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.
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073 for permission to use.
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.
Natural Tunnel in Scott County. The massive naturally formed cave is so large, it is used as a railroad tunnel.
Group portrait of Roanoke bankers in front of the Terry Building.
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.
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.
First Presbyterian Church, located at 2101 Jefferson Street SW.
Roanoke Country Club, located at 3360 Old Country Club Road NW, shortly after completion of the clubhouse.
Salvation Army Hotel, formerly located at 201 2nd Street SW.
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.
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.
The second Ponce de Leon Hotel located at 131 Campbell Avenue SW.
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 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.
Entrance to Sherwood Forest subdivision, located at Yellow Mountain Road and Nottingham Road.
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.
Boggs & Havnaer Laundry and Dry Cleaning supplies and equipment, formerly located at 912 3 1/2 Street SE.
Morningside Elementary School, located at 1716 Wilson Street SE.
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.
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.
Lucy Addison High School opened in 1928. Located at 40 Douglass Avenue NW, the building now houses Roanoke City Public Schools Administrative Offices.
Stonewall Jackson Middle School located at 1004 Montrose Avenue SE. The school's name was changed to John P. Fishwick Middle School in 2018.
Roanoke Printing Company occupies the Bolling Building, formerly located on the southwest corner of Church Avenue and 1st Street SW.
Built in 1920, Highland Park Elementary School is located at 1212 5th Street SW.
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 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.
Originally constructed in 1922, Jefferson High School was Roanoke's largest high school for half a century.
Wasena Elementary School is located at 1125 Sherwood Avenue SW.
Roanoke Country Club, located at 3360 Old Country Club Road NW.
Crystal Spring Laundry was located at 720 Franklin Road SW.
Built in 1920, Ole Monterey Golf Course is the second oldest golf course in the City of Roanoke.
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.
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.
An interior view of Roanoke Photo Finishing Company with George Davis behind counter.
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.
Looking south on Jefferson Street from the Colonial Bank building.
Looking east from the 100 block of Campbell Avenue.
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.
Fenton China and House Furniture, formerly located at 306 S. Jefferson Street.
Lyle's Drugstore occupied the right half of this building, located at 101 Campbell Avenue SW.
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.
The temporary quarters of Mountain Trust Bank, formerly located at 34 W. Church Avenue.
"Terra Alta" located at 1348 Prospect Road SE.
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.
State & City Building, located at 102 Campbell Avenue SW.
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.
The Virginia College for Young Women was located in the South Roanoke neighborhood at the end of Rosalind Avenue. The college closed in 1933.
Switchboard at Police headquarters. Sargeant Dick Arnold uses the phone as motorcycle officer John Lemon looks on.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Looking south on Grandin Road from the 1700 block.
Looking east on the 2000 block of Westover Avenue SW. 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 west from the 1900 block of Maiden Lane. The neighborhood is still under development at the time of this photograph.
Aerial view of Norfolk & Western east end shops.
Looking northeast on Grandin Road at the intersection with Shirley Avenue.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Looking south on Jefferson Street from Salem Avenue.
Looking north on Jefferson Street from the 300 block.
Christ Episcopal Church, located at 1101 Franklin Road SW.
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.
A view of Mill Mountain showing a relatively undeveloped foreground.
Shown under construction are the Lorraine Apartments, located at 1221 S. Jefferson Street.
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. This view shows the rear of the building from Maple Avenue SW.
Roanoke Knitting Mills began operations in 1903 at 306 Elm Avenue SE. It closed by 1909.
Aerial viewing showing Main Street in Salem near the intersection with Union Street and Academy Street.
Roanoke Public Warehouse was located at 403 Salem Avenue.
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.
The Market Building appears largely unchanged today from when it was built in 1922.
Athletic field and grandstands at Victory Stadium. The stadium was built in 1942 and razed in 2006.
The Municipal Building was built in 1915.
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.
The McBain building, located at 34 Campbell Avenue.
Hammond's Printing and Litho Works, formerly located on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Luck Avenue,
Phelps & Armistead Furniture, formerly located at 312 2nd Street SW. The building would later be occupied by Grand Piano.
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.
Roanoke Lodge #197 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The lodge stood on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Franklin Road
Colonial National Bank building, located at 202 S. Jefferson Street.
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.
Located at 30 Franklin Road, the Professional (or Medical) Arts Building was built in 1929.
City Hotel was built in 1886 on the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Salem 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.
The Jefferson Apartments, formerly located at 820 S. Jefferson Street. This view looks west on Mountain Avenue.
The Shenandoah Building is located at 305 1st Street.
People's Bank building located at 201 S. Pollard Street in Vinton.
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.
Built in 1926, the Coulter Building is located at 601 S. Jefferson Street.
Buena Vista was contructed by Colonel George P. Tayloe around 1840.
In the days before trucks were ubiquitous, farmers brought their goods to the City Market in buckboards, carts, and Conestoga wagons.
Melrose Athletic Club baseball team and mascot.
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.
Greens and fairways at Roanoke Country Club. The clubhouse is just visible in the background.
This document is an alphabetical listing of nearly 10,000 obituaries printed in the Floyd Press from 1944-1990. The Floyd Press is available on microfilm in the Virginia Room for these years.
Floyd Press
Gainsboro Library Funeral Program and Obituaries Index
The Funeral Program and Obituary Index includes funeral programs, in memoriam articles and obituaries that are housed at the Gainsboro Branch of Roanoke Public Libraries.
Gainsboro Branch of Roanoke Public Libraries
Gainsboro Library Vertical Files and Surname Files Index
The Vertical Files and Surname Files Index is an alphabetical list of over 250 topical files. Vertical files may include pamphlets, news clippings and other materials that do not merit a call number, but are arranged for ready reference on a given topic.
“Old First Baptist Church & St. Andrews Catholic Church, November 3,1990-Roanoke Va.” (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)
Gainsboro Branch of the Roanoke Public Libraries
“Ricardo C. Stovall & Bike on Patton Ave. N.E (Claytor House in Background) about 1959” (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073 for permission to use
Dr. Lawrence E. Paxton operated a dental practice on Wells Avenue.
GB03 Lucy Addison High School Majorettes
Lucy Addison High School Majorettes in front of the Gainsboro Library.
GB04 Lucy Addison High School Girls' Basketball Team
Lucy Addison High School Girls' basketball team.
Aladdin Temple #34 on parade, Patton Avenue in front of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church.. “Miss Bertha White, Ill. Commandress, Roanoke, VA.”
Groundbreaking for the new Burrell Memorial Hospital 2 August 1953. Photographer: Steve Brody.
GB09 Nursing staff of Burrell Memorial Hospital
The nursing staff of Burrell Memorial Hospital at an unidentified function on the hospital's grounds.
GB10 Lucy Addison High School Football Game
Lucy Addison High School football game at Victory Stadium.
Group of women in formal attire in front of a stage with instruments.
Unidentified group photograph of men at a table.
Economy Shoe Repair on Henry Street. Shop owner Earnest O. Greene.
Gainsboro Library, exterior, with a children’s class.
Children dressed in costume in front of the Gainsboro Library.
Group of children in front of the Gainsboro Library.
Gainsboro Library, interior, with a group of library patrons. YMCA location.
Gainsboro Library, interior. Virginia Y. Lee, center.
Gainsboro Library, interior, with children.
Gainsboro Library, interior, child sitting at a table.
Virginia Y. Lee at the Gainsboro Library.
Library display at the Gainsboro Library.
Gainsboro Library display with Virginia Y. Lee.
Young man reaching for a book at the Gainsboro Library
Children reading books at the Gainsboro Library.
Children working on a project at the Gainsboro Library.
Mother and infant at the Gainsboro Library.
Dr. James H. Roberts was a co-founder of Burrell Memorial Hospital, Magic City Medical Society, and the William A. Hunton YMCA.
Children posing in front of a Book Week display at the Gainsboro Library.
Geneva Ford, library staff member, at the Gainsboro Library.
Group of children participating in a pageant or play.
Christopher Chamberlin Williams of Williams Funeral Home, now Serenity Funeral Home. Mr. Williams served on the Board of Trustees for both the Gainsboro Library and the William A. Hunton YMCA.
Rev. Lylburn L. Downing of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Gainsboro Library from Gainsboro Rd., St Andrew's Church in background. Two automobiles present.
"Vacation Reading Club", "Gainsboro Branch Library" stamp, dated Dec.1959
Gainsboro Branch Library Vacation Reading Club. Not marked as such, but is near replica of GB137. “00907”
Church Altar with Pulpit. Color Photograph. “Clark Studio Herman R. Clark Propriet Portrait and Commercial Photography Phone 342-3372 - Phone 342 [blurred] 20 Gilmer Ave., N.W., Roanoke, Va. 24016.”
