The Underwater Community

The story of Fayerdale, an old mining town near Fairystone State Park, is really remarkable. When I first heard the story, I was fascinated, not so much by the story, but by its ending.

The Boom Town

The Patrick County town was born in the late 1700s. For decades the population remained in the low hundreds. But once the Virginia Ore & Lumber Corporation moved in, Fayerdale became a bustling community of 2,000 people including miners, railroad workers, and lumber employees. As mentioned in yesterday's post, when mining became modernized, the mine closed and that meant the end of Fayerdale. People moved away to find jobs.

Where is it Now?

Fayerdale had all the conveniences of a hopping community of the early 1900s. A train depot, general store, sawmill, post office, and a doctor's office were some of the landmarks of this mining town. But eventually everyone moved away, and the structures and buildings were vacant.

Here's the Interesting Part

So, what happens to an abandoned town? In this case, it sat there for some years. Then, in 1933 the area was donated to the Commonwealth of Virginia to be included in the state park system. As Fairystone State Park was being built, Fayerdale became Fairystone Lake! The Lake now covers what used to be the town of Fayerdale. I don't know about you but that blows me away. After learning about Fayerdale's fate, each time I'm in a canoe on Fairystone Lake, I always catch myself looking down to see if I can spot something. Maybe a railroad track or a sign from an old building.

Read All About It

There's an interesting book, The Fayerdale Tragedy: Fairystone State Park, that was written in 1983 by Elmer Haynes. It doesn't actually focus on the years that Fayerdale was growing. Instead it features some events that took place after the mine shut down. The photos in the book are great. It also includes old newspaper clippings. The story is interesting.

Next Time

There are some terrific stories out there and many come from Patrick County. But it's hard to imagine a story with a more interesting ending than the story of Fayerdale.

From Mining Town to Hiking Trail

When you hike any of the beautiful trails in the Stuart’s Knob Trail System at Fairystone State Park, it’s fun to imagine what took place there over a century ago. Today’s fantastic trails were once home to a bustling mining operation. The mine is closed off now but you can still peak inside.

Virginia Ore & Lumber Corp

Iron was mined in the hill directly across the road from Fairystone Lake from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. For almost 100 years, miners used picks and shovels to get the job done. There were little changes in how the work was completed until about 1905 when the steam engine arrived. In 1906, the Virginia Ore & Lumber Corporation was formed. The company modernized the operations and miners began using jackhammers powered by compressed air. Cable cars ran to the processing plant at the base of the hill. It suddenly became a top notch, modern facility employing hundreds of men. Stuart’s Knob and the mine took off.

What a Blast

Suddenly, the little community of Fayerdale, population 100, grew almost overnight to a town of 2,000 people thanks to the mine, Virginia Ore & Lumber, and the steam engine. (Where the town is now is another story for a future post.) Anyway the community grew like crazy with a post office, a depot for Norfolk & Western Railroad, a store, a blacksmith shop, and even a doctor’s office. The place was hopping and all of the growth happened very quickly. Over 400 miners lived there as did over 1,000 lumber and railroad employees.

That was Fast

Just as things were really moving, everything suddenly stopped. In 1911, processed iron was available for the same price Virginia Ore & Lumber was charging for raw iron ore. That was the kiss of death for the business, the mine, and the miners. Mining operations ceased. People moved away and by 1920 the community of Fayerdale was no more.

Fairystone Now

In 1933 the land was donated to the Commonwealth of Virginia to be included in the new state park system. Stuart’s Knob, where the mine is located is now a system of trails that is absolutely beautiful. There are several look-outs where you can get a great view of Fairystone Lake or other parts of the park.

There’s a parking area at the trail head. The maps and directions there are excellent. Signs along the trails explain the story of Stuart’s Knob, the mine, and the community of Fayerdale.

See any Miners?

According to the signage in the area, there are many clues left behind that tell the hiker there once was a working mine at Stuart’s Knob. As you walk, it’s easy to imagine the mine in operation and the miners and cable cars going up and down the hill. Enjoy the hike!

Springtime at Fairystone

What a great time of the year in the Fairystone area. Spring is doing its best to spring. The Redbuds are practically jumping out of the landscape and grabbing attention. It's pretty difficult to miss those purple flowers when they're surrounded by all the other trees and plants that are green and a little bit of gray.

Weekend at Fairystone

Fortunately, I was able to spend the weekend at the Fairystone Cabin. Saturday may have been the nicest day of 2009. The sun was out and the temperatures were in the seventies. The hiking in Fairystone State Park early Saturday morning was perfect. After a great morning hike on Stuart's Knob it was time to take the top off the Jeep and head to the Blue Ridge Parkway for the afternoon.

Some Great Sites

Stuart's Knob is an interesting story. I'll write about that soon. In addition, I visited a couple of very cool places on and near the Parkway. I'll share some photos and the stories that go along with them in the next few weeks.

Go Now!

This is such a great time to visit the area. It's never really over-run with people or tourists, even at the height of the season, but it's especially quiet and beautiful now through the next few weeks. If you can visit the area, I highly recommend you do so---soon!

Earth Day Pledge

Earth Day is coming. The official day is April 22nd although most Earth Day activities are taking place on Saturday the 18th. I usually take my children for a hike in Fairystone State Park or volunteer to clean up a nearby trail on Earth Day. This year, though, I wanted to do something different on Earth Day. So, I decided to make a commitment---something that will challenge me and hopefully make a difference.

Git-R-Done

After examining a list of meaningful things I could do to support Mother Earth, I’ve decided that I’m going to stop using plastic bags. I know this isn’t the most incredible thing you’ve read today, and it won’t make headlines, but it’s a big step for me.

