Skip to main content

Small Towns of Virginia Series - Pound

Downtown Pound, Virginia
Just south of the Kentucky State Line along US 23 is the Town of Pound.  This Mountain Empire town of nearly 1,000 is a sample of many of the small towns in this region - tucked away within the folds of the numerous hills and mountains of the area and not a straight road to be found.

The Pound Hardware & Furniture Company building is now home to a hodgepodge of different shops.
Pound sits along Virginia's Crooked Road - a meandering journey through Southwest Virginia highlighting and celebrating the regions connection to Americana and Bluegrass Music.  Pound celebrates its piece of Bluegrass Heritage 7:00 pm every Thursday night at the Pound Town Hall Building.  "Pickin' in the Pound" features local bluegrass musicians and southwest Virginia hospitality.

Until 2011, Pound was home to the Pound High School Wildcats.  That year, Wise County consolidated Pound HS with Wise's J.J. Kelly High School to form Central High School in Norton.  The new Central High School would open in 2013.  From my visit there in 2008, Pound was very proud of their high school.

This local store displays Pound High School Wildcat Pride

Pound sits along the Pound River and is served by US 23 and Virginia Route 83.  The planned Coalfields Expressway - which will run from Beckley, WV southwest to Pound - will have its southern terminus here.  There is no timetable for completion for this road.

The Pixie Drive-In was for sale by owner in 2008; however, it is still there and under new ownership.
Site Navigation:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rep. Sue Myrick's letter to Gov. Easley and Sect. Tippett published in Charlotte Observer

US. Representative Sue Myrick's (R-Charlotte) letter to North Carolina's Governor Mike Easley and NC Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett was published in the Friday, November 30th edition of the Charlotte Observer . Why are we delaying the completion of 1-485 in Charlotte again? I read in The Charlotte Observer how rising prices of materials are leading to the delay. Why didn't these same rising costs delay the loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington? Why are we building loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington before we complete the one in Charlotte? We were working on the one in Charlotte back when I was mayor. That was 20 years ago! ... Last I looked Charlotte was the largest city in the state. There seems to be no recognition of that fact in Raleigh. No recognition that we are at a standstill with traffic. No recognition that we have a traffic problem. Nor is there any recognition of the fact that the state DOT utterly botched up the southern leg of our yet to be completed ...

I-90 in Albany, New York and the Berkshire Spur

Today's Albany Times Union has a segment in their weekly Getting There? column that explains some of the history behind how I-90 is designated in the Albany, NY area as well as the Berkshire Spur. The long and short of the article was that I-90 was originally designated on the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, but as free I-90 was built, the designation was moved onto the free portion of road. Additionally, there were talks in 1999 between state and federal officials about the possibility of moving I-90 back onto the unsigned portion of the Berkshire Spur, while extending I-88 onto what we know as free I-90. There would have also had been an I-88/I-90 multiplex between Rotterdam and Albany as a result. http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=916307

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Sandstone Falls

The New River, which runs through New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, is best known for its dramatic rapids and whitewater adventures.  Those features begin at one of the river's widest points: Sandstone Falls. From the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk a look at just a small part of the falls. Though the vertical drop of roughly 20 feet is less than many other well-known waterfalls in the state, the falls' expanse, where the river approaches 1500 feet wide, makes Sandstone Falls impressive.   The Boardwalk Trail leads to a better vantage point of the overall falls. It is a great spot for photography, fishing, or laying out in the sun. Access to the falls is relatively easy: from Hinton, cross the New River on Highway 20, then turn right onto CR 26 and follow New River Road to the Sandstone Falls Parking Area. The Island Loop Trail is a short detour off the Boardwalk Trail and shows a quieter side of the area. At Sandstone Falls, you will find a variety of activities fr...