Virginia Room Digital Collection

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The Virginia Room Digital Collection includes photographs, oral histories, books, pamphlets and finding aids to items in the Virginia Room. Continue to check back for new additions.

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Hill top with mountains in background. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

From hill, trees with mountains in background. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Woman bending over smelling flowers in forest. Date on back is 24 May 1994.

From Jefferson National forest, individual on right and in background looking out towards mountains. Date on back is 24 May 1994.

Sign that says“Minie Ball Hill: On May 12, 1864, An infantry column commmanded by General George Cook (U.S.A) traveled this road following the battle of Cloyd’s Mountain. The road became almost impassable due to heavy rains and with the confederates…

Overlook in Jefferson National Forest. Date on back is 24 May 1994.

Overlook in Jefferson National Forest with mountains in background. Date on back is 24 May 1994.

Man with camera around neck standing in field next to small tree that is on the left. Date on back is 24 May 1994.

Tree with unique shaped branches. Date on back is 24 May 1994.

Man on left standing in dirt trail. Date on back is 28 April 1994.

Man walking out of underground construction with stone and gravel surrounding the area for building next to Wray Barn and Hofauger house. Date on back is 15 April 1994.

Houtz Barn under construction with roof unconstructed. Date on back is 15 April 1994.

Daniel Young in historical attire on the left with fire and blacksmith tools on the right. Writing on the back says “Virginia’s Explore Park interpreter Daniel Young demonstrates the black-smithing skills that were so important to settlers. This…

Rupert Cutler’s vehicle parked in field with Blue Ridge mountains in the background. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Rupert Cutler’s vehicle parked in field. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Trees in front yard of home with snow covering the ground. Date on back is 11 February 1993.

Front of home with snow on the ground. Date on back is 11 February 1993.

Powerline with ice on line. Home in background and snow on the ground. Date on back is 11 February 1993.

Front yard of home with snow on the ground, road plowed. Date on back is 11 February 1993.

Branches on ground with snow covered trees in the background. Date on back is 11 February 1993.

Snow on yard with ice on fence. Date on back is 11 February 1993 .

Rhododendron plant with mountain in background. Date on back is 24 June 1994.

Rhododendron flowers surrounding siding of home. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Rhododendron tree in front of home. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Spring trees in front of home with driveway to home in background. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Close up of Rhododendron flowers. Date on back is 14 June 1994.

Close up of Rhododendron flowers. Date on back is 14 June 1994.

Rhododendron plant with hill in background. Date on back is 14 June 1994.

Pink spring trees in front of home. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Three statues on stone wall. From left to right: child with arms around knees, child sitting on stand with book in lap, cherubim. Date on back is 14 June 1994.

Redbud tree. Date on back is 10 April 1995.

Two workers stand inside the Elkhorn Tunnel during construction in Mercer County, West Virginia. The 7,100 foot tunnel opened to rail traffic in June 1950, replacing a single-track tunnel constructed in 1887.

Employees of Haley, Chisolm, and Morris pose next to company trucks. The company was contracted by Norfolk & Western to build the Elkhorn Tunnel.

Construction of the Elkhorn Tunnel in Mercer County, West Virginia. The 7,100 foot tunnel opened to rail traffic in June 1950, replacing a single-track tunnel constructed in 1887.

Employees stand inside the Elkhorn Tunnel during construction. The 7,100 foot tunnel opened to rail traffic in June 1950, replacing a single-track tunnel constructed in 1887.

The Eyrie is the annual for Hidden Valley Middle School.

The Eyrie is the annual for Hidden Valley Middle School.

The Eyrie is the annual for Hidden Valley Middle School.

The Eyrie is the annual for Hidden Valley Middle School.

The Eyrie is the annual for Hidden Valley Middle School.

The Eyrie is the annual for Hidden Valley Middle School.

Family tracings of the Callaway, Tilly, Early, Anderson, Franklin and Cook Families of the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell.

Willis High School in Floyd County, VA. The school closed after the 1961-62 school year.

Mountain Normal School dormitory at Willis in Floyd County, VA.

The long abandoned old Mountain Normal School at Willis in Floyd County, VA. The Normal School opened in 1893.

Willis High School under construction.

The cornerstone of Willis High School.

Willis High School shortly after opening.

Willis High School after the addition was completed.

Rollie N. Phillips store and gas station, located in the Indian Valley area of Floyd County. Phillips opened his service station in 1927.

Floyd Esso Service Center in Floyd County.

Mountain Normal School students posing in front of the dormitory building.

Willis High School. The agricultural building is at right.

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…

Grand Piano Furniture was located at 312 2nd Street SW.

