Credit: Rappahannock Historical Society.
Location
The memorial is located at the western end of the Thornton Gap Orchard & Market property on the north side of Route 211 in Sperryville. (The exact address is 11587 Lee Highway, Sperryville, Virginia 22740). The site is owned by Russell Jenkins with an easement by Rappahannock County.
Status
The monument was dedicated on May 20, 2017 during a ceremony that drew close to 200 people , many of whom were descendants of those displaced in Rappahannock County. The memorial includes a stone chimney with bronze plaque that bears the names of families displaced; a stone retaining wall around the backside of the chimney, a stone paver flooring; and an ADA-accessible ramp.
Family Names
The committee conducted extensive research to determine as accurately as possible the surnames of the families in Rappahannock County who were displaced from the mountains for creation of the Park. The plaque affixed to the chimney lists 91 names.
Information on the Memorial’s Stones
The stones used for construction of the chimney came from two properties in the Old Hollow area of Rappahannock County: 1)stone walls on the Thornton Gap Church property and 2) stone walls and stone piles on the farm of John and Jyl Pomeroy (historically known as the Hamrick property).
Building of Rappahannock County’s Memorial
Images of the construction process.
Rebar laid at the site in October 2016. Photo by Kristie Kendall
Rappahannock volunteers gathering stone from the Pomeroy Farm in Old Hollow. Photo courtesy of Missy Sutton.
Photo Gallery
Photos are not to be reproduced without the permission of the owner.