163 Slate Run Road , Ballard, WV 24918(Monroe County)

The farm has a nicely hardened and maintained driveway with direct and easy access to Route 122. There is also a beautiful open grassed corridor that starts at the bottom of the farm and climbs all the way to the top of the mountain gaining over a thousand feet of elevation while providing easy access to walk, bike, and even drive to the top of the peak. With over 460 acres this farm has an enormous amount of property to explore, adventure, and hunt over. A mix of grassland and forestland provide habitat for all of the major game species. If you are a fisherman, Indian Creek just across the road from the farm entrance holds trout and other game fish species. The timber resources of the property are also extensive and marketable with easy access to most of the timber via the farm roads and pastures.

There are multiple excellent home building sites if the existing homestead doesnt suit your needs and a couple of locations provide amazing views of the surrounding area. This property has good agricultural soils, open pastures, extensive timber land, and excellent varied hunting habitats. It is a property that has been well cared for and all of its premium features make it a highly desirable farm as well as a location for a prime rural retreat.

The nearby historic town of Union has restaurants, a public pool, shopping, services, a summer Farmers Day, an annual Autumn festival, and a Christmas parade. Union is also close to Moncove Lake State State Park which offers a variety of outdoor recreation. Close by, Lewisburg, voted the Coolest Small Town in America, offers an almost endless variety of events including the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival, Taste of our Town, the WV State Fair, and the Lewisburg Literary Festival to name just a few. Lewisburg is also the home to several fine dining restaurants, fun local eateries, a variety of shopping in the walking downtown, and easy access to outdoor retreats such as the Greenbrier River Trail.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.561823(N), -80.710802(W)

Address: 163 Slate Run Road, Ballard, WV 24918

Elevation Range: 1604 ft. to 2546 ft. +/-

Driving Times (approximate)

Towns:

Alderson: 35 minutes

Athens and Concord University: 1 hour

Blacksburg, VA and Virginia Tech: 1 hour

Bluefield: 1 hour

Lewisburg and Osteopathic School of Medicine: 55 minutes

Peterstown: 25 minutes

Princeton: 50 minutes

Union: 25 minutes

Airports:

Greenbrier Valley Airport, Lewisburg: 1 hour 15 minutes

Mercer County Airport, Bluefield: 1 hour

Raleigh County Memorial Airport, Beckley: 1 hour

Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport, Blacksburg, VA: 1 hour 10 minutes

Recreation:

Golf Fountain Springs Golf Course: 30 minutes

Golf Pipestem Resort State Park: 50 minutes

Golf Willow Wood Country Club Golf Course: 25 minutes

Lake Bluestone Lake, Hinton: 30 minutes

Lake Moncove Lake State Park, Gap Mills: 40 minutes

Nature Trail Mill Creek Nature Park Trails, Narrows, VA: 40 minutes

Skiing Winterplace Ski Resort, Ghent: 1 hour

State Park Camp Creek State Park & Forest: 1 hour

State Park Bluestone State Park, Hinton: 35 minutes

State Park Moncove Lake State Park, Gap Mills: 40 minutes

State Park Pipestem Resort State Park, Pipestem: 50 minutes

State Fair of West Virginia, Fairlea: 50 minutes

WATER

Three branches of Slate Run, a dashed blue line stream, have portions on the property. Those intermittent streams should have regular water flow during rainfall events and snow melt.

MINERAL RESOURCES

All rights the owner has will convey with the property.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property is accessed by Slate Run Road.

ZONING

There is currently no county zoning in Monroe County. All prospective purchasers are encouraged to contact the Monroe County Health Department for answers regarding installation of septic systems and water wells. Further information on county zoning may be answered by contacting the Monroe County Commission.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The farm is comprised of the homestead, fields, and forestland.

(This summary is an estimation of current property use as determined from aerial photography. It is made subject to the estimation of property boundaries and any errors in the interpretation of land use type from the aerial photography utilized.)