Old First Baptist Church & St Andrews Catholic Church view from Gainsboro Rd (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073
“Oscar, Jr. Ronald, Patricia Jenkins Artie Lee Otey, Clarence Blake Jr. Ricardo Stovall about 1959” St Andrews Catholic Church in background (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)
Civil rights attorney Oliver W. Hill in front of his childhood home at 401 Gilmer Avenue, now the Oliver Hill House.
GB21 First Baptist Church Gainsboro, interior
Interior of the original sancuary of the First Baptist Church in Gainsboro. The building was designed by architect Henry Harwell Huggins and was located at 407 North Jefferson Street. A cornerstone for the church was laid and ground was broken in 1898 while the building was dedicated on May 6, 1900. The building continued to be the home of the First Baptist Church until 1982 when the congregation moved to its current location at 310 North Jefferson Street. The old sanctuary at 407 North Jefferson Street was destroyed by fire in April 1995.
Group photograph with Atwood’s Capitol View Tours bus.
Gainsboro Branch of Roanoke Public Libraires
Virginia Y. Lee was the Gainsboro Library's fourth librarian (1928 – 1971). She was born on November 22, 1906 in McComas, West Virginia and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. She graduated Valedictorian from Lucy Addison High School in 1924 and earned her degree from Hampton Institute's School of Library Science. Lee is credited with acquiring funds from the City of Roanoke for a new library to be built in Roanoke's Gainsboro Neighborhood after the existing library outgrew its location in the basement of the William A. Hunton YMCA. The new library was dedicated on May 10, 1942 at 15 Patton Avenue NW. Lee is also recognized for compiling a literary and historical African American collection that drew opposition from Roanoke City Council. When asked to remove the collection from the library, Lee hid the collection in the basement and continued collecting materials. Today the Gainsboro Library’s Virginia Y. Lee Collection is named in her honor. Virginia Y. Lee died January 11, 1992.
Lucy Addison was born enslaved in Fauquier County, Virginia on December 8, 1861. After graduating from the Quaker-run Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia in 1882 with a degree in teaching, Addison began her life-long career as an educator. In 1886 she relocated to Roanoke, Virginia to take a teaching position at the Gregory and Gainsboro Schools. She was promoted to Assistant Principal in 1888 and accepted a position as Principal for Harrison School in 1917. After expanding the curriculum to include high school classes at Harrison, Addison repeatedly lobbied the Virginia Board of Education for full accreditation. Addison’s efforts were finally recognized in 1924 when the Virginia Board of Education accredited Harrison School as a secondary school. In 1927 Addison retired from Roanoke City Public Schools. A year later Lucy Addison High School was built and named in her honor. Lucy Addison High School served as Roanoke’s only African American high school until desegregation, finally closing as a high school in 1973. During her life, Addison served on several advisory boards including the Board of Trustees for the Burrell Memorial Hospital and the Advisory Board for the Gainsboro Library. Addison died in Washington D.C. on November 13, 1937.
Daisy Schley was a nurse at Burrell Memorial Hospital.
Dr. John B. Claytor Sr. was born April 2, 1878 in Floyd County, Virginia. In 1907 Claytor began a medical practice in Roanoke, Virginia. Claytor was a founder of Burrell Memorial Hospital and was Emeritus Chief of the hospital’s department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Claytor was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for First Baptist Church in Gainsboro and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Dr. John B. Claytor Sr. died October 23, 1951.
Dr. Frank William Claytor was born April 8, 1913 in Roanoke, Virginia. He was the oldest son of Dr. John B. Claytor Sr. and Roberta M. Woodfin Claytor. After graduating from Knoxville College in 1933, Claytor earned his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee in 1937. Claytor was Chief of the Department of Medicine and Medical Director at Burrell Memorial Hospital. Dr. Frank W. Claytor died October 6, 1972.
Dr. Elwood D. Downing, front far left, and an unidentified group of men.
Group photograph with Ruth Claytor (in light colored coat) in front of Canada’s Ice Cream on Henry Street.
Left to right: John Claytor III, Sandra Elizabeth Claytor Peery, John B. Claytor Jr., and Ruth Williams Claytor. “Easter 1969.”
Large group at a long table. Dr. Harry Penn, second from right, back row, plaid suit.
Group photograph.. Dr. Harry Penn, back row, first from left.
GB43 Dr. Ellwood Downing and Mrs. Della Downing
Dr. Ellwood Davis Downing was prominent dentist and civic leader. Downing was born September 9, 1891. He was the son of Rev. Lylburn L. Downing, pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Downing served as an officer in WWI and WWII and was an avid tennis player, having twice won the ATA National Doubles Tennis Championship and served as General Field Secretary for the American Tennis Association. Downing also served as President of the Board of Trustees for Burrell Memorial Hospital and President of the Magic City Medical Society; was a 32 degree Freemason and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Downing died October 29, 1963.
Dr. Ellwood Davis Downing was prominent dentist and civic leader. Downing was born September 9, 1891. He was the son of Rev. Lylburn L. Downing, pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Downing served as an officer in WWI and WWII and was an avid tennis player, having twice won the ATA National Doubles Tennis Championship and served as General Field Secretary for the American Tennis Association. Downing also served as President of the Board of Trustees for Burrell Memorial Hospital and President of the Magic City Medical Society; was a 32 degree Freemason and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Dr. Elwood Downing died October 29, 1963.
GB58 First Baptist Church Gainsboro, interior
First Baptist Church Gainsboro can trace its origins back to September 30, 1867, when a small congregation held service, led by Rev. Edmond Johnson, in a dwelling on Hart Avenue, establishing the Big Lick Colored Baptist Church. As membership increased, the congregation moved several times until, in 1876, they purchased the old brick St. John’s Episcopal Church at Big Lick. In the mid-1890s, trustees of the Big Lick Colored Baptist Church, then known as the First Baptist Church, Colored, purchased land on the corner of Gilmer Avenue and Jefferson Street. Under the leadership of Rev. Richard R. Jones, the church began efforts to build a new place of worship, finally laying a cornerstone and breaking ground in 1898. The Gothic brick sanctuary with an imposing gable façade tower was designed by architect Henry Harwell Huggins and was dedicated on May 6, 1900. By the time Rev. Richard Jones’ retirement in 1904, most of the church’s construction debt was repaid. Over the following years the congregation, led by Rev. E. E. Ricks, raised funds to place pews in the gallery and match a financial gift from Andrew Carnegie to install a pipe organ. From 1918 to 1957, Rev. Arthur L. James was pastor. Notably, he began the first daily vacation bible school in the city; presided over the Helping Hands Club and the Men’s Club, who were responsible for publication of The Church News, which was reported to be the only black newspaper in Southwest Virginia at the time; and began a weekly radio broadcast, the Black Home Devotional Hour, with the help of the church’s senior choir. From 1959 to 1966, the church was under the leadership of Rev. E. L. Green, who in addition to serving the congregation was a member of two biracial committees that were credited with aiding the integration of public facilities in Roanoke. Rev. David Lee Collins was the pastor from 1968 to 1970, followed by Rev. Kenneth B. Wright from 1973 to 2015. Wright led the congregation to build a new sanctuary a block to the west and south of the original church on Wells Avenue and Jefferson Street. The new building was completed in 1982. In 1995 the original sanctuary on Gilmer Avenue and Jefferson Street was destroyed by fire.
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2540 for permission to use.
Rev. Arthur L. James was born August 1, 1877 in Madison, Florida Howard and Lula James. During WWI James served overseas with the American Expeditionary Forces as secretary under the War Work Council of the Y. M. C. A. From 1918 to 1957, James served as pastor at First Baptist Church Gainsboro. During his leadership the church experienced its highest membership, peaking at 2,193. Notably, James began the first daily vacation bible school in the city; presided over the Helping Hands Club and the Men’s Club, who were responsible for publication of The Church News, which was reported to be the only black newspaper in Southwest Virginia at the time; and began a weekly radio broadcast, the Black Home Devotional Hour, with the help of the church’s senior choir. Rev. Arthur L. James died September 8, 1968.
GB60 First Baptist Church Gainsboro, Bible School
Rev. E. E. Ricks was served as pastor of First Baptist Church Gainsboro from 1915 to 1918.
Students playing on the basketball court at Harrison School. Harrison School was built in 1916 for the cost of $31,818 and opened in the winter of 1917. Lucy Addison served as the school’s first principal. Addison was responsible for gradually expanding the curriculum to include high school classes at Harrison and she repeatedly lobbied the Virginia Board of Education for full accreditation. Addison’s efforts were finally recognized in 1924 when the Virginia Board of Education accredited Harrison School as a secondary school. That same year, Harrison School graduated its first class high school class, becoming the first public high school for African Americans in Southwest Virginia. After the opening of a Lucy Addison High School in 1928, Harrison School continued as an elementary school until the 1960s. From 1985 to 2009 the Harrison School building housed the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.
