Wanderlust World Wanderlust World There are several chimneys in Virginia classified as historic sites by the Historical Society of Virginia. Most are ruins from a famous person's birthplace or home place, and many were owned by families who were the founding fathers of many communities. They consist mainly of chimneys that were left standing when a home was destroyed by fire or simply from age.
The Twin Chimneys of Franklin County, Virginia are the remains of the home of Gwin Dudley. The Dudley family was one of the first families of Franklin County. The chimneys tower over the Blackwater River section of Smith Mountain Lake; even though both chimneys are made of stone, the north chimney does not compare to the unique construction of the south chimney, which has a stone tablet marked "GD1795."
The Christian Cloyd Chimney is located at Claytor Lake State Park in Dublin, Virginia. Colonel William Christian was Patrick Henry's brother-in-law and a militia commander. The home was originally built in 1772 at a location about a mile away. The original site is now the bottom of Claytor Lake. The home was reconstructed by the Pulaski County Sesquicentennial Committee, The Pulaski County Chapter of the New River Historical Society and the Virginia Department of State Parks.
Drive down Virginia state route 686 at the intersection of state route 683 in Pittsylvania County, and if you look closely you'll see a single one chimney in the field, with the Banister River running freely behind it. This was the home place of Rachel Donelson, who became the wife of Andrew Jackson. In 1930, the home was no longer habitable and Mrs. Thomas F. Motley hired someone to build a massive chimney using some of the stones from the home. A memorial tablet sponsored by the Thomas Carter Chapter of the D.A.R. was placed on the chimney in honor of Rachel Donelson Jackson.
The Natural Chimneys, located in the Shenandoah Valley region, are limestone formations that look like tall industrial chimneys. They were formed thousands of years ago when the valley was the actual floor of an inland sea connected to the James River which ran to the Atlantic Ocean. The chimneys tower over the green valley at a height of 120 feet. The Natural Chimneys Regional Park and Campground are a nationally known tourist attraction.
Mt. Athos, originally called the Buffalo Lick Plantation, overlooks the James River near Lynchburg, Virginia. It was built in 1796 and subsequently became the property of William J. Lewis, a commander of riflemen in 1781 who served in the House of Delegates and in the U.S. Congress. The plantation was destroyed by fire in 1876, but huge ruins of the walls and four chimneys still stand. A historical marker was placed on the ruins.