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: DB 174 Pg. 156 less conveyance, and DB 291 Pg. 740

Monroe County, West Virginia

Acreage: 460 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Taxes:

Monroe County (32), West Virginia

Springfield District (5)

Tax Map 14 Parcels 1 and 5; Class 2

2024 Real Estate Taxes: $354.82

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Monroe County School District

Public Elementary School:

Mountain View Elementary School

Public Middle School:

Mountain View Middle School

Public High School:

James Monroe High School

Higher Education:

Monroe County Vocational Center

THE SURROUNDING AREA

BLUESTONE LAKE

Amidst the beautiful scenery of southern West Virginia lies the long Bluestone Lake. This reservoir, the third largest lake in West Virginia, is popular for its fishing and other recreational activities. Bluestone Lake was formed by a concrete dam built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers across the New River to reduce flooding. Although the dam was started in 1941, its construction was delayed because of World War II, and it was not fully completed until 1952. The lake is nearly eleven miles long, with an area of 2,040 acres during summer pool, though the water level does change frequently. The Lake can grow to over thirty-six miles long at the flood control pool. At higher levels, the lake extends into Giles County, Virginia. The Lakes Catchment Area is 4,565 square miles. Water levels are drawn down four feet in winter to make room for melting snow and spring rain.

Bluestone Lake, Greenbrier River, and the New River are great places for fishing, and it is said that the New River is the best warm-water fishery in the state. Some of the fish available in the lake and river are bluegill, catfish, crappie, muskellunge, and various types of bass. New River bass has set some West Virginia state records.

In addition to fishing, Bluestone Lake is fantastic for enjoying all sorts of water activities, including boating, canoeing, water skiing, and wakeboarding. The lake has several boat ramps and a commercial marina for the boaters convenience, and there are no limits to the size of boats or motors on the lake.

Bluestone Lake is part of the Bluestone Wildlife Management Area, which covers an area of 18,019 acres. The Wildlife Management Area is known for having some of the best hunting in the area, and hunters and trappers can catch a variety of game, including whitetail deer, turkey, fox, and other animals.

A great place to enjoy the lake is Bluestone State Park. The Park has ample accommodation for those who want to stay overnight. There are a variety of campsites or, if you prefer a more comfortable stay, there are twenty-six cabins with TVs, showers, and other modern conveniences. Park visitors can walk on the hiking trails, play in the swimming pool, or rent game equipment to play croquet or horseshoes. The Park also has weekly events with lots of fun activities.

In addition to all the fun activities on the lake, theres plenty more to do in the surrounding area. There are several other parks nearby to enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities. You can experience some great whitewater on the New River. And the New River Gorge is well-known as an excellent place for rock climbing, with its many hard sandstone cliffs. If you want a break from outdoor activities, the nearby town of Hinton has many attractions. There are a variety of restaurants, shops, and antique stores to browse and museums to visit.

Historical and recreational interest in the Bluestone area includes the outdoor musical drama Hatfields and McCoys and other shows performed at Grandview Park, near Beckley. Pipestem Resort, with its myriad recreational facilities, is only nine miles to the south, and the 80,000 acres New River Gorge National River Park, the center of some of the states best whitewater rafting and canoeing, plays an integral part in the area. Of particular note are Sandstone Falls and the Visitor Center, just north of Hinton, and Bluestone National Wild and Scenic River, which flows into Bluestone Lake within the park boundaries.

BLUESTONE LAKE MARINA

Bluestone Lake Marina offers guests lake opportunities for water-oriented recreation. It is open from April 15th through October 15th, depending on lake conditions.

At the marina, you can rent fishing boats, pontoon boats, kayaks, canoes, slip rentals, and cabin rentals conveniently located near Bluestone Lake and Bluestone State Park. Fuel, bait, and snacks are available for purchase.

BLUESTONE WMA 18,109 ACRES

The property is a 15-minute drive to West Virginias Bluestone Wildlife Management Area. The statewide Wildlife Management Program is designed to conserve and manage high-quality habitats for a variety of wildlife species and to improve public access to these resources. West Virginia provides numerous opportunities to learn and appreciate the abundant wildlife.

