot Tower State Park.
People's Bank building located at 201 S. Pollard Street in Vinton.
The Shenandoah Building is located at 305 1st Street.
The Jefferson Apartments, formerly located at 820 S. Jefferson Street. This view looks west on Mountain Avenue.
A view of Crystal Spring Park, pump house, and reservoir. Crystal Spring was one of the city's earliest landscaped parks. It was designed and managed by Roanoke Gas and Water Works.
Roanoke High School was built in 1898 on the northeast corner of Church Avenue and 3rd Street SW. It became the school administration building in 1924 after Jefferson High School opened. It was razed in 1968 for construction of the Municipal Building annex.
City Hotel was built in 1886 on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Salem Avenue.
Located at 30 Franklin Road, the Professional (or Medical) Arts Building was built in 1929.
The McBain building, located at 34 Campbell Avenue.
Colonial National Bank building, located at 202 S. Jefferson Street.
Roanoke Lodge #197 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The lodge stood on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Franklin Road
Roanoke's second federally funded post office was constructed on the same site as the first, the corner of Church Avenue and 1st Street. It was built in 1914 and replaced in 1933.
Phelps & Armistead Furniture, formerly located at 312 2nd Street SW. The building would later be occupied by Grand Piano.
Hammond's Printing and Litho Works, formerly located on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Luck Avenue,
The Municipal Building was built in 1915.
Athletic field and grandstands at Victory Stadium. The stadium was built in 1942 and razed in 2006.
The Market Building appears largely unchanged today from when it was built in 1922.
The original Ponce de Leon Hotel located at 131 Campbell Avenue SW. The elegant verandas are gone by the time this photograph was taken. In December 1930, the building was totally destroyed by fire, killing one resident and injuring others. It was replaced with the current structure, known as the Crystal Tower, shortly thereafter.
Roanoke Public Warehouse was located at 403 Salem Avenue.
Aerial viewing showing Main Street in Salem near the intersection with Union Street and Academy Street.
Roanoke Knitting Mills began operations in 1903 at 306 Elm Avenue SE. It closed by 1909.
Shown under construction are the Lorraine Apartments, located at 1221 S. Jefferson Street. This view shows the rear of the building from Maple Avenue SW.
Intersection showing the Williamson Building on the northwest corner of Church Avenue and Jefferson Street. At the time of this photo it was occupied by the Sportsman, Deb Fashions, Thom McCann Shoes. The building was razed in 1977.
Shown under construction are the Lorraine Apartments, located at 1221 S. Jefferson Street.
A view of Mill Mountain showing a relatively undeveloped foreground.
Built in 1905, the building located at 116 Campbell Avenue SW was home to two banks in its early years, Day & Night Bank in this photograph and State & City Bank.
Christ Episcopal Church, located at 1101 Franklin Road SW.
Looking north on Jefferson Street from the 300 block.
Looking south on Jefferson Street from Salem Avenue.
Lee Junior High School was built in 1912 at the intersection of Franklin Road and 2nd Street SW. It was razed in 1973 to clear the site for construction of the Richard H. Poff Federal Building.
Stone Printing Company began doing business at this location in 1891. The stone veneer was added to the building, located at 116 N. Jefferson Street, in 1907.
Jefferson Hospital, founded in 1907 by Dr. Hugh Trout, was the predecessor of Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital. Formerly located at 1313 Franklin Road SW, the hospital closed in 1967 and was later razed.
Parked in front of the city jail, is this blue and white, fifty horsepower Cadillac patrol wagon. It could carry as many as eight prisoners in its enclosed compartment, while the policeman had to ride exposed to the elements.
Blue Ridge Springs was one of a number of summer resorts in Southwestern Virginia. It boasted the healing powers of dyspepsia in its natural spring. Like many resorts of its kind, Blue Ridge Springs fell into disrepair during the Great Depression. The hotel burned in 1936.
Looking northeast on Grandin Road at the intersection with Shirley Avenue.
Aerial view of Norfolk & Western east end shops.
Looking west from the 1900 block of Maiden Lane. The neighborhood is still under development at the time of this photograph.
Looking east on the 2000 block of Maiden Lane SW. The neighborhood is still under development at the time this photograph was taken.
Looking east on the 2000 block of Westover Avenue SW. The neighborhood is still under development at the time of this photograph.
Looking south on Grandin Road from the 1700 block.
Onlookers in Ballyhack watch as the seated gentleman in this photograph is having a tooth extracted by the lady in front of him, while the one behind him holds his head still.