Mr. Thomas Payne's first class. Harrison School was built in 1916 for the cost of $31,818 and opened in the winter of 1917. Lucy Addison served as the school’s first principal. Addison was responsible for gradually expanding the curriculum to include high school classes at Harrison and she repeatedly lobbied the Virginia Board of Education for full accreditation. Addison’s efforts were finally recognized in 1924 when the Virginia Board of Education accredited Harrison School as a secondary school. That same year, Harrison School graduated its first class high school class, becoming the first public high school for African Americans in Southwest Virginia. After the opening of a Lucy Addison High School in 1928, Harrison School continued as an elementary school until the 1960s. From 1985 to 2009 the Harrison School building housed the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.
Harrison School Faculty 1948/1950. Harrison School was built in 1916 for the cost of $31,818 and opened in the winter of 1917. Lucy Addison served as the school’s first principal. Addison was responsible for gradually expanding the curriculum to include high school classes at Harrison and she repeatedly lobbied the Virginia Board of Education for full accreditation. Addison’s efforts were finally recognized in 1924 when the Virginia Board of Education accredited Harrison School as a secondary school. That same year, Harrison School graduated its first class high school class, becoming the first public high school for African Americans in Southwest Virginia. After the opening of a Lucy Addison High School in 1928, Harrison School continued as an elementary school until the 1960s. From 1985 to 2009 the Harrison School building housed the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.
Dinner at the Hunton Branch YMCA, Gainsboro Road. Circa late 1930’s or Early 1940’s.
First Baptist Church of Gainsboro. Roy Williams.
First Baptist Church Gainsboro. Rev. Charles Green.
First Baptist Church of Gainsboro. Dr. Noel C. Taylor.
Bishop L. E. Willis, Wilbert McNair, Shadrack Brown Jr., Samuel Wade, and Norton B. Wilder.
Bishop L. E. Willis and Shadrack Brown Jr.
Unidentified man playing piano and unidentified woman singing. Far right: Mr. Dowe and third from right: Rev. Edwards.
Unidentified group photograph in front of a transformer station.
Virginia Y. Lee and unidentified woman in front of the Gainsboro Library.
Gainsboro Library when it was located in the old Odd Fellows/YMCA Building. Gainsboro Reading Club
Gainsboro Library when it was located in the old Odd Fellows/YMCA Building. “First persons to register at GB.” Right to Left: Mrs. Sally Lawson, C. C. Williams, J. L. Reid, Mrs. E. R. Dudley, Rev. A. L. James, Dr. E. R. Dudley and Mrs. Ida Closs
Order of the Eastern Star group photograph in front of the Allegany-Dunbar Freemason’s Prince Hall.
Order of the Eastern Star group photograph.
Burrell Memorial Hospital. Construction of the 1955 building.
Rev. Arthur L. James, First Baptist Church.
Ella F. Bowden, First Librarian of the Gainsboro Library, 1921-1923.
Group portrait of teachers. Front row seated, second from left, Mattie Bell Morris; third from left, Sadie Lawson; front row seated, first on right, Marie Bailey; third from right, Ms. Hackley. Back row, fourth from left, Ms. Hackley.
Teachers on an Appalachian Electric Power Company Tour. First from left, Hollis Williams (Carver High); fourth from left, unnamed but identified as a Home Economics teacher at Addison; first from right, Coach Cannanday (Carver High); third from right, Mr. Fulton (Addison High).
Gainsboro School First Grade Class 1946. Teacher Mattie Bell Morris (back row).
Unknown man. Donated by the Gainsboro Family YMCA in 2012.
Mr. Roscoe R. Banks. First YMCA Member, Past Chairman of the Board of Members, Elected Honorary Board Member William A. Hunton Branch YMCA, Roanoke, VA. 1927-1956. Photographer: Clark Studio. Donated by the Gainsboro Family YMCA in 2012.
Harrison School Trip to Washington D. C. May 1950.
Photograph of a young Virginia Y. Lee. She is seated in this sepia toned image.
The General was the annual for Lee Junior High School.
The General was the annual of Lee Junior High School.
The General is the annual for Lee Junior High School.
The Glenn-Minnich store, formerly located at 108 W. Campbell Avenue, on closing day. Glenn-Minnich operated from 1913 until 1960 and was founded by C.B. Minnich, Myrl Glenn, and H.A. Glenn.
Cutting a cake celebrating Glenn-Minnich's Rub Jubilee or forty years in business are, left to right, Estelle Penn, Nancy P. Deyerle, LeCompte Glenn Deyerle, unidentified, and Mildred Glenn.
The Boy Scout Department after a recent remodel at Glenn-Minnich, formerly located 108 W. Campbell Avenue.
Interior of Glenn-Minnich after a recent remodel.
The College Shop in Glenn-Minnich shown after a recent remodel.
Amy Jo Glenn (left) and Vetty Beckwith Glenn cutting cake inside Glenn-Minnich on the occasion of the store's Ruby Jubilee or fortieth anniversary.
Street-level entrance of Glenn-Minnich, formerly located at 108 W. Campbell Avenue.
LeCompte Glenn in front of Glenn-Minnich, formerly located at 108 W. Campbell Avenue.
Window display of Glenn-Minnich after remodeling. The slogans of the store were, "The store with the friendly door." and "Clothes for men and men who stay young."
1976 annual for Grandin Court Elementary School.
No known restrictions. Virginia Room copy fees apply.
1978 annual for Grandin Court Elementary School.
Headlight is a special edition periodical featuring Roanoke and scenes along the Norfolk & Western Railroad.
Date of Birth: October 15, 1841 Mayor from July 1, 1892 to June 30, 1894 Other offices held: Virginia House of Delegates, December 5, 1877 to December 3, 1879; Senator, Virginia's 4th District, December 5, 1883 to December 8, 1887; City Council, July 1, 1890 to July 1, 1891 Date of Death: April 16, 1918
Historic Garden Week in Virginia Homes Index
An index to homes from Roanoke, Salem, and the surrounding areas profiled in Historic Garden Week in Virginia, 1938-2010.
Historic Garden Week in Virginia
Locomotive No. 1219 arrives in Roanoke. The Class A was considered to be one of the "Magnificent Three" designs developed by a Norfolk & Western team headed by J.A. Pitcher, G.P. McGavok, and C.H. Faris. The Class A would break all previous performance records held by N&W engines.
Images of Rail: Norfolk and Western Railway by Nelson Harris
Nelson Harris; Virginia Museum of Transportation
Amongst the clerks, boilermakers, carpenters, mechanics, and engineers were a slew of instrumentalists, singers, song writers, and composers. Together, they formed the Roanoke Shop Band. Here the band stands on the grounds of the Hotel Roanoke. Members of the band were responsible for composing the music for "Tech Triumph", which was adopted by the Cadet Corps of VPI as their victory song. So plentiful was the music talent amongst the N&W employees that each division could organize its own band for special events and local parades.
The carpenter crew has almost completed work on the station at Vicker, Virginia in this photo. Carpenters built everything from depots to boxcars and cabooses, to the finished interiors of passenger coaches.
This photograph captures the station and crew at Welch, West Virginia. It is believed that the building in the background is the courthouse. Notice the freight car to the left.
Here is the Old Yard Office located upstairs from the N&W Passenger Station at Radford. Pictured from right to left are Zince, Stump, E.E. Allen, Lawrence Allen, Louis Lucas, Horace Price, Tom Heslep, H.A. Hall, J.C. Turner, O.C. Charlton, J.H. Barnett, T.D. Gravah, Tebe Lawrence, Arthur Roberto, Kuhn Barnett.
Employees at the N&W roundhouse in Lynchburg. While Lynchburg served as the divisional point for the N&W during its first few years, increased coal and ore traffic caused the N&W to move its divisional points farther west in 1888.
Working for the railroad was not always about work. Here is the 1895 N&W General Office Building Baseball Team. Team members are from left to right: (front row) ? Coleman, Winfree Reed, Max Howe, and G.F. Butler; (middle row) Harry Moore, Garnet Junkin, George Bentley, and Dupuy Coleman; (back row) Tate Greer, Bob Ott, Julian Barksdale (manager), Arthur Woodson, and unidentified. The railroad sponsored baseball teams, bowling leagues, and even employee tennis tournaments during its history.
An early N&W mail car. The N&W purchased the car, which was built in 1892. Railroads were a popular and effective way to distribute mail around the country. Clerks aboard the cars would actually cancel the letters en route with the initials RPO, meaning Rail Post Office.
On July 2, 1889, a night storm swelled Wolf Creek near Thaxton, Virginia, which rose out of its banks just as passenger train No. 2 was crossing. The situation became N&W's first major disaster. There was only one survivor, trainmaster James Cassell, who was swept along by the current but managed to cling to a tree until rescued.