Carolina Cotton and Woolen Mills, formerly located at 505 6th Street SW.

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.

A contingent of veterans march in the Armistice Day Parade on Campbell Avenue.

Union Lunch, formerly located in the area where the Market Building is today.

Looking east on Campbell Avenue toward the Market Building from the roof of the Colonial American National Bank building.

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.

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. Tenants in this photo include A&P…

Looking west on Campbell Avenue. The Rialto Theatre is visible at left.

The Municipal Building from 2nd Street.

Mountain Trust Bank was located in the Strickland Building at 302 S. Jefferson Street.

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.

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…

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…

Looking south on Jefferson Street. American Theatre on right.

Title Guarantee Trust and Savings Bank, formerly located at 34 Church Avenue SW.

Firemen pose on a ladder pulled by horses. The building in the background was on the corner of 1st Street and Church Avenue.

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.

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…

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.

Hotel Roanoke

Looking north on Jefferson Street.

Mill Mountain Incline.

The Almshouse or "poor house" was built in 1925. The building is now part of Virginia Western Community College.

Civil War veterans reunion at Hotel Roanoke.

The pond once in Elmwood Park.

Interior view of the Patrick Henry Hotel lobby.

Roanoke's first Market Building. Built in 1886, it was replaced by the current Market Building in 1922.

The First National Exchange Bank building is located at 201 S. Jefferson Street.

Looking north on 1st Street from Church Avenue.

Patrick Henry Hotel

A view of Mill Mountain. Roanoke Hospital, the Mill Mountain Incline, and the observation tower are all visible.

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.

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.

Looking north on Jefferson Street from the Colonial National Bank building.

Looking north on 1st Street from Church Avenue.

Crowds gather along Campbell Avenue to watch the Armistice Day Parade.

Spectators watch the highwire act, part of the Order of United Commercial Travelers of American carnival.

The original Natural Bridge Hotel. The hotel burned in 1963 and was replaced by the current hotel in 1964.

A view of Roanoke from Mill Mountain with the Riverland neighborhood in the foreground.

WDBJ station at its third location on the corner of Colonial Avenue and Brandon Avenue.

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.

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…

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…

The second Ponce de Leon Hotel located at 131 Campbell Avenue SW.

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…

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…

Roanoke High School gymnasts. Caption reads, "Winners Intermediate Gym Contest, '07-'08".

Close-up view of Poage's Mill waterwheel on Back Creek.

Waterfall at Carvins Cove.

The Almshouse or "poor house" was built in 1925. The building is now part of Virginia Western Community College.

The original Natural Bridge Hotel. The hotel burned in 1963 and was replaced by the current hotel in 1964.

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.

Webster Brick Company (now General Shale), located at 2351 Webster Road.

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…

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…

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…

Hiawatha Tribe Number 66, Red Men's Band at Hotel Roanoke.

Golf Course at Roanoke Country Club.

Armistead Neal tavern and boarding house was located on Shenandoah Avenue. For many years, it served the town of Big Lick as a hotel.

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.

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…

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,…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

A scene in Elmwood Park.

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…

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 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.

Looking west on Campbell Avenue.

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.

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. …

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

The McBain building, located at 34 Campbell Avenue.

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.

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…

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.

The McGuire Building and Market Square.

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.

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…

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.

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…

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.

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.

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…

“Old First Baptist Church & St. Andrews Catholic Church, November 3,1990-Roanoke Va.” (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

“Ricardo C. Stovall & Bike on Patton Ave. N.E (Claytor House in Background) about 1959” (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

Dr. Lawrence E. Paxton operated a dental practice on Wells Avenue.

Young boy wearing a graduation cap and gown in front of the Gainsboro Library. “Hugh Ennis.”

Lucy Addison High School Majorettes in front of the Gainsboro Library.

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.

“Harry A. White.” Photographer: Johnhoite (?) Studio

The nursing staff of Burrell Memorial Hospital at an unidentified function on the hospital's grounds.

Lucy Addison High School football game at Victory Stadium.

Group of women in formal attire in front of a stage with instruments.

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Unidentified group photograph at night.

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Unidentified group photograph of women.

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Unidentified group photograph of men at a table.

Economy Shoe Repair on Henry Street. Shop owner Earnest O. Greene.

Economy Shoe Repair on Henry Street.

Gainsboro Library, exterior, with a children’s class.

Gainsboro Library, exterior, with a children’s class. (Reprint, original is missing.) Small boy standing next to Virginia Y. Lee in top row is Curtis Reeves, nephew of Ms. Lee. Small girl in Little Red Riding Hood costume in third row is Virginia…

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.

“To the fellow I love most of all, my husband, love and kisses, Del.”