Nothing Good About Them

I always knew plastic bags were harmful to the environment but I didn’t know to what extent until I did some checking. This may be old news to you but it opened my eyes.

*People use 500 billion plastic bags each year
*It takes 20 years for plastic bags to break down
*The EPA says only 1% of plastic bags are ever recycled (20% for paper bags)
*The raw material in plastic bags is oil---making us more oil dependent
*A chemical in plastic bags, is linked to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease
*There are more pieces of plastic bags than food in some parts of the ocean
*Some animals mistake plastic bags for food, they eat them, and they die

In the Woods

If you hike, you’ve seen it. You’re walking along, looking at the incredible scenery when something tan or white catches your eye. You look closer and there’s a plastic bag stuck to a branch or under a rock. It’s bad enough that it’s there but unless you go pick it up, it will be there for several years.

Stupid Drawer

I use plastic bags often---rarely at the Fairystone Cabin---but rather at our full time home. We have a huge kitchen drawer there jammed full with them. Last week, the drawer wouldn’t close all the way because some plastic bags fell over the back of the drawer and underneath it, stopping it from closing by an inch. After slamming the drawer closed, only to have it pop open, about 20 times, I began asking myself why we kept all those bags.

So, with Earth Day fast approaching and a kitchen drawer at home that won’t close I thought it might be time to give it a shot. No more plastic bags. I’ve been able to live without them, for the most part, at the cabin. Now it’s time to go plastic bag-free every day.

(Photo by Burton Floyd Photography)

Round the Mountain to Region's Artisans

There are some incredible artisans in this part of country. When spending a Saturday afternoon in downtown Stuart a while back, I heard about Round the Mountain. It’s a program under the Virginia Works Initiative that began in 2004 to assist the artisans in southwest Virginia with marketing, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities. It is establishing a craft trail network, much like the Crooked Road does with music, through 19 counties in this part of the Commonwealth. Patrick County, where the Fairystone Cabin is located, is one of the counties.

The Round the Mountain Web Site

If you’re into pottery, photography, painting, crafts, homemade preserves, road side produce stands and the like, you’ll want to check out the Round the Mountain web site, http://www.roundthemountain.org/. It lists a bunch of events along the route where you can meet the farmers and artists and see their goods.

For example, the first event I clicked on was “Art Off the Wall,” a show that features seven artisans in seven different three-dimensional media: clay, wood, stone, stained glass, fabric, metal, and lampwork glass beads. It takes place in Floyd, May 1st through May 3rd. Pretty cool! There are many events like that on the site.

Artists in the Fairystone Cabin

When we began furnishing the Fairystone Cabin, we decided we would do our best to buy things that came from Virginia. The artists and craftspeople are so talented here, why not enjoy their work in the cabin? Most of our furniture, crafts, pottery, photos, and paintings are from south and west Virginia. (A few things came from central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.) Traveling to the communities around Fairystone to make the cabin a home has been fun. We’ve seen cool places, met some great people, and learned much about the region.

On a Roll

The first “art” we purchased for the cabin was a series of nature photos taken by Burton Floyd, an incredibly talented photographer and friend from the Shenandoah Valley. His work has been featured in Blue Ridge Country Magazine. http://www.burtonfloyd.com/ The photo at the top of this post is one of his.

Hanging his photos in the cabin gave us the idea of staying “local,” or at least staying “Virginia.” We followed the photos with a painting of Mabry Mill that we found in downtown Stuart. Then a candle holder we came across in Floyd. A cool handmade vase, also from Floyd, came next. We were off and running. The furniture is from Bassett, Rocky Mount, and Roanoke. A painting by P. Buckley Moss brought some central Virginia into the mix.

It’s All Right Here

This region has so much to offer with the incredible music, trails, lakes, rivers, mountains, and scenery. Don’t forget to add art to the list.

Fairystone's Lake Shore Trail is for Everyone

When hiking Fairystone State Park's Lake Shore Trail, you’ll see children and adults, dogs and horses, hiking boots and sneakers.

Of the 13-plus miles of trails in Fairystone State Park, I’ll bet Lake Shore Trail is the most popular. I’ve hiked the trail about 25 times and regardless of the time of year, I think I’ve bumped into at least one person each time. It’s never packed but it’s rarely empty, either.

Great for Beginners

What makes Lake Shore attractive is its terrain. It’s relatively flat. When the trail heads up or down it dips…slightly. Nothing too steep here. So, if you have children or you haven’t hit the gym for a while, Lake Shore is a very do-able trail.

In addition to the friendly geography of Lake Shore, its distance is perfect for the hiking newcomer or for the individual with little time to squeeze in a walk. It’s just over a mile from the trailhead to the end of the trail.

The Scenery

If you like scenery, this is the trail for you. Trees on both sides. Families of deer are easily spotted. Squirrels running around in the leaves. At the halfway point you’re suddenly walking alongside Fairystone Lake. Next to the Lake, where the trail climbs up a bit, there’s an overlook. It’s great for taking photos of the Lake. (The photo above was shot there last weekend.) It’s the perfect spot for your camera and the view really changes with each season.

The Pay-Off

The trail ends at a dam where Fairystone Lake and Philpott Lake intersect. There’s a neat little spillway and a couple of small---but loud---waterfalls. I saw two people fishing by the waterfalls on Sunday. Besides me, that was it. Go there in the summer, though, and you’ll find adults and children spending hours there playing in water. It’s really a cool spot.

Give it a Shot

It’s impossible to lose your way on this trail. The trees are clearly marked (yellow blaze) and even I couldn’t get lost my first time thanks to the excellent signage. It’s a great, safe, little out and back trail that just about everyone can enjoy.