An N&W passenger train speeds between Roanoke and Christiansburg, Virginia. The N&W provided extensive passenger service through southwestern and southeastern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, West Virginia, and into parts of North Carolina. With connections, N&W passengers could easily travel from Alabama to New York.
This photograph of the crew of Engine No. 82 was taken when Goodwin, West Virginia was a western terminus. The engine was standing on the Wye track. Crew members are S.D. Clowers, engineer; R.S. Brown, engineer; James Emmons, fireman; George Thomas, conductor; James Price, brakeman; and Essie Shell, baggage master.
Engine No. 500 pulls out of Norfolk with the Pocahontas. The Pocahontas' maiden run occurred on November 21, 1926, when she ran between Norfolk and Columbus, Ohio. That run replaced the former "Norfolk-Chicago Express".
Passengers board an N&W coach. Passenger service when into a steep decline after the mid-1940s. In 1946, for example, the N&W carried 3.4 million passengers. By 1950, that figure was about 900,000. The automobile was taking its toll on the railroad industry.
The crew of Engine No. 102, shortly after the engine was taken over by the N&W, included Conductor Lawrence Boyles, Engineer George Agee, Fireman Harley Pugh, and Brakeman Jesse Honaker and R.C. Warden.
This photograph captures a proud moment in the development of the N&W. Rolled out from the shop is the first locomotive built by Roanoke Machine Works. Roanoke Machine Works would later become the N&W Roanoke Shops. The engine is a Class I.
This photograph was taken at east Radford coal wharf. It depicts Engine No. 138 and crew. Mr. Akers, engineer; Charlie Roby, fireman; Mr. Allen and Mr. Adkins.
Rail workers watch a safety film inside the N&W's motion picture car.
In the late 1920s, the N&W developed a new strategy in rail safety education - the motion picture car. Carrying the "Safety First" logo, the car traveled various rail lines of the N&W as a mobile classroom for the purpose of providing safety instruction with films. The N&W earned numerous safety awards for its exemplary safety record
The caboose functioned in may was as the train's office. Often train orders and other paperwork were handled aboard the caboose, which come on the scene in the late 1800s to serve as living quarters as well as an office for the crew. With the repeal of caboose laws that mandated their use and since it was a non-revenue car, railroads discontinued its use in the 1980s.
A foreman gauges track to make certain the distance between the rails is exactly 4 feet, 8 inches. In 1883, the N&W operated primarily on a 5-foot gauge; however, on June 1, 1886, the N&W and other southern railroads adopted the now-standard gauge of 4 feet, 8 1/2 inces. At daybreak on June 1, the N&W ceased all freight and passenger train operations and labor gangs began respiking the rails. By early afternoon, the job was complete. It is estimated that the N&W and other southern railroads changed 11,000 miles of track that day. One N&W historian noted that this was the single, greatest one-day change ever to occur in the history of the railroad.
This photograph shows the interior of a 52-foot long baggage and express car built in 1892. Notice the hanging oil lamp and stove at the mid-point.
Commonly called the "boxcar", this particular model was used by N&W in 1960. The small numbers along the side under the logo indicated its hauling capacity, weight and load limits, measurements, when it was built, and when it was most recently painted.
A hopper with coal is ready to go. 1970 was the peak for N&W coal traffic, when the railway carried 90.6 million tons of coal. While coal was profitable, it was not always a source of revenue. Floods, miner strikes, and other labor disputes cut deeply into N&W's coal traffic. During the 1978 strike of BRAC, for example, the amount of coal hauled dropped to 47 million tons.
Engine No. 2165 is northbound near Waynesboro, Virginia, hauling a small but varied freight load.
A freight train pulled by Engine No. 1228 moves eastbound near Bonsack.
Locomotive No. 1212 pulls a load in a scene of the past: a steam engine at work. The N&W was the last major American railroad to abandon the steam engine in favor of the diesel engine. The designers and engineers of the N&W developed the steam locomotive to its highest potential. As one observer noted about the N&W and steam, "No one taught them anything. They were the ones that wrote the book". The last steam engine produced by N&W was a switcher engine that rolled out of the Roanoke Shops in December 1953. After 70 years of steam engines, N&W began buying diesel engines in 1955.
Engine No. 1442 is placed on the new 115-foot turntable and in the new roundhouse of the Shenandoah Division. For this moment, the men of the roundhouse take a break to pose in recognition of achievement.
Electric engines acquired by the N&W were from Baldwin-Westinghouse. There were 16 locomotives in all. The system, including overhead catenary wires and a generating plant, was completed in 1916. Engine No. 2506 makes the Bluefield run. In 1950, a new tunnel at Elkhorn was built, eliminating the need for the electric engines.
This electric locomotive, Engine No. 126, was from the Virginian Railway. The Virginian was formed by Henry Rogers for $30 million in 1907. Having made his fortune in oil, Rogers died a month after the Virginian was officially formed and his position was assumed by his son. Known for its smooth runs and efficient bottom line, the Virginian made a record 4-hour run from Roanoke to Norfolk in 1918. Three years later, it set another record: a coal train of 110 cars carrying 17,050 tons of coal moved from Roanoke to Sewells Point, the location of its coal pier. In 1958, N&W approached the Virginian about a merger and the following year, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the sale.
Engine No. 1 was the switching locomotive used at the Roanoke Machine Works (later Roanoke Shops) in 1886. Standing in the cab of the engine is H.S. German. Others, from left, are Brakemen W.H. Hall and W.W. Rule, Engineer Paul DeArmond, and Conductor Tim Patterson.
Engine No. 345 was the first compound engine owned by N&W. This photograph was taken at Crewe, Virginia. Crew members include A.D. Lane, engineer, and Julian Hark, fireman.
During the first part of the 20th Century, N&W tried to cultivate agricultural products and freight as possible revenue. Rail agents often advertised farmland near N&W depots to encourage such activity. Here a "farm train" stops as men gather around some stock cars with livestock. A banner reads "Better Farming Special". Location unknown.
The railroad employed a number of young boys to serve as apprentices during the advent of child labor laws. This photograph shows the Roanoke Shops machinist apprentices. A young apprentice would work a 10 hour day and often overtime on weekends. The apprenticeships opened doors of opportunity for later railroad employee and/or college admissions.
This photograph shows track crews at work along the N&W line. Track laying and maintenance was an awesome undertaking, given the thousands of miles of track owned and operated by N&W. Only in the middle part of the 20th Century did track work become more mechanized.
Unidentified employees at the Roanoke roundhouse pose with locomotive wheels. Notice the various tools each is holding, which suggest the different types of work done at the roundhouse.
N&W employed a wide variety of skilled laborers. In this photograph, upholsterers in the Roanoke Shops prepare seats for passenger coaches. In addition to outfitting trains, the upholstery shop also fitted office furniture and some items for the Hotel Roanoke.
Roanoke Boiler Shop employees at the corner of Salem Avenue and Commerce Street. Pictured from left to right (front row): Frank Bianchi, T.D Equi, John Griffin, P.E. Lawhorn, F.H. Wigmore, George Leisinger, T.J. Murray, James Conway, Edward Irvin, Louis Litsinger, Oren Ruefly (and his Irish Setter), and F.E. Feterman; (middle row): Mike Fitzgerald, J.L. McDonald, E.S. Kaetzel, Thomas Dugan, William Hough, Pete Conway, Edgar Davis, J.T. Withers, John Smith, B.I. Wade, W.E. Drabble, G.H. Hann, W.F. Dupree, W.D. Cassidy, E.F. Horgan, W.G. Hardy, F.L. Zeone, F.L. Pitzer, W.A. Kimmerling, and Ed Roderick; (back row): H.H. Lawhorn, Paul Wiegland, L.L. Hough, C.G. Fridinger, J.F. Horton, and Ike Neff.
Carpenter Force No. 1, Pocahontas Division at Richlands, Virginia. From left are R.L. Sorah, J.A. Dye, Dayton Henderson, O.J. Lawson, R.L. Maxwell, J.D. Farmer, T.R. Stinson, S.T. Sparks, G.W. Petts, E.W. Clay, A.G. Quillen, R.H. Honaker. Notice the camp cars behind them where the men ate and slept.
Drawing room employees in the N&W office building. Pictured from left are: John Worthington, Charles Jacobsen, James Woods, Fred Scuiffer, two unidentified, George Worthington, Otis Bellingrodh, Servelius Bisphan.
This history of the Nickel Plate Railroad is an amassment of histories from other lines, such as Lake Erie and Western, Clover Leaf, and the Wheeling and Lake Erie. The Nickel Plate was officially the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad Company, which opened in 1882. By 1950, the Nickel Plate has 2,266 miles of track and over 16,000 employees. N&W approached the Nickel Plate in early 1960 about a merger, which consummated in 1964. A $2,000 investment in Nickel PLat stock in 1947 would have yielded $63,000 at the time of the merger, excluding two decades worth of dividends. Shown here is Engine No. 303.
