Patrick County Magazine - Spring 2024

The Family Tree Racing royalty still home in Patrick County

The Patrick County Magazine is published in partnership by the Patrick County Tourism Office and the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce. Spring 2024 / Vol. 3, No. 1 visitpatrickcounty.org

For advertising information:

Patrick County Chamber

410 Patrick Ave., Suite A Stuart, VA 24171

276-694-6012

For additional copies of the magazine, contact:

Patrick County Tourism

126 N. Main St. Stuart, VA 24171

276-693-2005

Chamber Director: Rebecca Adcock

Chamber Assistant: Sharon Williams

Tourism Director: James Houchins

Tourism Assistant: Grace Cooper

Creative Director: David Stanley

Photographer: Kim Rakes

Design: SilverLining Design

Contributors: Sue Kolljeski, Kristin Hylton, Sarah Sheppard, Erica Stacy

Note: Please know that changes occur with attractions and businesses before Tourism or the Chamber knows about it. We make every attempt to present accurate information, but contact businesses or attractions directly before making plans to visit.

The Cover: The Wood Brothers Racing family under the old Beech tree they once used to hoist engines while working on their race cars.

The Family Tree

The Wood Brothers Racing family are still rooted here in Patrick County

Knocking it Out of the Park

Patrick County Cougars Win 2023 Virginia State Championship backed by family and community

Patrick Pioneers: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Patrick County baseball is built on a 120 year legacy of excellence that lives on

Parks for Everyone

Play, learn, and grow at Patrick County Parks and other outdoor spaces

Fishing Opportunities Abound

Whether you want to fish in a river or on the lake, Patrick County offers the backdrop to all of your fishing “tails”

The Star is Reborn

The Star Theatre first opened in 1947 and is shining brightly again

A Force in the Community

More than historic buildings, Reynolds Homestead holds the region’s history to support its future

Updates from Tourism and the Chamber of Commerce

Patrick County Tourism is proud to present the spring 2024 edition of the Patrick County Magazine. We couldn’t be happier with the magazine’s success, and we thank everyone who has taken the time to read it. This issue looks at sports teams, both current and historical, that have originated in Patrick County. Team sports strengthen community ties and promote healthy habits in kids and adults. Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors, and we’d like to grow it in the county. The Virginia Tourism Corporation reported that sports tourism contributed $2.7 billion in direct spending in 2022. We hope you enjoy learning about the sports teams that have impacted Patrick County. From high school successes to NASCAR legends, there’s no denying sports’ impact on our community.

We invite lifelong residents and tourists to come by the Patrick County Visitors Center located at 126 North Main Street, Stuart, VA. The visitor center contains information on local attractions, events, and lodging. No matter what you’re looking for, the Patrick County Visitors Center can help with accommodations, directions, and trip planning.

James Houchins

Tourism and Marketing Director for Patrick County

Can’t believe that winter has come and gone in Patrick County. Although to be honest, I did miss not having a good snow storm. The holidays are always a mad scramble and the first of the year is always busy laying the plans for the new year. Plans like figuring out what articles to include in the magazine. I love how Patrick County residents tell me that they read about things they never knew existed in our magazine. With spring around the corner, this issue we focused on playing in Patrick. We are proud that our high school baseball team won the State Championship last year for their division. They all got their start playing on the recreation league and community ball fields around the county. Our county is home to four rivers, which provide a great place to play during the warmer months. And of course, playing in Patrick also involves a lot of motorsports. From the local demolition derby during the Patrick County Agricultural Fair to the world-renowned Wood Brothers, Patrick County is revving the engines to play this spring and summer, so come join us.

Rebecca Adcock Chamber of Commerce Director

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Patrick County is a beautiful place to live and visit. And we love showing it off here in the magazine. It is a reminder of the good, and amazing, in our county. It’s a place to be proud of. Thanks to all of the businesses who help support this magazine and the people who read it. It’s a great, caring community here and I’m proud to be a part of this effort. In this issue, we cover local parks, baseball champions, the Star Theatre’s rebirth, the Reynolds Homestead, the world renowned, hometown Wood Brothers family, and several other important parts of the county. We hope you enjoy the issue, support our advertisers, and help us to continue making this a wonderful home.

David Stanley SilverLining Design

Postcards to Home

By Beth Almond Ford

Little did I know that day in the late 1990s, as I drove from Florida to visit my dad in West Virginia, that an antique store adventure on the Blue Ridge Parkway would change my life. Vintage postcards, a lifelong passion I had shared with my grandmother and my mother, brought me to Patrick County— but it would be the people, the beauty, and the power of community that would keep me here.

When I moved to Meadows of Dan in May of 2001, I purchased an atlas, Roads of Patrick County. As I explored, one of my best ‘finds’ was the Reynolds Homestead, situated on grounds that are pastoral and sacred. After joining the Homestead Postcard Club, I started working as a guide at the historic house. This job grew with more responsibilities and lasted for 19 years. Part of Virginia Tech, outreach programs often took us into the communities. A dream job! Where else could one work with exceptional people—both staff and volunteers—teach memoir writing classes, meet great musicians, hang quality art exhibits, enlighten others about the realities of life on a Southern plantation—and continue my previous nursing career and bring Arts/Alzheimer’s Fusion to facilities? Working part-time, I started filling in hours at Nancy’s Candy to cover living costs (and get the discount!). To live and work close to the Blue Ridge Parkway is a boon of good fortune in my life.

As a life-long 4-H’er growing up in West Virginia, I’ve always understood the importance of serving my community. Volunteering for the Patrick County Extension Board came with the fun bonus of judging vegetables at the annual fair! Intrigued with the exceptional History Museum in Stuart, I continue to

serve on that Board. Also, a badge I proudly wear is to help with elections, a fine opportunity to become acquainted with my neighbors.