Bluestone Wildlife Management Area offers visitors a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities on 18,109 acres. Being adjacent to Bluestone Lake, the states third-largest body of water, the area provides guests boating, canoeing, and fishing opportunities. The section of the lake from just upstream of the Bluestone River to Bluestone Dam is in Bluestone State Park; the rest of the lake in the West Virginia basin comprises Bluestone WMA.

Hunting is offered due to the wildlife management area status, and Bluestone has over 330 primitive campsites and picnic sites. Avid fishermen can enjoy float fishing and stocked trout fishing in Indian Creek. Hiking and equestrian trails are also popular.

Bicycles are permitted on main roads, day-use areas, and campground areas. Many roads leading to Wildlife Management area campgrounds are dirt roads that provide an experience similar to off-road bicycling.

BLUESTONE STATE PARK

Bluestone State Park was established in 1950 and is named after the Bluestone National Scenic River, which flows into the New River at the park. Bluestone State Park encompasses over 2,100 acres of rugged, heavily forested, mountainous terrain and provides a variety of water-oriented activities for guests and residents of southern West Virginia. This Park is five miles south of Hinton, WV.

Classic Cabins at Bluestone State Park are available for rent year-round. The campgrounds, although seasonal by nature, are popular campsites with visitors. Hiking and the opportunity to view eagles make Bluestone a neat area.

Bluestone State Park has twenty-six modern, fully furnished cabins with kitchens, showers, linens, towels, cooking utensils, dishes, tableware, and modern appliances. Each cabin has a stone fireplace, grill, picnic table, and campfire ring. Cabins are available for rent year-round and accommodate two to eight people. Select cabins are pet friendly. Guests also have access to nearby Pipestem Resort State Parks indoor facilities, including an indoor pool and sauna, for rest and relaxation.

Bluestone State Park has four campgrounds with 120 campsites. The Meador Campground has 32 sites open to RVs and tents, with electricity and water available at seven sites, electricity at 15 locations, and a central bathhouse is also on-site. The Tent Area Campground has five rustic sites designed for group camping. Old Mill Campground, open to tents and RVs, has forty-four rustic campsites and a central bathhouse. East Shore Campground has 39 primitive sites accessible by boat only. The campgrounds are open from mid-April through late October. Campground reservations are available from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year. Campgrounds are open on a first-come, first-serve basis through October 31.

An extra plus is that Bluestone Park is adjacent to Bluestone Lake, the states third-largest body of water. Due to this sizeable lake, boating and fishing are naturally an essential part of the recreational opportunities at the park. Adding hiking trails, a swimming pool, game courts, and a seasonal nature/recreation program creates a well-rounded array of activities. The proximity of Bluestone to the Winter Place ski area makes the parks rental cabins affordable for ski groups and winter vacations.

Nearby is The Year-Round Crown Jewel of West Virginia State Parks, Pipestem, known for its scenic overlooks and an aerial tram ride into the Bluestone Gorge. Park amenities include an 18-hole, par seventy-two championship golf course with several restaurants and snack bars.

THE NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK and PRESERVE

The 70,000-acre New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is a unit of the United States National Park Service (NPS) designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains. Established in 1978 as a national river, the NPS-protected area stretches for fifty-three miles (85 km) from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted. The Park was officially named Americas 63rd national park, the U.S. governments highest form of protection, in December of 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a relief bill.

West Virginia is home to parts of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a footpath that stretches more than 2,100 miles between Maine and Georgia; the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, which cuts through sixteen states for 4,900 miles; the Bluestone National Scenic River; and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Over 70,000 acres of land bordering 53 miles of the gorge have earned the governments protection.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is rich in cultural and natural history and offers abundant scenic and recreational opportunities. New River Gorge is home to some of the countrys best whitewater rafting, mainly from the Cunard put-in to the Fayette Station take-out, and is also one of the most popular climbing areas on the East Coast.

Home to the New River, which drops 750 feet over 66 miles, with its Class V rapids, has long drawn adventuresome rafters and kayakers to this whitewater area. The New River, which flows northward through low-cut canyons in the Appalachian Mountains, is actually one of the oldest rivers on the planet.