Like many railroads, the lines of the Wabash Railway Company predated the company's formation in 1877. The history of the Wabash is long and complicated, involving certain dubious personalities, mergers, receiverships, and a wavering bottom line. In 1920, Decatur, Illinois became the hub of the Wabash's activities. In 1931, the Wabash became the first American railroad to go into receivership due to the Depression. In 1941, it was controlled by Pennsylvania interests. Although solvent, the Wabash was plagued by intense competition and a precarious profit margin. Thus, the Wabash welcomed N&W's leasing of the company in 1964. Shown here is Wabash Engine No. 2515 at the Wabash yard in Decatur, Illinois.
In addition to Engine No. 1776, N&W also had painted certain cars within their rolling stock to highlight the Bicentennial. Here a caboose wears the nation's colors.
Public relations was not always left to copy editors and high-ranking N&W officials. This photograph shows a "train" built by the men at the Roanoke Shops for advertising purposes.
The station at Schooler, Virginia was operated by W.H. Cord (left). The small station operated from March 1883, when coal first began to move from Pocahontas to Norfolk, until 1900 when the station was bypassed by new track. The young man in the photograph is W.H. Kegley.
Locomotive No. 37 was used in 1871 when the South Side, Norfolk and Petersburg, and Virginia and Tennessee Railroads were consolidated, forming the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad. The AM&O was the forerunner of N&W.
Coal Pier 4 at Lamberts Point. The pier served N&W for nearly half a century.
This aerial view shows the N&W coal piers at Lamberts Point. Coal Pier 4 (center) was built in 1914. At the time of its initial construction, the pier was 1,200 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 90 feet above the water. It could empty 600 cars per day. Pier 4 was "retired" in 1963, having loaded some 200 million tons of coal since its first day of operation in 1914. In September 1963, Pier 6 replaced Pier 4.
At Coal Pier 4 at Norfolk, hoppers are dumped into pier cars which carry coal to the loading shutes. In the background is a portion of N&W's 12,000 car classification and storage yards.
Coal quickly became N&W's leading freight commodity. Here an employee loads an N&W hopper with coal.
N&W hoppers at a West Virginia coal tipple are loaded for their eastbound trip to Lamberts Point near Norfolk. In 1883, N&W moved nearly 106,000 tons of coal. A century later, N&W moved 75 million tons annually.
Engine No. 1200. As part of the Class A engines, No. 1200 was the first to be built by N&W between 1936 and 1950. Maximum horsepower was 6,300 at 45 miles per hour.
Front view of Engine No. 1200, a Class A built in 1936.
Engine No. 114 was a member of the K-1 Class of N&W locomotives. This class of engine, numbering 100 to 115, was built between 1916 and 1917. The Class K engines were built to pull more weight since new steel passenger cars were replacing those made earlier from wood.
The sleek, Class K-2, Engine No. 118 was acquired by N&W in 1919. These engines, numbering 116 through 125, were rebuilt later and streamlined by N&W.
Steam Engine No. 130, a Class K-2A locomotive.
The Class M Engine No. 1112 was built in 1910. Their purchase was almost solely in response to the increased demands for hauling coal.
Engine No. 37 was a Class N, as were all engines numbered 28 through 37. These engines, purchased by N&W, were made between 1887 and 1888. This photograph was taken at Wakefield, Ohio.
Engine No. 76 was a Class U engine. On the N&W line, these engines were numbered 71 through 85.
Engine No. 800 was an N&W Class W-6. These engines, numbered 800 through 814, were made between 1898 and 1899.
Engine No. 2023 was a Class Y-3 locomotive. This was one of 50 built between 1919 and 1923.
The Class Y-3A engines included No. 2058. These engines, numbering 2050 through 2079, were built in 1923. This photograph was taken in Cincinnati.
The Class Y-4 engines were developed by N&W in 1927. Only 10 were produced, with Engine No. 2087 among them.
In an effort to heavier freight, N&W developed the Y-6 locomotive. While retaining many of the design elements of the previous Y models, the Y-6 had a new steel frame, roller bearings, and mechanical lubrication at 213 points. A peak horsepower of 5,500 was achieved at 25mph. The Y-6 models were made between 1936 and 1940. In this photograph is Engine No. 2139.
Between 1948 and 1952, 30 Class Y-6B engines were produced by N&W. Engine No. 2200, the last of the Y-6Bs, is shown here at Roanoke.
Engine No. 1438 was one of many Class Z-1A engines used by N&W. This particular engine was built in January 1916 in Schenectady, New York. These engines, numbered 1315 through 1438, were built between 1912 and 1917. A number of them were purchased to enhance N&W's ability to keep up with its rapidly expanding business.
To join the celebration of the nation's bicentennial, N&W painted this diesel locomotive red, white, and blue. The engine's number was appropriately 1776.
The Shenandoah Valley Railroad operated a 239-mile line from Hagerstown, Maryland to Roanoke, Virginia, which was completed in 1883. Norfolk & Western purchased the railroad in 1890. The Shenandoah Valley's president, Fredercik Kimball, would become one of N&W's early and most visionary presidents. In this photograph is Engine No. 42, a Class I 2-8-0.
Union Local 440 entered this "Safety First" float in a Roanoke parade. It testifies to the cooperation by rail unions and officials to improve worker safety.
Safety became a paramount concern of the railroad. Pictured is the Eckman Shop Safety Committee on Engine No. 1343. In 1893, Congress passed the Railroad Safety Appliance Act and in 1916, rail employees won Congressional approval for an 8-hour work day, as opposed to 10 hours.
The shop gang of the Portsmouth (Ohio) Shop pose in front of Engine No. 600. In 1901, N&W purchased the Cincinnati, Portsmouth, and Virginia Railroad for $2.5 million. Portsmouth would become a major location in the future operations of N&W.
Some "cars" were used for necessary tests to properly maintain a railroad track. One example is the Scaletest Car in this photograph. The car was used to test the scales on the N&W system that weighed the rolling stock. Instructions on the car read, "Handle on rear of train ahead of caboose". This particular car was built in 1924.
This N&W ambulance from the 1920s signifies the hazards of being a rail worker. In fact, N&W financed the hospital in Roanoke for its first two years of operation so rail families could get necessary medical services.
Passenger coaches went through numerous stages of development. From wood to steel construction, and from basic amenities to luxurious accomodations, the coach was designed for both comfort and safety. This is an early passenger coach used by N&W.
Henry Fink, president of N&W from 1895 until 1902, was the chief operating officer for Mahone's AM&O Railroad. A life-long bachelor, Fink had immigrated to the United States with his brother in 1851 and became a railroad engineer four years later. While N&W president, Fink often directed the railway's activities from his New York office. Though providing N&W steady leadership, Fink made one significant error in judgment; he saw little future in coal. During a visit to the Norfolk division in 1895, his superintendents pleaded for him to approve sidings and storage tracks for more coal traffic. Fink reportedly replied, "What would we do with coal when we got it down here?" No one will buy it. And none of us can eat it. Wait awhile."
General William Mahone served as the president of the AM&O Railroad for its 10-year existence. Gen. Mahone first gained attention during the Civil War as a field commander, notorious for his unorthodox battle antics. Following the war, Mahone immersed himself in the political and business affairs of Virginia, becoming president of three different railroads at the same time. His energy and political savvy led the Virginia legislature to approve merging his three railroads into the AM&O. His detractors said the initials "AMO" stood for "All mine and Otelia's", Otelia being Mahone's wife.
The Pocahontas moves east through Blue Ridge, Virginia pulled by Diesel No. 1014. The engine, though bearing the N&W name, was a diesel originally belonging to the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac. By the late 1950s, as the N&W was transitioning to diesel, a number of RF&P engines were bring used by N&W for its passenger trains.
Electric engines were developed in 1914 so crews could safely navigate the tunnel at Coldale, West Virginia. Slow-moving steam engines choked the badly ventilated tunnel to the detriment of the crew's health. The electrified line ran between Bluefield and Hull, West Virginia. Pictured is Engine No. 2512.
Diesel Engine No. 1633, photographed shortly after being built. Notice the railroad's last corporate logo, the more streamlined "NW". The white-on-black design was introduced by John Fishwick when he was the railroad's president in 1971.
Diesel engines could operate more efficiently than the steam engine and American railroads were quick to make the switch. Between 1941 and 1955, the number of diesel locomotives in use went from 1,200 to 20,000. Pictured is Engine No. 8511.
The diesel engine was developed in 1890 by Rudolph Diesel. The Central Railroad of New Jersey was the first to use a diesel locomotive in 1925. It was not until 1955 that N&W began to order diesel locomotives, primarily from American Locomotive Company and General Motors. Pictured is Engine No. 1645.
