The Roanoker-November/December 2021 - 83

Writer Dan Smith and his granddaughter, Madeline, take a
tumble on a popular Roanoke Hill at Ghent Hill Park. Says
Kerry Hurley, " Ghent Hill (overview photo, right) is easily the
most visible of Roanoke's sledding hills. "
Heights Baptist Church]. A stone's throw from
my house. I walk down there just to watch the
kids. " That is Ghent Hill Park and it is easily
the most visible of Roanoke's sledding hills. A
few years ago, the bottom of the hill became
part of the Roanoke River Greenway system,
but the new pavement did not even slow the
sledders, who often show up in large family
groups.
Allison Greeley says it is " popular and offviews
of the mountains with amazing sunsets
while sledding. "
Barbara Norris Duerk remembers sledding
the " backside of Peakwood Drive [where] Mr.
Bush of Bush-Flora Shoes, would pull us up
the hill with his Jeep. "
Nearby, Clair Kennett and her pals would
start " at the top of the hill above 27th Street,
with permission from Lorenz Neuhoff to use
his large hill to get up speed. On a good day
you could sled to 24th Street or further. A bonfire
was built at 27th Street, and side streets
below were blocked off by Roanoke's finest ...
until that fateful day when an unnamed sledder
hit a policeman and broke his leg. That was the
end of the bonfires and police-barricaded side
streets, but the parents and kids guarded these
areas to keep cars out after that. "
Kennett noted that " another good spot
in South Roanoke was 24th Street between
Wycliffe Avenue and Carolina Avenue, known
as 'Beerbottle.' You can imagine how it got it's
name (but I never rolled one down that hill).
Very, very steep and impossible to stop at the
bottom. The last time I did this I was 40 years
old and went all the way to the firehouse on
Crystal Spring Avenue before running my sled
into the curb to stop. "
Irvin McGarrell insists the best hill was on
Wilson Street in Southeast Roanoke. " You
go south and you end up at the old Viscose
Plant, go north and you end up at Buzzard
Rock Ford. Three curves north and two south.
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And it was a long way back. "
Charlie Boswell recalls that " back in the day
before Fallon Park School was built, there were
two hills on Fallon Park in Southeast Roanoke.
You started at the top, came down the small
hill, hit a short straight section and then went
down the big hill toward Dale Avenue. "
John Garland says without hesitation that
the " best was, and still could be, Grandview
Avenue starting at the top of Round Hill in
Northwest Roanoke. When I was young, the
city closed Grandview during snow events and
provided a barrel for a fire to keep us warm.
[The city] packed the snow down for faster
results. It was not for the faint of heart, but
we did use old-school sleds with rails that you
could steer. You could start at top and sled
down to Floraland or turn on Cedarhurst Avenue
and sled down to Richland. It was a long
walk back up and I'd be worn out after a couple
trips. "
Colbert L. Boyd, who lives near Grandiew
now, says he " wasn't around to see sledding
from the top of Grandview north towards
Broad Street, but that would have made a great,
eye-opening ride. "
Marge Spillen recalls that " Spring Road off
Tillett gives you a good ride. It is steep enough
to get some speed going but not so long that it
takes forever to get back up it. "
Blues singer Kerry Hurley echos the oftheard
refrain of, " Yeah, the hill under the
'Jesus Saves' sign right off of Memorial [Villa
road " and also recommends the Norwich section
near Grandin Village, which " is huge and
when covered in ice, incredibly fast. Seems like
an Olympic ski jump when staring down from
the top. " Becki Robertson Morrison says that
Ghent Hill is " deadly but fun. "
Marcia McDade recalls that " growing up in
Southwest Roanoke County Writer Dan Smith
and his granddaughter, Madeline, take a tumble
on a popular Roanoke Hill at Ghent Hill Park.
Says Kerry Hurley, " Ghent Hill Park (overview
photo, right) and it is easily the most visible of
Roanoke's sledding hills. It was a big plus to
live on Sugar Loaf Mountain. We had great
sledding there. "
Stevie Holcomb was pictured " in the Roanoke
Times in the early '80s with my sled on
Merriman Road [in Southwest County]. Guy
stopped as I was heading over there and asked
to take my picture for the paper. Today, I probably
think he was a creep or something, but it
did show up in the paper. The sledding hill is
gone now. "
Erica Austin says that " there were always big
crowds at Parkway Church " on the hill behind
Monterey Elementary in Northeast Roanoke.
Wendy Schuyler likes Raleigh Court Park at
Woodrow Wilson Middle School " because it's
like a big neighborhood party. Everyone comes
together and kids and parents alike share sleds
and play and laugh. It's great. "
And that is pretty much what snow sledding
has always been about: the party. We will hope
that with the coming of winter that party will
rock again with sledders, slick snow and lots of
laughter and kid-style danger. I
November/December 2021 83
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The Roanoker-November/December 2021

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