Located at 213 1st Street SW, the Masonic temple was constructed in 1911. For many years, the first floor was occupied by various retail establishments, as evidenced in this photograph when Witten-Martin Furniture Company occupied the space.
Crockett Springs Resort, near Shawsville, was one of a number of summer resorts in Southwestern Virginia that boasted the healing powers of its spring waters. The resort opened in 1889 and closed shortly before 1940. The hotel was razed in 1966.
Canoers on Mountain Lake. The second Mountain Lake Lodge, built in 1875, can be seen in the distance. The current stone lodge replaced this structure in 1936.
Switchboard at Police headquarters. Sargeant Dick Arnold uses the phone as motorcycle officer John Lemon looks on.
The Virginia College for Young Women was located in the South Roanoke neighborhood at the end of Rosalind Avenue. The college closed in 1933.
State & City Building, located at 102 Campbell Avenue SW.
Virginia's second commercial radio station, WDBJ-AM, had been broadcasting for twelve and a half years when it moved to its new quarters at 124 Kirk Avenue SW in January 1937.
"Terra Alta" located at 1348 Prospect Road SE.
The temporary quarters of Mountain Trust Bank, formerly located at 34 W. Church Avenue.
Roanoke Baseball Team. Front row, left to right: Dusty Coons, ? Wrigley, ? Lynch; middle row, L to R: unidentfied, unidentfied, Pop Tate (manager), G. McGann, ? Hill; back row, L to R: Ed McGinnis, unidentified, unidentified, and ? Williams.
Lyle's Drugstore occupied the right half of this building, located at 101 Campbell Avenue SW.
Fenton China and House Furniture, formerly located at 306 S. Jefferson Street.
Roanoke's first African American hospital, Burrell Memorial, was founded in 1915 in a small cottage on Henry Street. It soon outgrew the Henry Street location and moved into the former Alleghany Institute, a school for boys located at 611 McDowell Avenue, in 1921. By the early 1950s, Burrell Memorial had outgrown this building and a new hospital was constructed in 1955 on the same site.
Looking east from the 100 block of Campbell Avenue.
Looking south on Jefferson Street from the Colonial Bank building.
An interior view of Roanoke Photo Finishing Company with George Davis behind counter.
Completed in 1883 by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, the general office building housed the offices for Norfolk & Western after they were moved from Lynchburg. The building was located on the northwest corner of Jefferson Street and Shenandoah Avenue where the present "old" general offices are located. The building was destroyed by fire on January 4, 1896.
Mountain View, a 40 room elegant turn-of-the-century mansion, was built in 1907 by Junius B. Fishburn. Mr. Fishburn donated Mountain View to the City in 1955 with the stipulation that it be used solely and exclusively for public recreation purposes. It is located at 714 13th Street SW.
Built in 1920, Ole Monterey Golf Course is the second oldest golf course in the City of Roanoke.
Crystal Spring Laundry was located at 720 Franklin Road SW.
Roanoke Country Club, located at 3360 Old Country Club Road NW.
Wasena Elementary School is located at 1125 Sherwood Avenue SW.
Originally constructed in 1922, Jefferson High School was Roanoke's largest high school for half a century.
Built in 1905, the building located at 116 Campbell Avenue SW was home to two banks in its early years, State & City Bank in this photograph and Day & Night Bank.
Roanoke Hospital was built in 1893 with the aid of Norfolk & Western and the Roanoke Gas and Water Company. Carilion Roanoke Memorial now occupies the site of the old hospital.
Built in 1920, Highland Park Elementary School is located at 1212 5th Street SW.
Roanoke Printing Company occupies the Bolling Building, formerly located on the southwest corner of Church Avenue and 1st Street SW.
Stonewall Jackson Middle School located at 1004 Montrose Avenue SE. The school's name was changed to John P. Fishwick Middle School in 2018.
Lucy Addison High School opened in 1928. Located at 40 Douglass Avenue NW, the building now houses Roanoke City Public Schools Administrative Offices.
Jamison Elementary School was located on the southwest corner of Jamison Avenue and 14th Street SE. The school was built in 1916 and razed in 1975.
Stonewall Jackson Middle School located at 1004 Montrose Avenue SE shortly after completion. The school's name was changed to John P. Fishwick Middle School in 2018.
Morningside Elementary School, located at 1716 Wilson Street SE.
Boggs & Havnaer Laundry and Dry Cleaning supplies and equipment, formerly located at 912 3 1/2 Street SE.
The Morice (formerly Roanoke) Twine Mill in Norwich. Built to house the Norwich Lock Company in 1891, the lock company was a short-lived enterprise. In 1901, the Roanoke Cotton Mill moved into the abandoned building.