After the first N&W office building burned in 1896, this building took its place. Constructed on the same location as the old, one section was completed in 1896 and the other in 1907. The building is now used for upscale apartments.
Passenger locomotive No. 29 pulls into the Winston-Salem yard in 1890. This train may have been operating on the former Roanoke and Southern track that was absorbed into the operations of N&W in 1892.
Engine No. 1100, a Class M-2, was one of a number of engines purchased by N&W in 1910. The Class M, as rebuilt, had a 4-8-0 wheel alignment, allowing it to meet the freight demands of the railroad.
Given the hazards of early railroading, even Mother Nature did not cooperate at times. This image shows a collapsed car shop in Roanoke, a result of a heavy snow storm in 1890.
A school group lines up to board the Powhatan Arrow. The name of the train was the result of a contest conducted by N&W, wherein 140,000 entries were submitted. The winner of the $500 first place prize was an N&W retiree, Leonard A. Scott.
Virginia and Tennessee Railroad named rather than numbered their locomotives. This locomotive was Roanoke. Chartered in 1849 and completed in 1856, the V&T ran from Lynchburg to Bristol and later merged with the AM&O.
The Powhatan Arrow boasted the finest passenger service amenities when introduced, including a tavern-lounge car. Here the Arrow moves from Roanoke to Bluefield and was photographed at Singer, Virginia. The round-end tavern car, No. 581, allowed the Arrow to truly be considered as a "streamliner".
Called a "vestibule car", this interior shot shows passenger seating in an 1892 coach. Notice the window shutters, ornate interior design, and fold-down seats. Despite its comfortable feel, early trains of this era were unsafe and not that pleasant compared with modern service.
Engine No. 475 steams out of Roanoke. In 1946, the year considered to be the beginning of N&W's modern passenger service, an average ridership per train was 118. By 1971, when N&W discontinued passenger trains, the number had dropped to less than 30.
The Pocahontas traveling along the New River. This route was the most spectacular and difficult. After leaving the New River Valley, The Arrow climbed abruptly to Bluefield and then downhill along the Tug River at Williamson.
This head-on collision occurred at Rippon, Virginia. Engine No. 481 is at left.
A closer view of the Thaxton wreck shows the debris pile. Engineer Pat Donovan's body was so badly mangled he was only identified by his clothing. The entire woodwork of the train was burned due to exploding gas lights in the coaches. Seven cars were destroyed and six employees and eleven passengers lost their lives. Engine No. 43 is handing the wreck car.
Engines No. 14 and No. 37 collided at Rural Retreat. Note the collapsed front half of the first baggage coach. While engines could often withstand collisions, the wood-constructed baggage and passenger coaches were extremely vulnerable.
One of the largest freight depots along the N&W line was in Roanoke. Today, the freight depot is home to the Virginia Museum of Transporation, wherein are housed many N&W artifacts and archival material, as well as some steam engines in the outdoor exhibit area.
This view shows the early Roanoke passenger station (center),the N&W office building (center right), and the Hotel Roanoke (right).
"Roanoke Wheel Shop 1927" is stamped on the axel of the car wheel displayed by the men of the wheel shop. Individuals unidentified.
Engine No. 53 and her crew excavate for new track near Bluefield, West Virginia. N&W pioneered and financed early coal production in the mountains of West Virginia and carved the rail beds that allowed the "black gold" to move east.
The blacksmith gang at the Bluefield Shops. Blacksmithing was rugged and often dangerous work, but a necessary trade to make the railroad operate. Individuals unidentified.
Freight Engine No. 173 of the Radford Yard is depicted at a Radford pipe shop.
Employees of Roanoke Machine Works build a caboose. They are, left to right: W.E. Meadows, Ted Swain, William Patterson, R.L. Daddow, R.L. Funk, and T.S. Jones.
Diesel Engine No. 1590 passes through Buena Vista, Virginia. Notice the train order raised to be grabbed by the engineer as the train passes.
This is an unidentified station office. Pictured left to right are: C.E. Moore, C.C. McPherson, W.L. Bingham, Harvey Call, and W.G. Light.
This image symbolizes the commercial ventures of N&W - a coal train enters the picture as a passenger train, the Powhatan Arrow, leaves. Engine No. 1213 is westbound out of Williamson, West Virginia, to deliver coal to the Great Lakes region. The engine is a Class A with an auxiliary water tank; allowing it to run non-stop between major terminals. The Arrow is on its eastbound route from Cincinnati to Norfolk.
Unidentified men work in a standard rail mail car. The United States Postal Service discontinued use of the railroad post office in 1967.
This photograph includes three types of modern, coal-burning steam locomotives designed and built by N&W. These represent the best elements of steam engine design: low initial investment, high utilization, low-cost operation and maintenence, and reliable performace. The engines are from left: the J-600, A-1203, and Y-2123.
Engine No. 17 is surrounded by rail employees in this photograph taken near Elkton, West Virginia. On the ground at the extreme left is G.W. Pile; standing fourth from the left is H.S. Walker; standing second from the right is C.C. Edmondson; and R.H. Miller is standing on the pilot. All others unidentified.
The station at Christiansburg, Virginia awaits freight and passengers. Note the mail and express carts to the right.
The N&W, like all major railroads, served its country well during World War II for the movement of troops and military freight. In fact, passenger service reached its zenith during wartime. While the exact location of this scene is unknown, it certainly represents what was a common occurrence at rail stations across the country - men leaving with family and loved ones bidding them goodbye. In World War I, the Federal Government had taken over the railroads to manage military transportation. In World War II, however, the railroads railroads organized themselves, allowing the Federal Government to only coordinate (not control) military transportation. During World War II, the N&W moved the most freight in its history. Nearly ten percent of the N&W's workforce served in the Armed Forces during World War II.
Employees repair an N&W locomotive at the Roanoke Shops.
An interior view of the erecting shop at Roanoke showing an engine's assembly in progress.
Taken from the Roanoke passenger station, this photograph shows the Birmingham Special in the background and the Pocahontas in the foreground..
Shown here is the back, lower level of the Roanoke passenger station three years before the Raymond Loewy renovation.
The N&W passenger station at Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The N&W station at Bluefield, West Virginia.
Two employees examine car wheels at the Roanoke Shops. C.G. Wiley is at right; the man at left is unidentified. Unfortunately, African American employees of the N&W could not be promoted beyond entry-level positions until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made discrimination illegal.
The Dynamometer was pulled by locomotives to determine their actual horsepower and potential speeds. Such calculations were extremely important for effeciently moving freight over different grades and distances. The ability of the locomotive to do so with speed and climbing power contributed significantly to N&W's bottom line.
Here, a former N&W mail car is a museum display. Notice the period mail bag hanging from its post. As the train would pass, the mail clerk would position the hook, grab the bag, and then begin the sorting process inside the car.
The Powhatan Arrow on one of its runs. The Arrow traveled along a diverse scenic route through Virginia's Dismal Swamp, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Alleghanies, and into the West Virginia coal fields.
Aerial photograph of N&W freight docks at Lambert's Point near Norfolk.
Coal was not the only export transported by N&W. This image shows freight docks and a grain elevator at Sewall's Point at Norfolk. Pier A is in center foreground.
Engine No. 382 runs the steepest grade of all - a sustained three percent grade to the summit at White Top Station. This run, affectionately known as the "Virginia Creeper", ran between Abingdon, Virginia and West Jefferson, North Carolina. Here, the Class M engine passes Green Cove depot, but is still three rail miles from the summit.
A small coal yard in West Virginia. N&W pioneered and developed the state's coal industry.
When passenger services encompassed long distances, dining service was offered. While cooks had to operate in a relatively confined space, they prepared full-course meals as good as any fine restaurants.
The depot at Grundy, Virginia was reminiscent of many rural depots that lined the tracks of the N&W.
The "Wheel Rollers" of the Roanoke Shops include (front left): Earl Dunning, John Cantry, Charles Wiley, Monk Wiggins, and Thomas Campbell. The Wheel Rollers competed in wheel rolling competitions around the nation and always placed high.
The Norfolk and Western Male Chorus consisted of African American employees who toured and performed hundreds of concerts. Here, the chorus performs at Roanoke's Academy of Music. The chorus was of such a high caliber that one needed an audition to join.
The old car record office at Portsmouth, Virginia. Shown from left are: Floyd Chabot (seated), Paul Jones, S.A. Highfield, H.H. Hester, and John Farley.
Car yardmen at Kimball, West Virginia. As the coal mines opened, the number of men employeed by N&W soared, bringing economic opportunity to many West Virginia families.
One of N&W's largest freight stations was in Roanoke. Depicted are unidentified freight station employees. The average annual wage for railroad workers in America at the turn of the century was $740, much higher than the average American wage.
