2023 Lexington Vacation Guide - 10

Rockbridge County's
ICONIC SPOTS
H
istory is hard to shake in
Rockbridge County. Native
Americans inhabited the region for
more than 10,000 years before the
first European explorers arrived in
1716. In 1777 the Virginia legislature
created Rockbridge County,
named for the majestic limestone
arch known as Natural Bridge.
Today, history in Rockbridge
County melds with adventure, culture,
and education to offer stories
immersed in present-day fun.
Natural Bridge
George Washington surveyed this
storied natural wonder, which was
called by Thomas Jefferson, " the
most sublime of nature's works. "
Today, the arch continues its legacy
as a top destination for natural
awe. Named an International Dark
Sky Park in 2021, Natural Bridge is
acclaimed for its stargazing.
North Rockbridge
Native Americans were the original
cultivators of these limestone soils,
and subsequent settlers made
agriculture their livelihood.
Today, many working farms
welcome visitors with farm shops,
bread days, and tours along the
North Rockbridge Trail. On the
Fields of Gold Farm Trail you can
pick fruit, visit a farmers market,
and taste local wines. The Shenandoah
Beerwerks Trail makes a
stop in North Rockbridge too.
Wade's Mill is the oldest, continuously
operating commercial grist
mill in the Shenandoah Valley. At
nearby McCormick Farm a recreW&L,
VMI & SVU
Washington and Lee University's
roots are in a small academy called
Liberty Hall. George Washington's
later support spurred the trustees to
rename it Washington College.
Decades later, former Confederate
General Robert E. Lee accepted the
presidency of the small college. After
Lee's death in 1870, the school was
renamed Washington and Lee (W&L).
Established in 1839 on the site
of an arsenal in Lexington, Virginia
Military Institute (VMI) is the oldest
state-sponsored military college in
the country.
Founded in 1900 as Southern Seminary,
the school changed names and
formats over the following century -
today Southern Virginia University
is a four-year, coeducational college
in Buena Vista.
Downtown Lexington
For centuries Lexington has been a
hub for commerce, education, and
religion. Visitors can delve into the
civilian life of Thomas Jackson, his
10 LEXINGTON | BUENA VISTA | ROCKBRIDGE
ated working grist mill and blacksmith
shop mark where Cyrus Hall McCormick,
in 1831, invented the mechanical
grain reaper.
A lesser-known story is that of Ned
Tarr, an enslaved African American
blacksmith from Pennsylvania, who
purchased his freedom and became
a founding member of Timber Ridge
Presbyterian Church - still active
today - and his 1754 purchase of
his farm made him the first Black
landowner west of the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
NATURAL BRIDGE
2023 Lexington Vacation Guide

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