Entrance to Sherwood Forest subdivision, located at Yellow Mountain Road and Nottingham Road.
The Harrison School was completed in 1916. Two years later, the first high school classes for African American students began at Harrison School. Three students graduated in 1924, due largely to the persistence of Harrison's principal, Lucy Addison. The building is located at 523 Harrison Avenue, NW.
Commerce Street School, also called First Ward School, was located at the corner of Church Avenue and 2nd (Commerce) Street. Built in 1890, it was razed in 1929 to make room for the post office.
The second Ponce de Leon Hotel located at 131 Campbell Avenue SW.
Belmont Elementary School was located on Dale Avenue in southeast Roanoke. The school was built in 1891 and remained in operation until 1974 when Fallon Park Elementary School was completed.
Norfolk & Western General Offices, located at 8 N. Jefferson Street, replaced the old General Offices after they were destroyed by fire in 1896. This building would be used in this capacity until 1932 when the new office building was completed.
Salvation Army Hotel, formerly located at 201 2nd Street SW.
Roanoke Country Club, located at 3360 Old Country Club Road NW, shortly after completion of the clubhouse.
First Presbyterian Church, located at 2101 Jefferson Street SW.
In the Coulter Building, the Hancock-Clay Company opened a department store in 1926. This interior view shows some of the dry goods and notions sold by Hancock-Clay. The firm became bankrupt in the early 1930s.
Spanish-American War United States Veterans, Company G, 2nd Virginia Volunteers, Dewey Mess. Pictured are : H.H. Zink, E.M. Carr, Pat Sullivan, A.T. Day, F.M. Moore, C.W. Rolen, J.T. Donnelly, G.D. Black, J.L. Bonavita, G.W. Misel, R.L. Tremain, T.W. Trent, D.P. Bowman, "Sargeant Billy", C.P. Goggin, W.C. Cooper, and K.M. Zink.
Group portrait of Roanoke bankers in front of the Terry Building.
Natural Tunnel in Scott County. The massive naturally formed cave is so large, it is used as a railroad tunnel.
Groundbreaking for Pythian Castle Hall, Osceola Lodge No. 47 on Franklin Road. Shown are George Davis, Stuart A. Barbour, Frank N. Smith, and Charles D. Keffer.
The wreck of the "Old 97" was an American rail disaster involving the Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail, while en route from Monroe, Virginia, to Spencer, North Carolina, on September 27, 1903. Due to excessive speed in an attempt to maintain schedule, the train derailed at the Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia, where it careened off the side of the bridge, killing eleven on-board personnel and injuring seven others.
A view of Mill Mountain. Building in foreground was the Adams, Payne, Gleaves, Livery Stable No. 2. Abandoned by the time of this photograph, it is used to promote the purchase of war bonds.
Armistead Neal tavern and boarding house was located on Shenandoah Avenue. For many years, it served the town of Big Lick as a hotel.
Hiawatha Tribe Number 66, Red Men's Band at Hotel Roanoke.
Led by the Roanoke Machine Works band, the funeral procession of William Nolty winds slowly past "Brick Row" on E. Campbell Avenue. "Brick Row" was built as a low-rent housing area for mostly less skilled workers at Roanoke Machine Works. The buildings were demolished in 1918.
Webster Brick Company (now General Shale), located at 2351 Webster Road.
Calvin and Harriet Muse stand with their sons, George and Willie, after the family is reunited in 1927. George and Willie's story is detailed in 'Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest' by Beth Macy.
The original Natural Bridge Hotel. The hotel burned in 1963 and was replaced by the current hotel in 1964.
The Almshouse or "poor house" was built in 1925. The building is now part of Virginia Western Community College.
Close-up view of Poage's Mill waterwheel on Back Creek.
Roanoke High School gymnasts. Caption reads, "Winners Intermediate Gym Contest, '07-'08".
Group portrait of students and faculty of the Alleghany Institute. Front row, left ot right: Ott Coleman, Jack Airheart, William ?; back row, left to right: B.S. Brooke, Eugene Turner, Ernest B. Fishburn, Billy Malone, D. Thomas Taylor, Romeo Speams, William Donaldson.
Jefferson Hospital, founded in 1907 by Dr. Hugh Trout, was the predecessor of Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital. Formerly located at 1313 Franklin Road SW, the hospital closed in 1967 and was later razed. The two-story porches no longer exist after one of several renovations to the hospital.
Greene Memorial United Methodist Church at the corner of Church Avenue and 2nd Street. In this photograph, a crowd is gathered to watch as the new La France Fire Engine was hauled to the corner to see if it could throw water as high as the steeple on Greene Memorial.