The crew of Engine No. 19. This engine, like most of the engines used by N&W in its infancy, was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works.
An early example of freight locomotives used by N&W was Engine No. 264.
Class Q Engine No. 516 pulls into a depot at Nolan, West Virginia. The engine was originally put into service in April 1882. Crew members are servicing both passenger and express cars.
Shop employees and crew of Engine No. 205 in Roanoke, shortly after the locomotives construction.
Engine No. 54 with her crew (from left): Engineer E.H. Jones, Fireman Guy Emery, and Conductor Lloyd Pugh. The train was running between Sardinia and Hillsboro branch, and the main line of the Cincinnati, Portsmouth, and Virginia Railroad.
An aerial view of Bellevue Yard in Ohio, looking east. The classification yard is at left center and immediately to the right is the car repair facility. In the distance are the receiving and departure yards.
Wreck at Powhatan, West Virginia. Notice the double-tracking in the image. Unfortunately, the development of adequate rail safety technology was years from completion, making railroading a dangerous profession.
A postcard image of the N&W depot at Salem, Virginia. The depot still remains, although the shed at the tracks was dismantled many years ago. During the 1930s, depots like this dotted the lines of the N&W. Few remain today, either abandoned or in alternative uses, was reminders of the great era of the Norfolk & Western Railway.
Interior view of a typical N&W lounge car.
Interior view of a typical N&W dining car.
Here is but one example of how mechanization assisted significantly in the maintenance of tracks. A machine removes cross ties for the crew.
To keep passenger coaches looking good, the railroad regularly sent them through a mechanical washing facility.
Freight cars line up outside a coal-cleaning and prep plant near Gary, West Virginia. The N&W relied heavily on many of the larger coal mines and facilities throughout West Virginia.
A hopper car loaded with coal coasts down the "hump" incline toward classification tracks at the Portsmouth, Ohio freight yard. This car is half-way through the master retarder. The scale house and assistant yard master's office are located in the center. From this yard, coal would go to distribution points at Columbus and Cincinnati.
The Bluefield Yard in 1888. In that year, the N&W organized
The Portsmouth Freight Office included (from left): L.M. Dory, Gus Kehrer, Fred Dressler, S.R. Crawford, T.M. O'Connor, and Theodore Doty.
This engine was a Class W-1, 2-8-0 type and was originally built by the Roanoke Shops in October 1900.
Engine No. 102 rolls out of assembly at the Roanoke Shops and employees pose for the customary photograph of the engine.
The "Jawn Henry" was the nickname for this combination steam-electric locomotive. It was N&W's last-ditch effort to give steam one last try. The engine had 12 traction motors, weighed in at 1.1 million pounds, and was 161 feet long. Delivered in 1954, it was classed as a TE-1 for turbine-electric. The engine proved flawed; it's high cost, complex control system, inability to fit a standard turntable, and specialized crew demands caused N&W to retire the engine in 1957.
Welch, West Virginia. The old N&W station is in the foreground; the courthouse is atop the hill and businesses are at left.
Passenger Engine No. 90 was an example of many engines purchased by N&W in its early years from Baldwin Locomotive Works. Engine No. 90 was a Class A engine.
Engine No. 72 is another example of a Class U locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1892. This passenger locomotive weighed in excess of 132,000 pounds and was later converted to simple cylinders.
Engine No. 93 was a small shifting engine used at Roanoke Machine Works. It was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883.
The old Class M engine was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883. N&W owned two of these engines, Nos. 94 and 95, as shown here.
Freight Locomotive No. 1203 rests on the turntable at Shaffer's Crossing in Roanoke.
A stock train rolls through the Virginia countryside. As a way to encourage agribusiness, N&W operated a working farm at Ivor, Virginia for some years around 1910-1915.
An interior view of an express car used by N&W. Express cars held all kinds of freight, from passenger baggage to commercial merchandise.
An interior view of a N&W passenger coach. Notice the oil lamps. Although beautiful design features, these lamps would often shatter during an accident, spilling their fuel into the car. Resultant fires sometimes killed more passengers than the accidents themselves.
Passenger coaches changed significantly over time. Once elaborate and finely appointed coaches evolved into more basic design, as seen in passenger coach No. 1650.
This passenger train stops in Ivanhoe, Virginia. Passenger service would serve as a popular form of distance travel until the emergence of the automobile.
The Class J 600 is pulling a Southern Railway streamlined passenger train. The Class Js were built between 1941 and 1950.
This photograph shows one of the largest loads of coal cargo on a single ship at Lambert's Point. A total of 493 carloads were required.
Loaded coal cars await their turn at the car-dumping machine. Upwards of 400 cars of coal are required to fill the large colliers.
Norfolk & Western always kept a spare for every part necessary to cargo operations.
An interior view of a Pullman car after being made into a sleeper.
Frederick J. Kimball was one of the most forward-thinking of the early N&W presidents. He was so respected, the citizens of Big Lick voted to change its name to Kimball in his honor. He declined and suggested the location be called Roanoke, which it became in 1882. At 38, he was president of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad when he was tapped to be the N&W's first chief operating officer. He then served as the N&W's president or chairman for 20 years, from 1883 until his death in 1903. Kimball was interested in the coal fields of West Virginia and on a weekend trip in May 1881, Kimball, his wife, and others journeyed to the state. At Abb's Valley, Kimball turned to his wife and uttered the greatest understatement in N&W history: "This may be a very important day". Kimball's wife suggested the vein be called "Pocahontas".
This photograph of a bygone era shows a racehorse car with an auction occurring on the platform car. Taken by George Davis of Roanoke, it hints at the possible location of the auction. There were several racehorse tracks in the Roanoke Valley at the time.
Employees of the Roanoke freight office.
Engine No. 550 is a later example of the steam locomotive used by N&W. The crew poses for a picture in Roanoke.
The Birmingham Special moves northbound, having detoured through Waynesboro, Virginia, on account of a washout on the Southern Railway's main line between Monroe, West Virginia and Charlottesville, Virginia. The Special was among a number of other passenger trains operated by N&W.
An industrial hoist rests in the yard at Roanoke. Notice the huge pulleys hanging from the arm. Engine No. 131 is in the background.
Norfolk & Western's passenger service ceased in 1971. Here is the Pocahontas on her last run, traveling eastbound at Blue Ridge, Virginia. An estimated 100,000 spectators lined the route to catch a glimpse of a passing era.
This consist of coal includes some hoppers from the Virginia Railway, which had been acquired by N&W in 1959.
Engine No. 2146 pulls a load of coal. In the 1940s, N&W served the following seven coal districts: Kenova, Thacker, Tug River, Pocahontas, Clinch Valley 1 & 2, and Radford.
This is the view across the flat yard at Norfolk, Virginia. Hoppers would wait in the yard to be emptied.
Diesel Engine No. 322 pulls a consist of coal through Virginia. The switch to diesel was difficult for N&W given its commercial investment in coal.
Loaded coal cars awaiting shipment from an N&W coal tipple. Note the different grades of coal being loaded. During World War II, the United States Navy almost exclusively used N&W coal for its Atlantic fleet.
Two N&W locomotives prepare to pass one another heading to and from the West Virginia coal fields.
Hollins Institute, Virginia: Founded 1842
Pictorial booklet of scenes of and around Hollins Institute (now Hollins University).
Illustrated Story of Roanoke: The "Magic City"
A description of Roanoke with a directory of businesses and industries.
The Imprint is the annual for Roanoke Valley Christian School.
This is an index of articles written by Raymond Barnes for the Roanoke World News. Barnes' feature articles, entitled "Echoes of Roanoke", ran from 1958-1969 and covered an array of historical topics related to the Roanoke Valley.
Articles were published from 1958-1969, but content ranges from the Colonial era through the 20th Century.
Index to the Journal of the Historical Society of Western Virginia
This document is a subject index to the Journal of the Historical Society of Western Virginia. Originally called the Journal of the Roanoke Historical Society, on February 15, 1972, the Historical Society changed its name to the Roanoke Valley Historical Society, and the Journal accordingly changed its name thereafter to the Journal of the Roanoke Valley Historical Society. In 1997, the Historical Society again changed its name to the History Museum and Historical Society of Western Virginia, and theJournal became the Journal of the History Museum and Historical Society of Western Virginia with publication of the 1999 Journal. With publication of the 2006-2007 issue, the Journal became the Journal of the Historical Society of Western Virginia. Journal articles relate the rich history of Southwestern Virginia.
Journal of the Historical Society of Western Virginia
This document is an index to the Roanoker Magazine arranged alphabetically by subject. from 1974-present.
Insurance Rating Request for the City of Roanoke
Prepared for the Virginia Insurance Rating Bureau, this request contains an inventory of city owned property with descriptions and in many cases photographs.