Rock climbing on the canyon walls, mountain biking, and hiking on trails that flank the river, and wildlife viewingbald eagles, osprey, kingfishers, great blue herons, beavers, river otters, wild turkeys, brown bats, snakes, and black bears, are all within the park.

Begin your experience with a stop at Canyon Rim Visitor Center, situated on the edge of the gorge, for maps, current information, and chats with a park ranger. You can learn any pertinent safety protocols and visit the bookstore.

The New River Gorge Bridge is a work of structural art. Construction of the bridge began in 1974 and was completed in 1977. The Bridge spans 3,030 feet in length and is the third-highest bridge in the U.S., at 876 ft. During Bridge Day, an annual one-day festival celebrating the construction of the Bridge, BASE jumpers launch off the 876-foot bridge and parachute down to the New River. New River Gorge is the only national park in the U.S. that permits this extreme activity.

President Jimmy Carter signed legislation establishing New River Gorge National River on November 10, 1978. As stated in the legislation, the park was established as a unit of the national park system to conserve and interpret outstanding natural, scenic, and historical values and objects in and around the New River Gorge and preserving as a free-flowing stream an important segment of the New River in West Virginia for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Designation Act was incorporated into the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, changing the designation to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Less than 10% of the original national river was re-designated as a national park, where hunting is no longer permitted, while the remainder is a national preserve with little change.

NEW RIVER REGION OVERVIEW

The New River is shared by boaters, fishermen, campers, park visitors, and local neighbors. The waters of the New River system contain a mosaic of hydrologic features and aquatic habitats that support a highly productive marine ecosystem that includes distinct populations of native fish, mussels, crayfish, and a broad array of other aquatic life, including rare amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

The 320-mile New River rises in the Blue Ridge region of North Carolina. It flows northeastward through the Appalachian uplands to Radford, Va., where it turns northwestward and passes through a series of narrow valleys and gorges into southern West Virginia. It ends where it joins the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River. In WV, the New River is entrenched in a steep and narrow valley, the narrowest part known as the New River Gorge.

In 1998, President Clinton signed into law the New River as one of the very first American Heritage Rivers because of its historical, economic, and cultural importance. Much of the rivers course through West Virginia was designated the New River Gorge National River. In 2021, the area was designated as the United States newest National Park.

The New River is recognized as the second oldest river in the world and is estimated to be between 10 and 360 million years old. Its headwaters begin near Blowing Rock, NC, one of the few rivers in North America that flows northerly.

Class I, II, III, IV, and V rapids dot the entire 320 miles of New River, making it a great paddling, tubing, and whitewater rafting adventure. Beautiful cliffs, bluffs, and mountain views make it one of the most scenic rivers on the east coast.

New River Gorge National Park includes 53 miles of free-flowing New River, beginning at Bluestone Dam, 00and ending at Hawks Nest Lake. The New River typifies big West Virginia-style whitewater. Within the park, it has two very different characters. The rivers upper (southern) part consists primarily of long pools and relatively easy rapids up to Class III. It is a big mighty river, but very beautiful, always runnable, and provides excellent fishing and camping. There are several different river access points, and trips can run from several hours to several days.

The rivers lower (northern) section is often called the Lower Gorge. In a state that is justifiably renowned for colossal rapids, the Lower Gorge has some of the biggest of the big, with rapids ranging in difficulty from Class III to Class V. The rapids are imposing and forceful, many of them obstructed by large boulders necessitate maneuvering in mighty currents, crosscurrents, and hydraulics. Some rapids contain hazardous undercut rocks.

Before the rise of the Appalachian Mountains, the New River cut its bed at a time when the land sloped to the northwest. Amazingly, as the Appalachians gradually rose around the river, the New River wore away the bedrock at the same rate the mountains formed, leaving behind towering cliffs and prominences that hover hundreds of feet about the water level.

Accounts claim that Indians referred to the New River as the river of death; however, this origin story is likely legend. Native Americans and early European settlers regarded the New and Kanawha Rivers as being one single waterway. The name New may have been derived when European explorers discovered the river upstream as the first new river found flowing westward.

