Lexington is nestled in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Washington was naturally suited to the challenges presented by laying lines and charting tracts in the Virginia backcountry. It was in this capacity that Washington made his first visit to Virginia’s Natural Bridge. The bridge was originally formed by the collapse of a cavern’s roof that left remnant portions as a 215-foot-high bridge with a span of 90 feet. Here, legend has it, the physically imposing Washington, who towered in his day at 6’ 2”, threw a rock from the creek running underneath the bridge to its top—a distance of 215 feet. Stories of Washington’s physical prowess were well- known during his lifetime and his legend only grew after his death, sometimes blurring the line between fact and hearsay. However, in 1927, a large stone was found in the brush on top of the bridge carved with an official surveyor’s cross and the initials “G.W.,” which historians have accepted as likely proof of the first president’s impressive upper body strength. George Washington isn’t the only founding father associated with the bridge. Thomas Jefferson purchased 157 acres of land including the Natural Bridge from King George III of England for 20 shillings in 1774. He called it “the most sublime of nature’s works.” Jefferson built a two-room log cabin, with one room reserved for guests,
NATURALLY VIRGINIA By Dee Litten Whited
He was a young and ambitious 17-year-old Virginian, who more than anything wanted to join the British Navy. The year was 1749 and although George had a mind of his own, he was also respectful of his mother, who believed a life in the navy was too dangerous. Although his family was well off, they weren’t wealthy, so it was up to the young George Washington to find gainful employment. He was a hearty outdoorsman and when the opportunity came to make full use of that skill, he decided a position as a land surveyor would suit him. He had earlier accompanied George William Fairfax and James Gunn on a month-long trip west across the Blue Ridge Mountains to survey land for Lord Fairfax. Through a series of family connections, in 1749, he was given the rather cushy position as official surveyor of the newly formed Culpeper County, Virginia. He completed his first survey within two days, measuring a tract of 400 acres.
NATURALLY VIRGINIA
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2020
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