Interments in Old Lick, First Baptist Church, and City Farm Cemeteries, 1912-1960
This is a guide to a collection of death certificates of individuals buried in Old Lick, First Baptist Church, and City Farm cemeteries beginning with the earliest available certificates in 1912 and concluding with 1960 when burials at the cemeteries ceased. The graves at City Farm and those from the western portion of Old Lick cemeteries were relocated to Coyner Springs in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Many of the graves were unmarked and as a result, the remains were reinterred in mass graves at Coyner Springs. Nine hundred thirty-three graves were removed from Old Lick/First Baptist cemetery. Over 550 graves were removed from City Farm cemetery. In an effort to help identify individuals relocated to Coyner Springs, this collection includes death certificates of over 2,600 individuals originally interred in Old Lick/First Baptist Church and City Farm cemeteries. It is not definitively known which of these graves were relocated as the remains were not identified during the relocation process. Certificates are arranged alphabetically by surname for each year. It should be noted that some stillbirths were not included with death certificates. Only certificates issued in the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Salem, and Vinton were searched. Persons who may have died outside of these areas and buried in these cemeteries have not been identified in this process.
A two story and basement building of frame construction, composition shingle roofm plastered interior finish, wood floors on first and second, concrete basement, steam heat and electric lighting. Excellent condition. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $10.5K.
A one story and basement building, frame construction, metal roof, plastered interior finish, wood floors, concrete basement, electric lighting, steam heat. Building in good condition. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $5.3K.
A two and one story frame building, composition roof, plastered interior finish, wood floors, stove heat. Building in fair condition. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $4K.
A one story and basement building of log and stone construction, composition roof, wood boards and earth floors, open interior finish, electric lighting, stove heat. Built in 1930 and in excellent condition. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $8.8K.
A two and one story frame dwelling, metal roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting. Approximately 40 years old in fair condition. A small frame outbuilding also located on premises. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $3K. The sound value of the outbuilding is approximately $100.
A one and a half story building of frame construction, composition roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting, stove heat. Building approximately 40 years old and in fair condition. Small frame outbuilding on premises. Valuation: The sound value of this dwelling is approximately $2.3K. The sound value of this outbuilding is approximately $100.
One and two story building with basement. The modern fire resistive building was completed in 1947. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $227K.
"A two story and basement brick building with stucco finish, metal roof, wood floors, except basement, which is brick, plastered interior finish, electric lights, low pressure steam heat. Approximately 125 years old. Occupancy: Basement - Heating apparatus, stack rooms, book repair room. First Floor - Reading rooms, office. Second Floor - Reading rooms, stack room. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $30K."
"One story brick building, wood joisted roof covered with slate. Interior; floor of concrete with mastic tile wearing surfaces, close plastered sidewalls, metal lath and plastered beam ceiling. Electric lighting, stoker-fired low pressure steam heat. Good repair. Occupancy: Public library. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $15K."
One story and part basement brick building, wood joisted roof covered with slate. Interior; joisted floor, oak wearing surfaces, close plastered sidewalls, ceilings metal lath and plaster. Basement partly finished with concrete floor. Electric lights, stoker-fired hot water heat. Very good repair. Occupancy: Public library. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $42K.
"A two story and part basement brick building of fire resistive construction, roof of composition on concrete slab, concrete floors, plastered interior finish, electric lighting, low pressure steam heat. Approximately 25 years old and in good condition. Occupancy: First floor - kitchen, dining room, reception and sleeping rooms. Second Floor - sleeping rooms. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $92K."
This is a three story and basement and part two story and basement brick building of fire resistive construction with a roof of composition on concrete slab, concrete floors throughout. One open stairs from basement to third floor. Electric lighting and low pressure steam heat. This building is approximately 15 years old and in good condition. Occupancy: Offices, matrons' quarters, detention rooms, classroom and kitchen. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $105K.
A two and one story part basement building of brick and frame construction with composition shingled roofm concrete floors with tile and wood surfacing, plastered interior finish,electric lighting, low pressure steam heat. Built in 1939 and in excellent condition. Occupancy: First Floor - White and colored ward rooms and private rooms, x-ray offices and examination rooms, kitchen. Second Floor - Nurses' quarters. Basement - Heating equipment and storage room. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $180K.
A two story and basement and part one story and basement brick building, metal roof, wood floors except basement which is earth, plastered interior finish, electric lights and steam heat; fair condition. Occupancy: Office and apartments. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $31K.
One story frame dwelling with composition covered roof and wood floor. Building in fair repair; occupied as tenant dwelling. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $2.5K
Two buildings of similar construction. Each building of cinder block walls with large frame doors, wood joisted roof covered with composition, concrete floor, electric lighting; stove heat. Buildings recently erected and in good repair.
This is a one-high story building with roof of gypsum plank on unprotected steel, cinder block walls, concrete floor. One side is open. Building of recent construction and in good repair. Occupancy: Nose-in hangar and office. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $30K.
Please contact the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073.
This is a one story building of cinder block construction, all metal roof, concrete floor, electric lighting and steam heat. Occupancy: airplane hangar and supplies storage. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $25.5K
This is a one story building of cinder block construction, all metal roof, concrete floor, electric lighting and steam heat. Occupancy: airplane hangar, with woodworking, machine shop and spray. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $24.5K.
Please contat the Virginia Room at 540.853.2073 for permission to use.
Four Quonset hut buildings of similar construction. Buildings of all metal on concrete dwarf walls, asphalt floors, electric lighting; no heat. Buildings new and in good condition. Occupancy: airplane storage. Valuation: Each hangar is valued at $8K.
Please contact the Virginia Room at b540.853.2073 for permission to use.
This is a two story frame building with metal roof, wood floors, plastered interior finish, electric lights and coal stove hear. This building is approximately 50 years old an in fair condition. Occupancy: Offices, drugstore, dwelling. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $8K.
This is a one story building of cinder block construction with a metal roof on wood boards on metal truss, concrete floor, electric lighting, stove heat. Occupancy: Offices, waiting room and restaurant. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $15K.
This is a two story and part basement brick building, metal roof, concrete floors, with the exception of the second which is wood boards, open interior finish with the exception of the second floor which is plaster. One stairs basement to first floor, two stairs first to send floor. Electric lighting, low pressure steam heat. This building is approximately sixty years old and in good condition. Occupancy: First floor - fire fighting apparatus. Second floor - central alarm station, dormitories, kitchen, bath. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $77K.
This is a two story brick building with composition roof on wood boards. First floor has open interior finish, metal ceiling and concrete floor. Second floor has plastered interior finish and wood floors. One stairs first to second flood. Electric lighting and low pressure steam heat. Building approximately 80 years old and in good condition. Occupancy: First floor - fire fighting apparatus. Second floor - dormitories. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $31K.
This is a two story and part basement brick building of ordinary joisted construction with composition roof; open interior finish with the exception of the second floor which is plaster, concrete floors with the exception of the second floor which is wood boards. One stairs basement to first floor, one stairs first to second floor. Electric lighting, low pressure steam heat. Building approximately 35 years old and in excellent condition. Occupancy: First floor - fire fighting apparatus. Second floor - dormitories. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $35K.
This is a one story brick building with metal roof, wood floors, plastered walls and metal ceiling, electric lights and cooking gas range. This building is approximately 30 years old and in fair condition. Occupancy: Restaurant. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $4K.
This is a two story and part basement brick building with slate roof. First floor, open interior finish with metal ceiling; second floor, plaster. Concrete floors with exception of second floor which is wood boards. One stairs basement to second floor. Electric lighting and low pressure steam heat. Approximately forty years old, good condition. Occupancy: First floor - fire fighting apparatus. Second floor - dormitories. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $20K
This is a two story and part basement brick building with slate roof. First floor, open interior finish with metal ceiling; second floor, plaster. Concrete floors with exception of second floor which is wood boards. One stairs basement to second floor. Electric lighting and low pressure steam heat. Approximately 40 years old, good condition. Occupancy: First floor - fire fighting apparatus. Second floor - dormitories. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $20K.
This is a two story and part basement brick building of semi-fire resistive construction with composition shingled roof on wood boards over concrete slab, open interior finish with exception of second floor which is plastered, concrete floors. One stairs first to second floor. Electric lighting and low pressure steam heat. Approximately 40 years old and in good condition. Occupancy: First floor - fire fighting apparatus. Second floor - dormitories. The sound value of this building is approximately $29K.
This is a two story and part basement brick building of semi-fire resistive construction with slate roof, open interior finish with exception of second floor which is plaster, concrete floors - wood surface on second floor. One stairs basement to second floor. Electric lighting, low pressure steam heat. Approximately 20 years old, excellent condition. Occupancy: First floor - fire fighting apparatus. Second floor - dormitories. Valuation: The sound value of this building is approximately $62K.