“Joie de vivre,” which means ‘a cheerful enjoyment of life,’ is a phrase I try to employ. Living in Patrick County is to find joy on the forested paths, happiness listening to exceptional music, meditation while hiking in Rock Castle Gorge, laughter in luncheons with the Wild Women, invigorating book clubs, spiritual growth at Mayberry Presbyterian Church, supportive community dinners, playing in the sparkling waters, and gatherings with extraordinary friends who have become family. When I went through a health crisis of detached retinas in both eyes, hundreds of people offered meals, gave rides to eye appointments, sent cards, visited, and offered prayers, gifts of money and a homemade quilt. I am not so sure this would have been the case in any other place than Patrick County, Virginia. During the pandemic, one of my dreams of being a majorette came true—at the old age of over 60! I was honored to lead the Meadows of Dan Christmas Parade, twirling and grinning. Now, in retirement, I find myself at an eclectic shop called Poppy’s - where I sell, yes, you guessed it, antique postcards!

“Find Yourself Here” is a guest column from someone who is either from the county or has moved to the county, and why they love it here. If you are interested in writing a column in a subsequent issue or know someone we should highlight, please contact us at director@patrickchamber.com.

County & Attractions Map

Patrick County Visitors Center 126 N. Main Street, Stuart, VA 276-693-2005 www.visitpatrickcounty.org

Blue Ridge Visitors Center - MP 177.7 2577 J.E.B. Stuart Highway Meadows of Dan, VA 276-694-6012 www.patrickchamber.com

PATRICK

410 Patrick Ave., Suite A, Stuart, VA 276-694-6012 www.patrickchamber.com

TRAILS

T1 Dan River Park Trail

T2 Fairy Stone State Park

T3 Hidden Roads Trail

T4 I.C. DeHart Trails

T5 Laurel Hill Trails

T6 Mayo River Rail Trail

T7 Mountain Top Park Trail

T8 Reynolds Homestead

T9 Rock Castle Gorge

T10 Rotary Field Trails

T11 Round Meadow Creek Trail

Allen Bouldin, Jr. Stuart, Va 24171

Together is Better!

Old-Fashioned Family Fun.

Enjoy the peaceful relaxation only nature will bring. You are encouraged to enjoy swimming, fishing, horseshoes, playgrounds, and the game room during your stay. Feature events for our campers include movie nights, paint parties, and our popular Halloween weekends. Please call to reserve your site!

28 Fawn Road

Ferrum, VA 24088

(276) 930-1235 deerruncampground.net

CClark Brothers Company, Inc.

Specializing in commercial and industrial construction throughout the Southwest Virginia region Licensed in VA & NC Fridays 8am to 12pm May Through November Downtown Stuart

General Contractors • Since 1885 Stuart, Virginia 138 South Main Street • PO Box 267 Stuart, Virginia 24171 (276)694-7158 info@clarkbrotherscompany com www clarkbrotherscompany com

Fridays 8am to 12pm May Through November Downtown Stuart

It’s happening

APRIL

Fri. Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam 6:00pm every Friday

Sun. Reynolds Homestead Home Tours 1:00-4:00pm Every Sunday

5 Time Sawyer 7:00-10:00pm at Star Theatre

6 Stuart Food and Wine Festival Noon-4:00pm at the Star Theatre

13 Florencia & The Feeling 7:00-10:00pm at Star Theatre

13 Kid’s Fishing Day on Mayo River Rail Trail Stuart at the Mayo River Rail Trail

20 Blue Ridge Jeep Fest Rotary Field, Stuart

27 Patrick County Music Association 6:00pm at the Stuart Rotary Building

28 Cars & Coffee Cruise-In Primitive Coffee, Meadows of Dan

30 Willis Gap Golden Oldies Willis Gap Community Center at 6pm

MAY

Mon. Market Mondays

5:00 - 7:00pm at Fairy Stone State Park

Fri. Stuart Farmers Market 8am - Noon every Friday

Fri. Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam 6:00pm every Friday

Farm Bureau Ag Expo 9:30-1:30 at Stuart Rotary 4 PCMA presents Songwriter’s Circle 5:00 at Star Theatre 10 The Judy Chops 7:00-10:00pm at Star Theatre

18 Stuart Strawberry Festival 10:00-4:00 in Uptown Stuart

20 Veterans’ Fishing Day Mayo River Rail Trail, Stuart 24-26 Gospel Music at Dominion Valley Park Friday-Sunday Memorial Day Weekend 25 Patrick County Music Association 6:00pm at the Stuart Rotar Building

26 Cars & Coffee Cruise-In Primitive Coffee, Meadows of Dan 28 Willis Gap Golden Oldies Willis Gap Community Center at 6pm

JUNE

Mon. Market Mondays 5:00 - 7:00pm at Fairy Stone State Park

Fri. Stuart Farmers Market 8:00am - Noon every Friday

Fri. Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam 6:00pm every Friday

Sun. Reynolds Homestead Home Tours 1:00-4:00pm Every Sunday

7 First Fridays Summer Concert Series Stuart Farmers Market at 6pm

Sun. Reynolds Homestead Home Tours 1:00-4:00pm Every Sunday 3 First Fridays Summer Concert Series Stuart Farmers Market at 6pm