Gainsboro Library, interior, with children.

Gainsboro Library, interior, with children.

Gainsboro Library, interior, with children.

Gainsboro Library, interior, child sitting at a table.

Gainsboro Library, interior.

Gainsboro Library, interior.

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.

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 sitting in a room.

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Group of children participating in a pageant or play.

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Group portrait

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Virginia Sanitary Barbershop, on Henry Street. (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

Location of Kaiser Record Store on Henry Street. (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

St. John’s AME Zion Church.

St. Gerard’s Catholic Church.

Virginia Theater sign. (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

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.

Millie Paxton.

Commonwealth Ave. (Williamson Rd.) at Patton Ave. (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.

Lincoln Theater on Henry Street with the N&W Veterans Association Colored Division. (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

Medical complex on Henry Street and Centre Avenue, top left, with the Community Drug Store (Dr. Beverly L. Adams pictured, bottom left) and the offices of dentist Dr. H. T. Penn, right. (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

Lynhaven Smoke Shop at 125 N. Henry St., 1942. (Reprint, library owns digital copy only, not original.)

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”

School Picture Outside. “00907.”

School Picture Outside. “00907.”

Girls’ athletics group and spectators.

School Book Week Set-up

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.)

“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.)

Unidentified man posing for portrait against plain background in patterned suit and bowtie.

Four men posing against a wall with the sign, “Hospital Development Fund Campaign for Burrell Memorial Hospital Division 5 Organization” From left to right: unidentified man, Dr. Ellwood D. Downing, Dr. John B. Claytor Sr., Dr. F. W. Claytor.

Eight men gathered around an apparent banquet table. Unidentified man, Dr. F. W. Claytor, Dr. John B. Claytor Sr., unidentified man, Dr. Ellwood D. Downing, three unidentified men.

Ten unidentified people sitting around an apparent banquet table.

Unidentified Polynesian-style group photograph.

Man and woman standing together on a gym floor.

Table from GB148 in the background, another banquet table set up in front.

Person sitting at table holding cake that says, “Happy Birthday from Father to Son.” One color photo, one black and white.

Person sitting at table holding cake that says, “Happy Birthday from Father to Son.” One color photo, one black and white.

Small image of the outside of the Hotel Dumas.

Large group of people in fancy attire. Banquet tables in the background.

Inside of the Hotel Dumas.

Inside of the Hotel Dumas.

Inside of the Hotel Dumas.

African American railroad workers.

Tags:

Harrison School Boys choir.

Civil rights attorney Oliver W. Hill in front of his childhood home at 401 Gilmer Avenue, now the Oliver Hill House.

From left to right: Clarence Dunnaville Jr. and Cabell Brand at Oliver Hill’s 100th Birthday Celebration.

Group drinking Coca-Cola in a grocery store.

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…

Group photograph with Atwood’s Capitol View Tours bus.

African American Freemasons group.

Tags:

Freemason group.

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…

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…

Virginia Y. Lee, about 1982.

Virginia Y. Lee with flowers.

Virginia Y. Lee posing with trellis flowers.

Virginia Y. Lee and unknown woman.

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. …

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…

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…

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…

Della Williams, front far left (married E.D. Downing), and unidentified group photograph.

Dr. John B. Claytor Jr.

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.

Dr. Justin Plumber and unidentified woman.


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.

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.

Claytor Family photograph; unidentified man at graduation.

Claytor Family photograph; unidentified man at graduation.

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…

Bings Social Club

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…

Claytor Family photograph; birthday celebration.

Claytor Family photograph; birthday celebration.

Claytor Family photograph; unidentified man sitting in a chair.

Left to right: Dr. Wallace King (Dentist,) Ruth Williams Claytor (married to John B. Claytor Jr.,) Dr. Maynard H. Law, and John B. Claytor Jr.

Claytor Family photograph; wedding party. “Left to Right: Stephan – 24, Kevin – 30, Eric -27, Pop, Ma, Greggory – 28 Groom, Mike – 39, Roderick – 40, Justin – 41, Maurice – 37, Geoffrey – 28 Best Man.”

Claytor Family photograph; unidentified group photograph in a living room.

Left to right: Mrs. Curtis (married Cecil Curtis,) James Claytor Charlton “Red,” Nina Bolden (married Rex Bolden.)

Claytor Family photograph; wedding.

Claytor Family photograph; Victory Stadium.

Claytor Family photograph; Victory Stadium.

Claytor Family photograph; Victory Stadium.

Left to right: Dr. Walter Claytor, Ralph Claytor, and Dr. John B. Claytor Jr.

