Blue Ridge Parkway
The idea for the Blue Ridge Parkway was born when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited the newly constructed Skyline Drive in Virginia in 1933. The Parkway was to be a joint project of Virginia, North Carolina, and the Federal Government.
June 30, 1936, the Blue Ridge Parkway was taken into the National Park Service. The significance of this act was to show that this highway was now considered a resource of national merit. From that time, Parkway policy has been governed by the National Park Service.
The landscape architects of that time had to go from ridge to ridge, checking out where the “best views” were and where it might be feasible to build a tunnel or bridge for this scenic road. The next step was to start negotiating for the rights-of-way. This land was owned mostly by people who had settled in the mountains, years before and each parcel had to be dealt with on an individual basis. Most of the mountain people were in favor of the road; however, many of them were under the impression it would serve as a highway to benefit them for commercial use. Many farmers lost sections of their land, in addition to having rules and regulations set on the remaining land they owned, this left some of farmers at the time with bitter feelings toward the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The real story of the Blue Ridge Parkway is the story of its people. Our people.
By 1937 - 1938, most of the individual land owners in Carroll, Floyd, Patrick and Grayson Counties had reached an agreement with the National Park Service.
Most of the construction in our area was done by private contractors and local laborers, a variety of New Deal public works programs were also employed, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Emergency Relief Administration (ERA), and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
The links below are maps of the land acquired for the building of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The original Blueprints have been preserved and are located in the Carroll County Clerk of Circuit Court's office in Hillsville Va.
We are looking for photographs of the individual original land owners, please reach out to us if you have any photographs we can add to the site. The list of names can be found under the first two links. Land maps is the third link.
Lands Acquired for BRP 1938 Owners by Map Number
Lands Acquired for BRP 1938 Owners combine name list
Maps of Land Acquired for The Blue Ridge Parkway: Carroll, Floyd, Patrick and Grayson
Blue Ridge Parkway PLUMs (Parkway Land Use Maps)
Parkway Land Use Maps are historic, detailed maps documenting road alignment, plantings, structures, recreation areas, parking areas, and trails. Adjacent public and private roads, utilities, easements, and land ownership are also listed.
Images coming soon
June 30, 1936, the Blue Ridge Parkway was taken into the National Park Service. The significance of this act was to show that this highway was now considered a resource of national merit. From that time, Parkway policy has been governed by the National Park Service.
The landscape architects of that time had to go from ridge to ridge, checking out where the “best views” were and where it might be feasible to build a tunnel or bridge for this scenic road. The next step was to start negotiating for the rights-of-way. This land was owned mostly by people who had settled in the mountains, years before and each parcel had to be dealt with on an individual basis. Most of the mountain people were in favor of the road; however, many of them were under the impression it would serve as a highway to benefit them for commercial use. Many farmers lost sections of their land, in addition to having rules and regulations set on the remaining land they owned, this left some of farmers at the time with bitter feelings toward the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The real story of the Blue Ridge Parkway is the story of its people. Our people.
By 1937 - 1938, most of the individual land owners in Carroll, Floyd, Patrick and Grayson Counties had reached an agreement with the National Park Service.
Most of the construction in our area was done by private contractors and local laborers, a variety of New Deal public works programs were also employed, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Emergency Relief Administration (ERA), and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
The links below are maps of the land acquired for the building of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The original Blueprints have been preserved and are located in the Carroll County Clerk of Circuit Court's office in Hillsville Va.
We are looking for photographs of the individual original land owners, please reach out to us if you have any photographs we can add to the site. The list of names can be found under the first two links. Land maps is the third link.
Lands Acquired for BRP 1938 Owners by Map Number
Lands Acquired for BRP 1938 Owners combine name list
Maps of Land Acquired for The Blue Ridge Parkway: Carroll, Floyd, Patrick and Grayson
Blue Ridge Parkway PLUMs (Parkway Land Use Maps)
Parkway Land Use Maps are historic, detailed maps documenting road alignment, plantings, structures, recreation areas, parking areas, and trails. Adjacent public and private roads, utilities, easements, and land ownership are also listed.
Images coming soon