in Patrick County

JUNE

continued

6-8 Beach Music Festival

Thursday-Sunday at WaysidePark

14-15 Bushels & Barrels

Friday-Saturday at the Reynolds Homestead

23 Cars & Coffee Cruise-In

Primitive Coffee, Meadows of Dan

25 Willis Gap Golden Oldies Willis Gap Community Center at 6pm

29 Patrick County Music Association

6:00pm at the Stuart Rotary Building

JULY

Mon. Market Mondays

5:00 - 7:00pm at Fairy Stone State Park

Fri. Stuart Farmers Market

8:00am - Noon every Friday

Fri. Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam 6:00pm every Friday

Sun. Reynolds Homestead Home Tours

1:00-4:00pm Every Sunday

4 Fourth of July Celebration DeHart Park in Stuart

5 First Fridays Summer Concert Series

Stuart Farmers Market at 6pm

20 Kibler Valley River Run

Dan River in Kibler Valley

28 Cars & Coffee Cruise-In

Primitive Coffee, Meadows of Dan

30 Willis Gap Golden Oldies

Willis Gap Community Center at 6pm

AUGUST

Mon. Market Mondays 5:00 - 7:00pm at Fairy Stone State Park

Fri. Stuart Farmers Market 8:00am - Noon every Friday

Fri. Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam 6:00pm every Friday

Sun. Reynolds Homestead Home Tours

1:00-4:00pm Every Sunday

2 First Fridays Summer Concert Series Stuart Farmers Market at 6pm

17 Meadows of Dan Folk Fair

10:00am-4:00pm in Meadows of Dan

27 Willis Gap Golden Oldies Willis Gap Community Center at 6pm

30-31 Dominion Valley Gospel Friday-Sunday Labor Day Weekend

29-Sep 1 Front Porch Fest Thursday-Sunday at Spirithaven Farm

SEPTEMBER

Mon. Market Mondays 5:00 - 7:00pm at Fairy Stone State Park

Fri. Stuart Farmers Market 8:00am - Noon every Friday

Fri. Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam 6:00pm every Friday

Sun. Reynolds Homestead Home Tours 1:00-4:00pm Every Sunday

10-14 Patrick County Agricultural Fair

Tuesday-Saturday at Stuart Rotary

24 Willis Gap Golden Oldies Willis Gap Community Center at 6pm

Choosing Kendal at Lexington leaves more time for what’s important. More time for painting in the art studio or taking it en plein air to the gardens. More time for singing classes, dance clubs, and recorder groups. More time at art museums, theaters, and in the woodworking studio. Create a future that means more. Kendal at Lexington.

Learn more at kalex.kendal.org or call us at (540) 463-1910.

NASCAR’s oldest continuous race team is rooted in Patrick County

For nearly three-quarters of a century, Wood Brothers Racing has been at the cutting edge of stock-car racing. For all the team’s success — multiple wins at Daytona and elsewhere, reinventing car mechanics and maintenance, induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, even an appearance in the Indianapolis 500 — the family has never wavered from its Patrick County roots.

Ray Lee, Glenn, Leonard, and Delano at the beech tree with the original engine hoist from 1950.

The family’s ties run deep, to the point where the NASCAR-produced video celebrating Glenn Wood’s 2012 induction into the Hall of Fame is built around a beech tree on Wood’s homeplace in Stuart. The film notes that as literal “shade-tree mechanics,” Glenn and brother Leonard used the tree to change engines early on. The tree recurs throughout the film as a metaphor for family and the team’s connection to home.

Indeed, the family’s lives still revolve around Stuart as much as they do the team’s headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina, or the tracks that host the races where they made their name.

“This is home,” says Eddie Wood. “A lot of things that were here when I was a kid, they’re still here, and I like that.”

Most days, Leonard Wood still works in the shops that are part of the Wood Brothers Racing Museum. Visitors to the museum are often surprised to find the NASCAR legend there in person. But it’s just part of the family tradition. And that tradition has never been about just “going to work,” says Kim Hall, Glenn’s daughter.

“I remember back when Daddy was going to the shop every day, and I don’t

Left: Glenn Wood’s first car. He paid $50 for it. He started in 1950, so he numbered it 50.

Above: Glenn Wood in the #16 car, known as the “backseat” car because the engine was moved back almost two feet.

ever remember him saying, ‘I’m going to work,’” Kim says. “I always remember him saying, ‘I’m going back to the shop.’ In fact, I don’t ever remember Eddie, Len or me saying, ‘I’m going to work.’ It’s, ‘I’m going to the shop.’ To us, it’s not work.”

Kim’s brother, Len Wood, remembers their father bringing home citrus fruit after traveling to Florida for the Daytona 500. Like the rest of the family, he became part of the racing team gradually.

“Daddy would come home for supper, and after supper I would go back to the shop with him,” Len remembers. “It could involve sweeping the floors and sorting lug nuts — nothing of importance. It was a learning phase. You have to earn trust before you can start doing things. At some point, you start helping with running engine dyno. Before you know it, you’re helping take engines apart, and then before you know it, you’re helping put engines together. It was a stair step. You didn’t dive into anything. You had to learn it and understand it before you could move on and help with it.”

Then, the family members would join the pit crew. They all served stints changing tires and helping transport the

racecar to and from races — including cross-country drives to California and back. They would choose gas stations with food, a phone booth and pumps to fill tanks on both sides of the hauler. The Wood boys teamed up to fuel up, get food and call home, then return to the road in a minimal amount of time — just like their race pit stops. Their record driving from Riverside, California to Stuart stands at 34-and-a-half hours.

“That’s how we survived, being in it together,” Len says.

NASCAR’s oldest continuous racing team traces its origin to the Wood family, whose ties to Patrick County go back centuries. Beginning in the 1920s, Walter and Ada Wood raised a family of five brothers and one sister — Glenn, Leonard, Delano, Clay, Ray Lee and Crystal. The brothers grew up working on their father’s farm, but they were captivated by fast cars.

Glenn traveled to Daytona Beach in 1947 to watch racing on the sand. Three years later, in 1950, he formed his own racing team. He ran his first lap at Occoneechee Speedway near Hillsborough, North Carolina — in a lumber truck.

The team’s first car was a ‘38 Ford Coupe,

which broke and caught fire on U.S. 58 as he hauled it home.

The Wood Brothers’ inauspicious start soon gave way to success. Glenn drove, and the rest of the brothers participated in the garage and on the pit crew. Fellow NASCAR icon Curtis Turner, who grew up in neighboring Floyd County, became a mentor for Glenn and the Wood Brothers. They started seeing more success — including finishing ahead of Lee Petty, one of the sport’s first superstars and father of Richard Petty.

Meanwhile, Leonard Wood began to build his own reputation as a mechanical genius.

“He was born with mechanical ingenuity, and a bunch of it,” says Richard Petty in Leonard’s Hall of Fame video.

Leonard credits that to his ability to concentrate on a problem.

“I didn’t lay it down, forget about it, and come in next week and work on it,” Leonard says. “When you really want to make something and make it run, you just concentrate until you fix it.”

His mind intuitively grasped the physics of racing, and how he could improve engines and race cars to make them better. The team often raced at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where traction made all the difference. Leonard realized moving the engine back would give the car more traction coming out of turns, he played around with the idea and eventually moved the engine two full feet back. Glenn subsequently won eight straight races at one of the local tracks.

Leonard also contributed to a team once described in a race broadcast as “the

Below: Ada Wood’s birthday party with her six children: (left to right) Delano, Crystal, Glenn, Leonard, Ray Lee, and Clay.

most skilled pit crew in the world.” He says that stemmed from the first World 600 in Charlotte, in 1960, when a pitstop to change two tires and refuel took 45 seconds. A Ford official suggested they could trim that time.