Native American Indians used the New River as they traveled west years before the pioneers arrived. In the 1600s, explorers navigating the New River thought they were close to the Pacific Ocean because of its westerly flow.

In 1671 the Batts-Fallam expedition, by way of the New River, came through to the Lurich area and ended there because the Indian guides refused to take them any farther. They carved their initials in a tree and claimed the territory for King Charles II of England. This was the first proclamation of English territory west of the Alleghenies, making the New River the first gateway into the West.

The New River features fast water, big rocks, and lazy/slow stretches. Water sports enthusiasts will find the New River ideal for swimming, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, tubing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and windsurfing. Great fishing is located in the New River, with bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and rock), flathead catfish, channel catfish, muskie, walleye, and bluegill present in good numbers. It produces more citation fish yearly than any other warm water river in WV.

The New River Gorge was a vast and largely unsettled wilderness until the C&O railroad was built on the eastern side of the river in the 1880s. The railroad opened the rich coalfields and virgin timber stands of the region. Early mountaineers settled the area and soon were carving out mountain farms and raising families.

The gorge was practically impassible before the New River Gorge Bridge was completed, near Fayetteville, WV, in 1978. The river within its canyon is one of the most popular whitewater rafting destinations in the eastern U.S. Much of the New between Hinton and the National Park Service manages Gauley Bridge.

Principal tributaries of the New in West Virginia include, from south to north, the East River, the Bluestone River, and the Greenbrier River.

Many former mining communities located on the New River in its gorge have since become ghost towns. These include Sewell, Nuttalburg, Kaymoor, Fayette, South Fayette, Hawks Nest, Cotton Hill, Gauley, Beury, and Claremont.

GREENBRIER RIVER AND RIVER TRAIL

The property is a 20-minute drive to the lazy Greenbrier River near Forest Hill. The Greenbrier River is 173 miles long and is the last free-flowing river east of the Mississippi. It is an excellent river to float or canoe and is well known for its large and small-mouth bass fishing. It is the gateway to water recreation and fun as it is usually lazy and easy to navigate.

The Greenbrier River is formed by the confluence of the East Fork Greenbrier River and the West Fork Greenbrier River in Durbin, West Virginia. From Durbin, the Greenbrier River flows southwesterly through Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, and Summers Counties. It flows through several communities, including Cass, Marlinton, Hillsboro, Ronceverte, Fort Spring, Alderson, and Hinton. The Greenbrier River joins the New River in Hinton, just 30 minutes away.

The property is a 60-minute ride to the Greenbrier River Trial and is operated by the West Virginia State Parks. The trail is a 77-mile-long former railroad used for hiking, bicycling, ski-touring, horseback riding, and wheelchair use. The trail passes through numerous small towns and traverses thirty-five bridges and two tunnels as it winds along the valley. Most of the trail is adjacent to the free-flowing Greenbrier River and surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains peaks.

MONROE COUNTY

Banking, healthcare facilities, drugstore, grocery, hardware, auto parts, and farm supplies are available nearby Union and Peterstown. There are no fast-food restaurants, but local restaurants are great places to meet friends and enjoy a great home-cooked meal.

Some of the friendliest people in West Virginia can be found in Monroe County. Monroe County has a population of about 13,000 residents, does not have a stoplight, and has more cattle and sheep than people. Monroe County is a particular area with interesting folks, both born and raised and newer members from many different states. People from all walks of life reside in harmony in this lovely pastoral setting.

UNION

Shortly after Monroe County was created, James Alexander offered twenty-five acres of land, including a lot for a courthouse, which eventually became the town of Union. On January 6, 1800, the Virginia Assembly passed an act creating the town of Union.

The Monroe County Historical Society preserves several historic structures in the town, including the Caperton Law Office, Owen Neel House, Clark-Wisemen House, Ames Clair Hall, and the Old Baptist Church. The Union Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

PETERSTOWN

The Town of Peterstown is a short drive. Banks, healthcare facilities, drugstores, grocery, hardware, auto parts, and farm supplies are readily available in Peterstown. The town is on the border with Virginia, and Virginia Tech is less than an hour from Peterstown.

