Eggleston Featured in “Lost Communities of Virginia”

Eggleston, VA, once a bustling town in Virginia’s New River Valley, is still a regional destination, but for a different reason. The old general store turned gourmet restaurant, The Palisades Restaurant attracts visitors for miles, but Eggleston looks a lot different than it used to.

Eggleston is considered a “Lost Community” in Virginia, according to “Lost Communities of Virginia,” a book that highlights towns in Virginia that lost a major mode of transportation, an economically driving industry, or a certain historic way of life.

Authors Terri Fisher and Kirsten Sparenborg spent time uncovering and discovering towns in Virginia that lost something major, but refused to disappear.

Fisher, an Outreach Coordinator for the Virginia Tech Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC), and Sparenborg, a former CDAC Architecture Intern, started the project by driving all over the Commonwealth of Virginia and following the little green signs on the highway pointing to different communities. That’s how the two ended up checking out 2,600 communities.

Fisher joined PBS’s Write Around the Corner to share the story of the “Lost Communities of Virginia” and Eggleston:

PBS Write Around the Corner

Write Around the Corner – Terri Fisher | Write Around the Corner

We’ll talk with the co-author of “Lost Communities of Virginia.”

Fisher and Sparenborg narrowed down those 2,600 communities down to just 30 that are featured in the book. Eggleston is one of those 30.

In fact, Eggleston is the first community where this project began.

Eggleston

Eggleston started as what Fisher categorizes as a “Resort Community.” Gunpowder Springs attracted visitors from all over to heal ailments and soothe the soul. Once rail transportation reached the area, tracks went down on both sides of the New River, turning this Resort Community into a “Transportation Hub.”

Eventually when the need to travel by rail significantly decreased, Eggleston lost that mode of transportation, making it a Lost Community of Virginia.

Fortunately, the community of Eggleston did not die. The General Store was revitalized and eventually turned into The Palisades Restaurant, which draw visitors from hours away.

Next time you’re driving through Virginia’s New River Valley, pay attention to those little green signs. You never know where they might lead.

Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of all worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.