“Naturally we wanted to do something for Ford Motor Company, so we started working on it,” Leonard says. “Right away we were down to 25 seconds with the same deal.”

The team divided tasks and looked for more ways to cut time. They cut the time to change tires. Leonard used the Venturi effect, in which a streamlined container design accelerates the flow of liquid, to pioneer a fueling method that now allows pit crews to transfer 11 gallons of gasoline into the car in just a few seconds.

The Wood Brothers’ expertise was recognized across the auto world. In 1965, the team was asked to serve as pit crew for the Lotus F1 racing team in the Indianapolis 500.

Glenn Wood — who for a while was promoted as “Glen” with one “n” — gave up driving in 1964. In his final race, he let Junior Johnson borrow a tire, ultimately watching Johnson win that day. The Wood Brothers legacy continued,

though, as other drivers took the wheel of the famous No. 21 Ford Mustang.

“When you look at the 50 greatest drivers that NASCAR says is their 50 greatest drivers, twenty-some-odd of them have driven for Glenn Wood,” said Kyle Petty in Glenn Wood’s Hall of Fame video.

Some of those drivers have won the Daytona 500 — NASCAR’s most prestigious race — while others have vaulted to superstardom or been inducted into the sport’s Hall of Fame. The list of NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers affiliated with the Wood Brothers includes Donnie Allison, Buddy Baker, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Curtis Turner and Cale Yarborough.

No matter who is behind the wheel, the Wood Brothers Racing Team has maintained a loyal following of fans who know the team’s history and deep roots in Patrick County, Virginia.

“During our offseason, I’m in Stuart almost every weekend,” says Jon Wood, third-generation member of the racing team. “It’s still the same Stuart to me that it was growing up, that it always has been. It just has a certain appeal to it that I just can’t get away from.”

Left: (left to right) Ray Lee, Delano, Crystal, Leonard, and Glenn in the early 1940’s. Clay was already in the Army.

132ND BIRTHDAY WEEKEND - APRIL 13-14, 2024

The Mayberry Trading Post will reopen for the season in April 2024 with plenty of family fun to celebrate the store's 132nd birthday! Please check our website for more details.

We are open 7 days a week, so stop in and see us!

Photos courtesy of Branch Civil

The family still runs the racing team, too. Glenn’s children — Eddie, Len and Kim — now manage the team’s day-today operation. Eddie’s children, Jordan and Jon, and Len’s son, Keven, all work with the team as well. And the next generation is waiting in the wings.

In 2004, the Wood Brothers moved their base of operations to Mooresville, North Carolina, to be closer to NASCAR’s beating heart in the Carolinas. Yet, they still stuck close to home. Glenn and Leonard spent most of their time at the team’s racing museum — Leonard tinkering in the shop, and Glenn curating the collection and maintaining the landscape outside.

“I’m still on the job, being around the shop and making things that I always wanted to make,” says Leonard. “That’s what keeps me younger.”

Glenn was the same way up until his death in 2019, at the age of 93.

“Daddy would get up in the morning and say, ‘I’ve gotta go mow this bank or get this stump or chop this tree down,’” remembers Kim. “One time someone

came into the museum, and daddy had just walked out the door. They came in and wanted his autograph. I said, ‘I think he’s outside.’ They said, ‘No, no, there’s no one out there except your gardener. He’s out there pulling weeds.’” It was Glenn.

Glenn Wood’s legacy still continues — not just in his racing team, but in constantly blooming plants around the museum. Candy tuft in January, daffodils in February, azaleas and calla lilies and crepe myrtles in spring and summer, and so on throughout the entire year. Kim says the daffodils have bloomed three of the last five years on her parents’ wedding anniversary, February 7th.

Glenn’s wife, Bernece, also played an indelible role in the racing team and its connection to Patrick County. She handled all the team’s bookkeeping in its early days and became a constant presence once the museum opened.

“She was the perfect one to be in the museum and interact with the fans,” Kim says. “She lived out all those photos. She knew every picture, who everybody was in every picture, when it was, where it was.”

Bernece Wood also processed all of the food that Glenn grew in the family’s sizable garden, and she turned it into big country lunches that brought the team’s operation to a pause nearly every day.

And sometimes, Bernece’s work in the garden and at the museum combined to memorable effect.

“I remember one time, the green beans had come in,” Kim remembers. “Mama came to the museum every day, and she told me, ‘You’re just gonna have to bring them up here.’ So here we are, sitting at her desk in the museum stringing beans. A visitor said, ‘Can we take your picture?’ ‘With us stringing beans?’ ‘Yes! You don’t get this at the other racing shops!’”

Longtime family friend Peggy Davis works the museum and shop. She’s usually the first person visitors see when they walk in the front door. She remembers going to Stuart Elementary, and hearing the Wood Brothers rev up their car while she was out on the playground.

“You kind of took that for granted, like, ‘That’s the Wood Brothers working on the race car,’ you know?” Davis says. “And now you think back on it, and it’s like, ‘That was the Wood Brothers working on the racecar!’ That’s one thing that I enjoy about the folks coming in here, is them telling me their memories of racing.”

Davis treasures her time working with Bernece Wood, who passed away in 2021. Davis says she’s never had a thought about leaving for another job.

“It’s a great place to work, and they’re great people to work for,” Davis says.

Above: (left to right) Len, Bernece, Glenn, Kim, and Eddie

Right: Glenn built the original shop in 1956 and raced out of this shop through 1995.

“They treat you like family. So therefore, who would ever want to leave a job like that?”

The most common question when fans first arrive: “Is there any charge to come in?” The answer is no.

So the next question is, “How do you keep this place running if you’re not charging fans to come in?”

The answer, Davis says, is, “That’s the way they give back to their fans. Fans are what made them what they are today. If

you walk through the door, you must be a fan. So they’re not going to charge you for something you helped make.”

Fans from every state and more than 25 different countries have visited the Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Stuart. They see the most visitors in the weeks around the races at nearby Martinsville Speedway, but fans make the trek yearround, too. It’s a pilgrimage — not just to the Wood Brothers Museum, but to its home in Stuart.