Peterstown was chartered in 1803 by the Virginia General Assembly and incorporated in 1892 by the Circuit Court. Peterstown was named for Christian Peters, a Revolutionary War soldier who settled nearby and founded the town shortly after the Revolutionary War. The town is the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carats (6.896 g) Jones Diamond by Grover C. Jones and his son, William Punch Jones.

SALT SULPHUR SPRINGS

Salt Sulphur Springs near Union is a popular wedding venue and is the scene of select community events.

The area is well known for the healing waters of the numerous Sulphur Springs. During the 1800s and early 1900s, several Sulphur Springs Resorts flourished in the area. White Sulphur Springs, Warm Springs, and Hot Springs are most notably and still in existence. Others included Sweet Springs, Blue Sulphur Springs, Red Sulphur Springs, Green Sulphur Springs, Pence Springs, and Sweet Chalybeate Springs.

During the height of wealthy families summer treks to the Virginia Springs resortsfrom roughly 1800 until the Civil Warone popular circuit encompassed the fountains most strongly impregnated with minerals, heat, fashion, and fame, according to one chronicler. For those arriving from eastern Virginia and points northeast, the circuit started at Warm Springs northeast of Lewisburg in the Allegheny Mountains. From there, it ran south and west to the Hot, the White Sulphur, the Sweet, the Salt Sulphur, and the Red Sulphur, then back in the opposite direction.

The Old Salt was famed for its three springs: sweet, salt sulphur, and iodine, curative especially for chronic diseases of the brain such as headaches.

The main hotel building dates to about 1820. Salt Sulphur Springs Historic District holds one of the largest groupings of pre-Civil War native stone buildings in West Virginia.

GREENVILLE (Centerville)

Just a few miles away lies the sleepy village of Greenville. Greenville is the classic old Virginia community with the historic Cooks Mill still standing on the banks of Indian Creek. The Ziegler Family that currently owns Cooks Mill has the grounds open for visitors to enjoy picnics and view the massive water wheel and the exterior of the building. Greenville has a country general store complete with gasoline sales. The post office is still open and a community meeting place.

RED SULPHUR SPRINGS/BALLARD

Red Sulphur Springs, located just a few miles away, was once the site of another popular mineral spring resort from the 1820s until World War I. The spring water emerges from the ground at 54 degrees F. and leaves a purplish-red sulfurous deposit which was used to treat skin conditions. The water was believed to be helpful in the treatment of tuberculosis. Modern analysis shows the water to be high in bicarbonate, sulfate, and calcium. Around 1920, the buildings were dismantled, and the resort ceased operation.

INDIAN CREEK

Indian Creek takes its name from a Native American trail that crossed the Appalachians from the Ohio River valley to the Great Valley of Virginia. It was the interstate of the Indian world.

Indian Creek is a tributary of the New River. It is one of Monroe Countys main drainage basins. Indian Creek begins its journey near Salt Sulphur Springs and drains tens of thousands of acres on its winding 30-mile-long trip through pastoral farms, steep mountain canyons, wide bottomland forests, wetlands, and marshes before ending its trip close to Crumps Bottom, where it enters New River. From there, the New River flows to the Kanawha, onto the Ohio, then the Mississippi, and terminating in the Gulf of Mexico. It is said that the waters of Indian Creek will arrive in the Gulf of Mexico 3 to 4 days after entering the New River.

INDIAN CREEK COVERED BRIDGE

Owned by the countys historical society and open to pedestrians, it was part of the White and Salt Sulphur Springs Turnpike. A Long truss built in 1903 by Ray and Oscar Weikel (ages 16 and 18 years old) and E.P. and A.P. Smith is more than 11.5 feet wide and 49.25 feet long. There are six covered bridges in West Virginia with this truss engineering Philippi, Hokes Mill, Sarvis Fork, Statts Mill, Center Point, and Indian Creek. The completed bridge cost Monroe County only $400 and was used continuously for about 30 years.

The interior of the Indian Creek Bridge contains notes and plaques from previous visitors. Now only pedestrians use the bridge, which also houses antique vehicles from the 1900s, adding to the history of this unique structure.

