Rocky Knob Maintenance Area: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Blue Ridge Parkway

Regions 1, 2, & 4 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: The Rocky Knob Maintenance Area component landscape, one of four component landscapes within the Rocky Knob Recreation Area, is located at Milepost 167.2, north of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the state of Virginia. Construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Rocky Knob area began in 1937, with construction of the Maintenance area beginning in 1940 using Civilization Conservation Corp (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor. The area was intended as a functional landscape, providing a base for operation and maintenance of both the road and recreation area. Designers located the compound a short distance from the Parkway, intentionally hidden from the public’s view, on an area of denuded mountain farmland surrounded by woodland. The buildings within the maintenance area were intentionally more utilitarian in appearance than other more visible structures within the recreation area. The Maintenance Area component landscape is accessed via a ½ mile long entrance road. This two-lane asphalt thoroughfare stops at the entrance gate of the Maintenance Area before transitioning into a single lane road, which continues on and provides access to both the district office trailers and four staff residences; an unimproved road branches away from the entrance drive just before it reaches the employee residence area. This gravel and dirt road continues behind the residences before traveling offsite and out of the study area, eventually intersecting with Route 720. The Maintenance Area features a large paved courtyard immediately after passing through the entrance gate. This area is composed of a central parking area designed to accommodate approximately 14 cars with additional parking for six cars located on the western side of the court. A separate asphalt drive extends west from the maintenance area entrance to provide vehicular access to the lower level of the Ships and Heavy Equipment Building. Nine buildings are located around the central courtyard in the maintenance area. The Maintenance Area component landscape is significant under Criteria A, C, and D, contributing to the period of significance identified for the Rocky Knob Recreation Area parent landscape 1939-1965. That period encompasses initial parkway construction through completion of proposed developments consistent with early master plans for the site. Parkway design principles are conveyed throughout the developed area, including the Maintenance Area, tying it to the broader 469-mile linear historic landscape. Rocky Knob Recreation Area also embodies several key components early designers considered important for motorists to experience when traveling the corridor - to connect more deeply with the region through recreation, to enjoy the scenic and intentionally conserved natural scenery, and to avail themselves of food, lodging, and other amenities

Rocky Knob Maintenance Area: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Blue Ridge Parkway

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