The second observation tower once atop Mill Mountain. The first observation tower was destroyed in a wind storm in 1914. This tower replaced it until 1936, when it was destroyed by fire. George Davis at left.
WDBJ station at its third location on the corner of Colonial Avenue and Brandon Avenue.
A view of Roanoke from Mill Mountain with the Riverland neighborhood in the foreground.
Spectators watch the highwire act, part of the Order of United Commercial Travelers of American carnival.
Crowds gather along Campbell Avenue to watch the Armistice Day Parade.
Looking north on 1st Street from Church Avenue.
Looking north on Jefferson Street from the Colonial National Bank building.
Lewis-Gale Hospital was built in 1909 as a partnership between Dr. Sparrell Gale and Dr. J.N. Lewis. The original hospital stood at the northwest corner of 3rd Street and Luck Avenue.
Th Dog Mouth Fountain stands on the northwest corner of Salem Avenue and Market Street. Legend has it that those who drink from the fountain will always return to Roanoke.
A view of Mill Mountain. Roanoke Hospital, the Mill Mountain Incline, and the observation tower are all visible.
The First National Exchange Bank building is located at 201 S. Jefferson Street.
Roanoke's first Market Building. Built in 1886, it was replaced by the current Market Building in 1922.
Interior view of the Patrick Henry Hotel lobby.
Civil War veterans reunion at Hotel Roanoke.
Horton and Roberts Livery Stable stood on Henry Street (now 1st Street SW) just north of the northeast corner of Henry Street and Church Avenue.
In 1898, the Big Lick Livery Stable stood on Henry Street (1st Street SW) just north of Roanoke's first federally funded post office (located on the NE corner of Henry (1st) Street and Church Avenue) which can be seen in the background. In 1890 this stable was the Horton and Roberts Livery Stable.
Fire Station No. 1, located at 13 Church Avenue SE.
Firemen pose on a ladder pulled by horses. The building in the background was on the corner of 1st Street and Church Avenue.
Title Guarantee Trust and Savings Bank, formerly located at 34 Church Avenue SW.
Looking south on Jefferson Street. American Theatre on right.
Formerly located on the southwest corner of Williamson Road and Salem Avenue, the Big Lick Hotel would go through several iterations, including a portion of the Shenandoah Hotel, the Lee Hotel and Hotel Earle. The building was gutted by fire in 1991 and razed in 1995.
Intersection showing the Williamson Building on the northwest corner of Church Avenue and Jefferson Street. At the time of this photo, the building housed T.L. Deyerle Company. It would later be home to the Sportsman. The building was razed in 1977.
Lakeside Amusement Park was built in 1920 on Mason's Creek. The "lake" seen here was the area's first public swimming pool, complete with sand beach. Also visible is the "Thriller" roller coaster and the bumper car pavilion.
Mountain Trust Bank was located in the Strickland Building at 302 S. Jefferson Street.
Looking west on Campbell Avenue. The Rialto Theatre is visible at left.
The McGuire Building, located at 1 Market Square, was built in 1914 and housed W. E. McGuire’s Farmers’ Supply Co. that sold buggies, wagons, fertilizer, seed, and other farm-related equipment and supplies. Tenants in this photo include A&P Supermarket, Travis and Kelly Fish Market, Folden's Star Market Meats and Produce, and the Roanoke Weiner Stand.
Group portrait of Alleghany Institute students. Individuals unidentifed.
The McGuire Building, located at 1 Market Square, was built in 1914 and housed W. E. McGuire’s Farmers’ Supply Co. that sold buggies, wagons, fertilizer, seed, and other farm-related equipment and supplies.
Looking east on Campbell Avenue toward the Market Building from the roof of the Colonial American National Bank building.
Union Lunch, formerly located in the area where the Market Building is today.
A contingent of veterans march in the Armistice Day Parade on Campbell Avenue.
J.E. Bernard's Machine Shop, formerly located at 109-111 Church Avenue SW. Roanoke Automobile Company is located next door, specializing in the sale of Ramblers.
Carolina Cotton and Woolen Mills, formerly located at 505 6th Street SW.
Grand Piano Furniture was located at 312 2nd Street SW.
G.W. Sisler Funeral Home, formerly located at 23 First (Salem) Avenue.
Roanoke's first automobile parked in front of a bicycle shop at 109-111 Church Avenue SW. The first auto was believed to have been owned by T.T. Fishburn. In two years, in 1906, this building would become Roanoke Automobile Company selling Rambler Motorcars.