In the spring of 2000, the bridge was rehabilitated by Hoke Brothers Construction, Inc. of Union, WV, in 2002 for $334,446. Renovations included timber roof trusses, a new glue-laminated timber deck, new wooden exterior siding, and a new roof of split shakes.

Indian Creek Bridge is a tribute to the ingenuity and hard work of two young builders who envisioned what transportation could be in Monroe County.

CASCADE FALLS

One of the most visited falls in Virginia is only a short drive away. About 150,000 visitors a year visit the Cascades. Without question, Cascade Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Virginia and possibly on the entire East Coast. Little Stony Creek falls over a vertical cliff in several different streams. Several streams cascade a couple of times on the way down while others fall the whole distance of the falls.

The 69 ft. falls crash into a large pool surrounded by two-hundred-foot cliff walls from which large ice formations hang in the winter. The scene is breathtaking and peaceful as the falls combine power and beauty. The falls are also relatively easy to view, with wooden stairs and platforms on one side of the pool, allowing a visitor to get very close to the falls and allowing a photographer many different angles for photographs.

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

Say Appalachian Trail in West Virginia, and most people think of the Eastern Panhandle. But a portion of the trail weaves in and out of West Virginia for about 20 miles along the Virginia border in Monroe County.

SUMMERS COUNTY

HINTON

Hinton is the southern gateway to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The town has a large historic district, a railroad museum, antique shops, and restaurants. After crossing the bridge at Hinton, you will begin driving alongside the New River down River Road. This favorite route has great riverside vistas for a casual drive along the waterfront. Boaters, motorcyclists, fishermen, and vehicle cruises on the roadway and the river are a common sight. Nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny mountains lies a place where the rivers flow, and the eagles soar. A place where small-town charm is around every corner and outdoor recreation is the norm. A place where porch sitting is earned after days spent hiking, biking, boating, and fishing. It is a place that remembers its past and looks toward the future.

Banking, healthcare facilities, a regional hospital, fast food restaurants, drugstores, grocery stores, hardware, auto parts, and farm supply are readily available in nearby Hinton, the county seat of Summers. Hinton has some local hometown restaurants that are great places to meet friends and enjoy a great home-cooked meal.

Nearby Forest Hill has a medical clinic, a post office, and an Amish baked goods store.

TALCOTT, HILLDALE, LOWELL, AND PENCE SPRINGS

The small communities of Talcott, Lowell, and Pence Springs are a vital part of the community. Talcott is the home of the famous John Henry legend and hosts a yearly festival called John Henry Days. Talcott has John Henry Park, a museum, and a post office. Hilldale has a brand-new Dollar General Store plus a convenience general store with gasoline sales. Lowell is home to the famous Lowell Market, a general store complete with a deli with the best breakfast biscuits for miles around. The store sells food, sporting goods, bait, hardware, lottery tickets, and other goods. Pence Springs is the home of the awesome Pence Springs Flea Market, held Sundays from April the end of October. Dozens of vendors set up offering antiques, collectibles, guns, households, and a sundry of goods and tools. Another mainstay in Pence Springs is the Country Road Store, known to locals as the Pence Springs Wallyworld. The stocked inventory includes food, gasoline and fuels, pizza, sporting goods, camping supplies, and hardware. As a former owner, Bird Keatley used to say, If we don't have it, do you need it? Greenbrier Girls Academy sitting high on a knoll in the Pence, is a private school on the grounds of the former Pence Springs Hotel.

GEOLOGY

The property is nestled between the folded Ridge and Valley Province to the east and the younger Allegheny Plateau to the west. Its waters empty into the world's third oldest river, the New River, just a few miles downstream.

The area has many interesting riches from the earth in the form of sandstone, limestone, agates, fossils, geodes, caves, and curious rock outcrops. The rivers bottom and banks have numerous types, ages, and classes of rocks originating from diverse geological regions along the New River basin that drain millions of acres.

Geologists' estimates vary widely from 3 million years to 320 million years when talking about the age of the gorge. The river pushes its load of sand and other particles over the bedrock of the river channel and wears it down in a sandpapering action. The cutting takes place very slowly, and each foot cut may take thousands of years.