“I just love the people in Patrick County,” says Leonard Wood. “They support the Wood Brothers. I like living in this sort of environment, rather than the big city. I love Patrick County.”

What keeps the Wood Brothers rooted in Stuart?

“Simple,” says Len Wood. “One word: home.”

“It’s home.”

Bottom:

Top: The #16 car under the beech Tree.

Top right: Glenn and Bernece on their honeymoon.

Right: A few of the race cars at the current museum.

Lower Right: Bernece stringing green beans at the museum.

The museum and shop in Stuart.

Left: Peggy and Bernece on Bernece’s 90th birthday, January 28th, 2021.

L to R: in back Jesse Young, Shane Vestal, Jack Holden, Dan Shikenjanski, Daniel Huff, Daryl Atkins, Tommy Nichols, Gary Worrell, 2nd row L to R: Ralph Keen, Don Rierson, Mary Dellenback Hill, Waymond Dawson, Diane Davis Dawson, Bernie Edwards, Jake Brewer, Ed Dalton, Alan Cray, 3rd row L to R: Ollie Puckett, Judy Middleton, Dot Shikenjanski, Truman Puckett, Lucas Vestal. Front row L to R: Les Edgell, Roy Midkiff

We are located only a few miles from Blue Ridge Parkway and a few miles from Mount Airy, NC.

Every Friday Night, we host an Open Jam which has been going on since the 1990s. It began at the home of the founder Otto Hiatt and grew so large he moved it to the Community Center. The doors open at 6 pm for food, Old-time, Bluegrass, Gospel, and Country Music, with dancing from 7 pm until 10 pm. All age groups are invited.

On the last Tuesday of each month, we host the Golden Oldies Open Jam playing music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Doors open at 6 pm for food, Music, and Dancing from 7 pm until 10 pm.

Along with Fun, Food, Fellowship, and being Family Friendly, there is a 50/50 drawing at each jam around 8:15 pm. We are thankful for the popularity of the jams and all of the guests, singers, musicians, and the members who give their time to make these succesful.

Contact: marhill196648@yahoo.com or call 276-692-6561 and like us on Facebook! www.virginia.org/listing/lovework-at-willis-gap-community-center/28206/

WHAT IS THE FAB LAB?

The Fab Lab is a technical prototyping platform for innovation and invention, providing stimulus for local entrepreneurship The Fab Lab is for the community, students, and businesses

Whether you are prototyping new product ideas, improving existing ones or crafting for fun, the Fab Lab offers the tools and resources you need to dream, design, and create!

FAB LAB FAB LAB

By Erica Stacey

On Saturday, June 9, 2023, in Salem, Virginia, Patrick County High School made history. For the first time since the school opened in 1970, the PCHS Cougars brought home a state championship in a team sport, defeating the Poquoson County Islanders 7-3 in the Class 2 baseball final.

The pride in that electrifying moment, which was 53 years in the making, surged through the entire Patrick County community, nearly sixty-seven miles away.

As the team traveled home, they were flanked by a pair of state troopers, and once they crossed across their county line, a sheriff’s car and a parade of fire and rescue vehicles—lights and sirens blaring— escorted them to a hero’s welcome.

“There were people lined up along the streets, waving signs and cheering,” said Sonny Swails, an assistant coach. “The community really turned out to share in the win and support the boys. The team may have played the game, but everyone in Patrick County shared in the win.”

Generation by generation

Sonny Swails, a former educator at PCHS, has been involved with baseball in Patrick County, dating back to 1968. The first in his family to graduate from high school, Sonny Swails recognized the value in education. Thanks to baseball, he was able to continue his education at Wake

Forest University. Eventually, he followed a job to Patrick County, where he expected to stay for a few years, just long enough to finish up a master’s degree.

“I moved to Patrick County in 1968 to teach and coach. When they consolidated the schools, I relocated from Critz to the new school. I left education in 1979, but I didn’t leave baseball. All of the good things I’ve been able to achieve in life, I owe to the game. It will always be a part of who I am.”

More than fifty years later, Sonny Swails has laid down roots in the community where his son and grandson are now part of the baseball legacy. Those family connections made the winning moment even more special. Sonny Swails’ son, Tal Swails is the varsity head coach for Cougar baseball, and his grandson, Tucker Swails, a pitcher, earned VHSL Class 2A State Player of the Year recognition in 2023.

“As a school, we had come close to a state championship, but this was the first time we took it all the way. For the community, former players, coaches past and current, this was a magical run, and they were equally excited,” said Tal Swails. “As the season progressed, and the team kept winning, we had fans filling the stands at every game; there was chatter in the streets and conversations about baseball at church on Sunday mornings. People who

couldn’t attend, tuned in to listen to the games on WHEO, our local radio station. There were even Patrick County baseball shirts for sale in the big stores. Our community was over-the-top excited about our success. It was amazing.”

Photos by Melody Fain

Sonny and Tal Swails after the championship

Patrick County High School, located in Stuart, Virginia, is the only high school in Patrick County. The school serves around 850 students in grades 8–12 and fields numerous sports teams, including baseball.

“There are many differences between rural and urban communities,” Tal Swails said. “I’ve lived in both. In Patrick County, all high school students are part of one school. It’s been that way for more than 50 years. So, everyone gets behind that school, pulls for all of the students. Chances are good that for many of our players, their dads also played Cougar baseball, maybe even their grandfathers. We’re all a family here, and in our community, families support one another.”

Tal Swails, who played for the Cougars for four years himself, graduated from PCHS in 1989. “My dad is on the baseball staff. He is also in the Patrick County High School Hall of Fame. Coaching is different when the game and the place are a part of you. I’ve tried to build our staff with that in mind.”

That’s certainly true for assistant coach Donny Rakes. Also, a native of

Patrick County, Donny played baseball for PCHS when Sonny Swails was the head coach.

“When the 2023 team walked onto that field in Salem for the championship game, the very last game of the season, whether they realized it or not, they had everyone who had ever played or been connected to Patrick County baseball out there with them,” said Rakes. “It’s a confidence boost knowing that you have that kind of support. Cougar pride runs deep.”

Team building

Every year, in the spring, in fields throughout the Patrick County community, boys and girls step up to the plate for the first time, taking aim at a ball on a tee or thrown by coach, stretching their gloved hands awkwardly as they learn how to catch a ball, and running around the diamond, taking care to touch each base, first, second, third, and home.