Left to right: Kim Claytor, Dr. Walter Claytor, Dorothy Shepperson Greene, and Ralph Claytor.

Claytor Family photograph; unidentified portrait of a man.

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…

First Baptist Church Gainsboro, interior. Rotogravure print.

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…

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…

Rev. E. E. Ricks was served as pastor of First Baptist Church Gainsboro from 1915 to 1918.

Two young girls.

Plaque Dedication Ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial. Digital print.

Plaque Dedication Ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial. Al Holland with unidentified woman. Digital Print.

Plaque Dedication Ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial. Al Holland with unidentified man. Digital print.

Al Holland, Sr. and two unidentified men at the Gainsboro Library.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument Dedication.

Side A: “Early Black Baseball Team Roanoke.” N&W Negro League. Side B: Unidentified men riding in an automobile.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

Gainsboro Library, exterior. Polaroid print.

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. Rev. Charles Green. “C. Patterson.”

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.

Rev. Douglas and unidentified woman.

Unidentified man playing piano and unidentified woman singing. Far right: Mr. Dowe and third from right: Rev. Edwards.

Interior of an unidentified auto repair garage. “C. Patterson.”

Unidentified group photograph in front of a transformer station.

Unidentified group photograph in front of a transformer station.

Woman’s Professional & Business Club.

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

Virginia Y. Lee at the Gainsboro Library.

Gainsboro Library when it was located in the old Odd Fellows/YMCA Building.

Exterior, Gainsboro Library.

Interior, Gainsboro Library.

Basement, Gainsboro Library.

Basement, Gainsboro Library.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Virginia Y. Lee Collection Dedication.

Ebenezer A. M. E. Church.

“To the Roanoke City Public Library. Reading is fundamental. Learn to read and your dreams come true. God bless you, Jonelle Allen, ‘Doreen.”

“I write to promote understanding, Roy (?) Graham (?), 1958.”

Sweet Union Baptist.

Order of the Eastern Star group photograph in front of the Allegany-Dunbar Freemason’s Prince Hall.

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.

Burrell Memorial Hospital. Construction of the 1955 building.

Burrell Memorial Hospital. Construction of the 1955 building.

Burrell Memorial Hospital. Construction of the 1955 building.

Burrell Memorial Hospital. Construction of the 1955 building.

Burrell Memorial Hospital. Construction of the 1955 building.

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…

Gainsboro School First Grade Class 1946. Teacher Mattie Bell Morris (back row).

Branch Manager, Carla M. Lewis, standing at a podium in the Gainsboro Branch Library, speaking to a crowd. Three people are seated behind her, from right to left, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Dr. John Kern, and Evelyn D. Bethel. Picture from Roanoke City…

Branch Manager, Carla M. Lewis, standing at a podium in the Gainsboro Branch Library, speaking to a crowd. Three people are seated behind her, from right to left, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Dr. John Kern, and Evelyn D. Bethel. The Virginia Historic…

City Librarian Beverly James, standing at a podium in the Gainsboro Branch Library, speaking to a crowd. Three people are seated behind her, from right to left, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Dr. John Kern, and Evelyn D. Bethel. The Virginia Historic…

Reverend E. T. Burton of Sweet Union Baptist Church, standing at a podium in the Gainsboro Branch Library, speaking to a crowd. Three people are seated behind him, from right to left, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Dr. John Kern, and Evelyn D. Bethel. The…

Evelyn D. Bethel (left) raises curtain over Virginia Historic Landmark Placard with Dr. John Kern. Unidentified man stands to the right of Kern. Alphonzo Holland, Sr. stands at the podium at the far right of the image. Picture from Roanoke City…

Ventriloquist Tammy Barnwell provides a performance to the crowd. Barnwell directs her puppet, assumedly Pecan or Willie Webster, toward three people sitting next to the podium. From right to left, Alphonzo Holland, Sr., Dr. John Kern, and Evelyn D.…

Photo of the crowd gathered for Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Branch Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

Virginia Reeves standing at a podium in the Gainsboro Branch Library, speaking to a crowd. There are two men seated next to the podium, from left to right, Dr. John Kern and Alphonzo Holland, Sr. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th…

Three men standing and talking at the Gainsboro Branch Library. On the left is Alphonzo Holland, Sr. In the middle is assumedly Glenn Radcliffe. Unidentified man on the right. Picture from Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at…

Unidentified group of people gathered in chairs for Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Woman in back row with red flower is Virginia Reeves. Photographs by Bob Hale.

Two unidentified women standing at the Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.

Branch Manager, Carla Lewis, and her husband, Peter Lewis, standing at the Roanoke City Public Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Gainsboro Library, 6 December 1996. Photographs by Bob Hale.
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