Erosion by the New River has exposed several different rock formations. Traveling the 52 miles between Hinton and the New River Gorge bridge, you will pass through a cross-section of the earth's surface, exposing sedimentary rock layers totaling about 4,000 feet in thickness. It may have taken 7 to 10 million years for these deposits to accumulate as layers of sand, mud, and rotting plants and then compressed and bonded into sandstone, shale, and coal.

Just miles north, you can take a trip through time riding on I-64 from Dawson to the WV/VA boundary showcasing outcrops from the younger Mississippian formations to the older Devonian mountains.

The rich coal fields lying miles to the northwest were formed about 300 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian and Permian periods when the West Virginia area was south of the equator and moving north. Coal, a combustible sedimentary rock, formed when our area was covered with huge, tropical, swampy forests where plants giant ferns, reeds, and mosses grew. When the plants died, they piled up in swamps. Over time, heat and pressure transformed the buried materials into peat and various coal forms. These prehistoric coalfields continue to provide energy and industry to residents of West Virginia, the nation, and the world.

The Droop Sandstone, a very hard, quartz-rich rock originally deposited as sand beaches along an ancient shoreline, is especially prominent in the area. The erosion-resistant Droop Sandstone creates numerous sheer rock cliff formations. Locally, the Muddy Creek Mountain quarry produces decorative sandstone from the Droop, that is known worldwide for its beauty and durability.

ARCHEOLOGY

The property is in the Indian Creek, New River Valley Greenbrier River Valley region and contains interesting Native American artifacts.

The New River Gorge was never permanently settled by Europeans before the 1850s, so the older archeological record begins with the rich story of the Native American Indians in the New River Gorge area of southern West Virginia. Most stories involving native peoples center on historically documented tribes and their interaction with the European and African peoples who came into this area in the mid-1600s. What we usually consider the beginning of the story is an ending.

The story of American Indians in West Virginia began hundreds of generations before written history. The keys to this fantastic story are found in the arrowheads and multitudes of other artifacts and historical sites left behind by these ancient peoples.

The oldest artifacts from the New River Gorge are Clovis points. Made more than 11,000 years ago over much of North America, these intricately shaped stone spear points were used by ancient nomadic hunter-gatherers, Paleoindians, to kill mammoths, mastodons, and other Ice Age creatures.

Later artifacts found in excavated village sites, such as pieces of pottery, stone and bone tools, seeds, beads, and arrowheads, show the development of a thriving agricultural-based permanent community connected by well-established systems of trails.

Peoples of the Archaic and Woodland periods lived in our area for thousands of years, constructing palisade villages and elaborate burial mounds, progressing from spears to bow and arrows, producing clay and stone pottery and art objects, and extensively cultivating corn, squash, and beans. They were the ancestors of the people we know today in eastern North America as the Cherokee and Shawnee.

Native American Indians who lived in the River Valleys of the Ohio, Kanawha, Greenbrier, and Roanoke, as well as northern Georgia, upper South Carolina, and Tennessee, were part of the Archaic Period culture.

Native American artifact collectors search for and have found arrowheads, spear points, tomahawks, tools, and toys (marbles) in the region of the valleys. Most artifacts would be from the Archaic period and can be readily found on any flat areas on the creek that would be one foot higher than the creeks bank.

The American Native Indians who lived in what is now West Virginia led a Stone Age lifestyle where they had only stone tools and weapons, had never seen a horse, and had no knowledge of the wheel.

Many famous Native American tribes played a part in the state's history and whose tribal territories and homelands are in West Virginia. The names of the tribes included the Cherokee, Iroquois, Manahoac, Meherrin, Monacan, Nottaway, Occaneechi, Saponi, and Shawnee.

Other famous Tribes of Eastern Woodlands: Miami, Lenape, Iroquois, Massachusetts, Powhatan, Abenaki, Shawnee and Pequot, Fox, Sauk, Wampanoag, Delaware, Huron (Wyandot), Mohawk, Mohican, and Menominee.