This is where championship teams are made.

“We knew the 2023 team would be made up of strong, talented play-

ers,” said Tal Swails. “This group had been together playing Dixie Youth and summer travel ball for years. They had been Dixie Youth Champions. High school was just the next step along the journey.”

According to Tal Swails, successful sports teams require players with talent and a commitment to hard work, a lot of teamwork, and a little bit of luck.

Sonny Swails agrees. “High school coaches build on the skills that the players have learned in youth leagues. Those foundational skills are the key.”

Both Swails coaches also noted the value of parents and a supportive community.

“Most young people are nurtured into baseball and other sports,” added Tal Swails. “They start out with some God-given talent, and they learn the desire to excel. They are blessed with people—parents, coaches, community members—who love the game and who want to pass that along.”

Take the Swails family themselves.

“Coming up in a baseball family just taught me to work hard and play every game like it’s your last,” said Tucker

Celebrating a win at home to wrap up the regular season.

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Swails. “I’ve learned that hard work pays off. We worked hard all season to get to that point, and it made it even better when we won. My favorite memory from the season would definitely be Stuart Callahan striking out the last batter in the championship game.”

For Tal, that championship moment seemed a little surreal as it was shared by three generations from his own family.

“Honestly, it felt like a Lifetime movie,” said Tal Swails. “The stands were full of people from our community who drove up early on a summer Saturday to watch us play. The win itself was great. Sharing it with the community and my family. Well, I don’t even have the words to describe that.”

A strong baseball lineage

Brad Clontz made his major league debut on April 26, 1995. During his career, he pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Clontz was a member of the 1995 Atlanta Braves

World Series Championship team. He was known for his distinctive sidearm/ submarine windup and delivery.

But long before Clontz was a pro, he was a PCHS Cougar.

Clontz grew up in Stuart. He played for Sonny Swails who took him to baseball camps and skills workshops. He shared his dream of playing professional ball with his friend and teammate Tal Swails. Clontz went on to play ball at Virginia Tech, where his contributions earned him a spot in the Virginia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.

“Small town dreams come true,” said Clontz. “I’m living proof.”

Clontz returns to Patrick County as often as he can, and he stays in touch with the team, following up on game stats and progress from Atlanta, Georgia, where he currently makes his home. Last year, he watched as his namesake, Bradley Tucker Swails, son of Tal Swails, and grandson of Sonny Swails, broke all of his school records.

“Tucker plays head and shoulders above where I was at that age,” noted

Clontz. “They definitely had a dream season, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

It’s that kind of pride and involvement that inspires the future—whether that’s setting the stage for the next professional ball player, supporting the ideas of an entrepreneurial business owner, or mentoring the growth of a future teacher or coach.

“Our job is to nurture confidence,” explained Tal Swails. “Every success that a player experiences creates more confidence. And eventually that far-reaching goal of making it all the way to that last game, that championship game, feels realistic.”

But that confidence doesn’t disappear when the player finishes the season.

“This win may actually mean more to the players in 20 years,” said Sonny Swails. “Right now, they are having fun, playing the game, riding the bus home after the win and sharing that time with their teammates and friends. But as they graduate and begin to build their lives, go to college, get jobs, maybe come back to Patrick County to raise their families and

Brad Clontz and Tal Swails in 1989.

Tucker Swails pitching at Cougar field.

Photo courtesy of Cathy Swails

coach their kids, that’s when they will really get what a special place this is.”

“This is a close-knit group of good people,” agreed Tal Swails. “People show up. They take care of one another. I took that for granted when I grew up here. And it’s what brought me back.”

What’s Next

The winning 2023 team received their championship rings during a special recognition at a home football game in October 2023. More than 50 former players and coaches joined them on the field to celebrate the occasion. In December, they were marshals in the county Christmas parade. They’ve hung a state championship banner in the school.

And now it’s 2024.

Two of the senior players from the championship team moved on to college ball this year. Jai Penn pitches and plays outfield for Ferrum, and Martin Sawyers plays for Longwood. And three of the

current seniors have already committed to schools for the fall:

• Stuart Callahan will attend Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia,

• Broc Taylor will join Bluefield State University in Bluefield, West Virginia, and

• Tucker Swails has signed with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Practice for the new season began in February, and every school across the commonwealth will open the season with the same record.

“At our first practice this season, I reminded our players that this was the first day of a new season,” Tal Swails said. “They are no longer the state champions, but every time they play a game this year, they will have a little extra pressure, a target that drives their opponents to fight a little harder. We are going to be good again this season, but it is a new year with new challenges. Starting fresh every season is the nature of sports.”

What will happen this year? No one knows.

“It’s hard not to have expectations,” said Rakes. “But no one knows what the future holds. We need luck, breaks, and every player on the roster needs to work hard.”

“I’m most looking forward to seeing how well our pitchers do this season. We are returning three seniors that are all good pitchers,” Tucker Swails said. “The community needs to keep an eye on us again this year. We are going to be very good.”

And while the win-loss record is yet to be determined, there is one thing that’s certain about this season, and every season that will follow for generations to come.

It all comes back to community. There’s no place quite like Patrick County. There’s no school quite like Patrick County High School. And there’s no team quite like 2023 Cougar baseball. But this is a new year...and it’s time to play ball. See you in the stands.

Patrick Pioneers:

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

By Beverly Belcher Woody

This past week, I was playing catch with my 11-year-old grandson, Turner. I missed the throw and got hit right between the eyes. While nursing a knot on my forehead and two black eyes, I got to thinking about Patrick County baseball.

Recently, former Patrick County baseball star and MLB player, Brad Clontz, was honored with a new scoreboard at the Patrick County Baseball Field. In 1995, Clontz pitched as a rookie in the World Series for the Atlanta Braves who went on to become World Champions.

There have been more great baseball players from Patrick County. In 1951, Sam Carter was an African-American pitcher for the Crossroads baseball club in Ararat, Virginia. In August of that year, Mr. Carter pitched a perfect game of baseball. This means there are three hitters for each of the nine innings and not

a single hitter makes it to first base. Mr. Carter did one better; he struck out all 27 hitters! According to qualitydigest.com, the odds of pitching a perfect game by a professional baseball player are one in 46,800. While Mr. Carter was an amateur player, this was still quite a remarkable record. The story was picked up by the International News Service and carried in newspapers all across the country.

Baseball has always been a part of Patrick County history. In the 1970’s, Wednesday nights were for Connie Mack baseball games. My grandfather and I attended the games at the Rotary Field in Stuart every week.

Baseball first arrived in Patrick County in the early twentieth century. Some of the old-timers were skeptical of the benefits of baseball. Isaac Underwood wrote in his journal, “Young men

The 1920 Meadows of Dan Red Birds: lying down, Dan Boyd, Front Row-Jim Conner, unknown, Rufus Boyd, Rufus Wood, Tom “Diddle” Conner,

Zelotes Boyd, Middle Row-Luke Helms, Waller Helms, John Edd Helms, Back Row-Emory Helms, George Helms, Tump Spangler, and Fleming Helms.

Meadows of Dan baseball team in the 1940s. Front Row: (L to R) Leonard Wood, Edd Wood, Cap Ayers, Benton Wood. Second Row (L to R) Penn Reynolds, Dwight Shelor, Jack Agee, Luther Boyd. Back Row, (L to R) (First name unknown) Kinzer, Leon Cock, Coach Unknown, Coan Agee, Rufus Eden Wood.

are getting up baseball clubs to develop muscles, but if they had to thresh out wheat with a stick, they would soon have muscles without resorting to athletic clubs.”

The first written record of the game being played in the area comes from the publication, The Mountain Laurel preferred to remain anonymous and signed his name YKW for “You Know Who.” YKW recalled that Jim Divens from Pitts burgh came to Meadows of Dan and began organizing a baseball team. Ed Reynolds donated land to be used as a baseball field. Wives and mothers sewed the uniforms made of red cotton cloth. The first team became the Meadows of Dan Red Birds. Vesta, Mayberry, Laurel Fork, and Willis got into the act and soon a league was formed. Below the mountain, the Big A com munity formed a baseball team too.

Many baseball teams were formed around the workplace. Textile mill teams, to the south of Patrick, and coal camp teams, to the west of Patrick, were very competitive from the twenties to the forties. I have much admiration for a man that can work in a hot, linty textile mill or dark, dank coal mine all week and still feel like playing baseball on Sunday. After WWII, the local community ball teams began to decline.

Clipping from The Enterprise

HISTORY COMES ALIVE

Thankfully, many local youth still enjoy the camaraderie of the game and girls are finally being recognized (in softball) for being true athletes, just like the boys.

Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or 276-692-9626.

The Patrick County Historical Museum features innumerable items from the past, and extensive genealogical records for people researching families with Patrick County roots.

hours: (subject to change) Tues, Thurs, Sat. 10am - 2pm and by appointment

116 W. Blue Ridge St. P.O. Box 1045 (mailing) Stuart, VA 24171 276-694-2840 patcovahistory.org

PARKS FOR everyone

By Sarah Sheppard

Our local county Parks and Recreation department does a great job managing and supporting our six community recreational parks. Add in the three other state and federally managed parks we have, and you’d think we were called Parks County! Let’s take a look at all our wonderful parks and see what they have to offer us.

In the Town of Stuart lies the Alice T. Dehart Memorial Park, commonly referred to as Stuart Dehart Park. This widely used recreational park offers multiple minor-league baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, new playground equipment, a paved walking trail, picnic shelters, community pool, creek for splashing in, memory garden and gazebo, and more. It hosts annual events such as the Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration and evening fireworks and the Dehart Park Festival of Lights in December. Stuart Dehart Park is located conveniently in uptown Stuart beside the Patrick & Henry Community College - Stuart Site and the Patrick County Branch Library and is within walking distance from Main Street. The Patrick County LOVE sign stands tall at the top of the hill overlooking the park, providing beautiful views of the mountains and the park below from its observation deck.

I.C. Dehart Park in Woolwine, once home to a pre-prohibition distillery, now hosts an expansive recreational park complete with a picnic shelter, playground, two tennis courts, soccer field, walking trail, minor-league baseball field, basketball court, competition horseshoe pitching area, Trail H.A.N.D.S sculpture, and miles of cross-country mountain bike trails which are used to host regional mountain bike competitions. Alongside these recreational amenities are resources for nature education including a tree-ID nature trail and a reclaimed wetland with accompanying boardwalk and numerous interpretive signs educating on flora and fauna.

Alice T. DeHart Memorial Park

The view from Fred Clifton Park

Patrick Springs Park features a walking trail along a creek, minor-league baseball field with expansive seating and concessions, open air batting cage, large picnic shelter, playground, and rentable community building. The Patrick Springs Park is known for hosting many community dinner fundraising events in the community building which features a full kitchen and spacious event room. This park is conveniently located right down the street from Elizabeth’s Pizza and the Stagecoach Coffee Wagon.

Dan River Park offers a minor-league baseball field, tennis court, playground, horseshoe pits, soccer field, paved walking path, Trail H.A.N.D.S sculpture, and a large picnic shelter. This park is often the site of community fundraisers such as corn hole tournaments and community dinners as well as other fun events such as trunk-or-treats in October. In the warmer months, Dan River Park hosts a community farmer’s market at the picnic shelter to support local growers and makers. This park is right down the road from Boyd’s Restaurant.

Mountain Top Recreational Park in Meadows of Dan features a baseball field, concession stand, restrooms, three unique wooden playgrounds, two tennis courts, basketball court, large picnic shelter, paved walking path, and Trail H.A.N.D.S. sculpture. In the summer you can sometimes find a giant Slip N’ Slide set up on the big hill as a park fundraiser. In the winter the same hill is perfect for sledding at top speeds!

At an elevation of almost 3,000 ft, Fred Clifton Park sits adjacent to iconic Lover’s Leap Scenic Overlook. This intimate park provides breathtaking views of the northern Blue Ridge Mountains and valley of Patrick County from three separate overlook points that surround the picnic and parking areas. Take a short hiking trail from the park, down the hill, and end up at Lover’s Leap. Each picnic area is equipped with a grill and sits amongst the shady trees and rhododendron bushes, providing the perfect summer picnic spot.

Other Parks (not PCPR maintained):

The federally maintained Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited linear park in the nation. Of its 469 miles of scenic roadway, one stretch weaves in and out of the northern edge of Patrick County. Our section of this park is home to many historic sites such as the most photographed spot on the Parkway, Mabry Mill. There are several hiking trails, picnic areas, camping spots, and scenic overlooks along our stretch of the Parkway as well, most of which are located in the Rocky Knob Recreation Area. The longest hiking trail from this point is the beautiful, yet challenging, Rock Castle Gorge National Recreation Trail. The Blue Ridge Parkway is an excellent spot for wildlife observers who want to catch a glimpse of various birds, deer, bear, and more. The Meadows of Dan village (which can be seen from the Parkway itself) provides Parkway travelers with fuel, good food, a wide variety of lodging, fresh coffee, artisan shopping, fudge, and more! Travelers of the Blue Ridge Parkway often time their visits based on certain seasons to see the blooms in Spring or Summer, the leaves in Autumn, or frozen springs in Winter.

Fairy Stone State Park is maintained by the State of Virginia. It’s home to legendary “fairy stones” (a.k.a. staurolite crystals), that can be found all around, but most plentifully at the “Fairy Stone Hunt Site” just down the road from the park entrance. This state park is home to much more than interesting rocks, of course. In and amongst its vast natural areas are systems of multi-use trails, campsites, equestrian accommodations, cabins and yurts, a lake, a swimming beach with lifeguards, bathhouse, and concessions, boat rentals, playgrounds, picnic shelters, a gift shop, and guided activities by the friendly and knowledgeable park rangers. In the warm months, Fairy Stone State Park hosts a Farmer’s Market on Mondays, often accompanied by live music. Their Fayerdale Hall event venue is a beautiful location for parties, weddings, meetings, and more. There is so much to do that you could stay for days and still not see and do everything.

Mountain Top Recreational Park

I.C. DeHart Park

ril 13: FLORENCIA & THE FEELING

MAY 4: PATRICK COunty MUSIC ASSOCIATION may 10: tHE jUDY cHOPS

OCTOBER 12: DANGERMUFFIN

One Family Productions IS PROUD TO HAVE BEEN selected as the OPERATING entity FOR THE Historic STAR THEATRE!

It is OUR mission to provide a high quality entertainment and gathering space for all ages to enjoy.

Venue rentals

Goose Point Campground sits on the shore of Philpott Lake. Federally maintained, this campground hosts a large number of camping spots from small tents to massive RVs. Day-use passes allow visitors to take advantage of the wonderful swimming beach, picnic shelters, playground, fishing dock, boat ramp, and more.

About the Parks and Recreation Department: The Patrick County Parks and Recreation Department (PCPR) is responsible for administering and/or supporting a variety of recreational programs such as youth and adult team sports and special events and programs. The department also maintains the county-leased recreational facilities at Rotary Field and Fred Clifton Park and provides maintenance support for other county-owned parks and recreational facilities. Their mission statement reads “Our mission is to make a positive impact in the lives of citizens by providing team sports and recreational programs that foster an active and healthy lifestyle and positive social interaction, so that all who participate ‘play, learn & grow.’”

Travis Murphy, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, has been at the job since March of last year. Originally from Salem, VA, he came to us from the education field where he served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and athletic director. He and his team are based out of the Patrick & Henry Community College - Stuart Site building. They work tirelessly to ensure each park is well maintained and safe. Murphy is

working to add more exciting offerings and programming to the department. “Pending budget approval, we hope to offer Movies in the Park at each park this summer and possibly add disc-golf at each park in some form or fashion. If time and facility space allows, we would like to have a corn-hole league as well,” says Murphy. Looking toward the future, Murphy is hopeful that the department will be able to allow each park to “maintain their individual identities, while expanding the offerings at each park.” He says the department “will continue to support each park to ensure their future growth.”

How you can help: You can help out our Parks and Recreation Department in many ways. The first is by helping to care for our local parks. Don’t litter, and bring any trash you happen to find to a trash can. Report any equipment damage or other maintenance concerns to the main office. Second is to participate in park fundraisers such as the Dehart Park Festival of Lights in December. Third is to volunteer your time to your local park’s committee to help with projects and be involved in the decision-making process for your park.

Now that you’ve read about each park, I encourage you to visit them all! And don’t forget about our stand-alone walking and hiking trails, such as the Mayo River Rail Trail in Stuart or the Hidden Roads Trail in Meadows of Dan. Make it a goal to visit each Trail H.A.N.D. statue, or ride your bike on each multi-use trail. Bring your kids to each park to see which playground they like the best, or join a sports team that is starting up. Our parks are there for us to enjoy, so enjoy them! Play, learn, and grow! However you explore our local parks, have fun and stay safe.

Fairy Stone State Park

Fishing Opportunities

By Ethan Stone

Virginia offers a broad range of fishing opportunities that can be enjoyed by any and all anglers. From large upland reservoirs such as Philpott Lake and Smith Mountain Lake, to vast scenic rivers such as the New River and the James River, to the countless wild and stocked trout streams, creeks, and rivers across the western part of the state, Virginia gives anglers a chance to choose their own fishing adventure!

Patrick County is no different, offering anglers the opportunity to catch a multitude of species. Philpott Lake, a 2,880 acre lake located in northwestern Patrick County, offers anglers opportunities to catch both largemouth and smallmouth bass, along with crappie, panfish, and walleye. The renowned bass fishing in Philpott Lake has made it the site of many bass fishing tournaments over the years. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources calls Philpott Lake “one of Virginia’s premier walleye destinations.” Goose Point Campground offers anglers a boat ramp, bank fishing opportunities, and campsites. Fairystone Lake, which lies directly to the west of Philpott Lake, also offers opportunities to catch largemouth bass, crappie, and panfish. Fairystone Lake sits entirely within Fairy Stone State Park. Outboard motor use is not permitted, which makes Fairystone a very peaceful place to fish. The Talbott and Townes Reservoirs, located in the southwestern part of the county, also give anglers opportunities to catch bass and trout. These reservoirs are only accessible by bank fishing and hand-launched boats. A permit must be obtained from the Pinnacles Hydroelectric Power House in order to fish these lakes.

If river or stream fishing is more your style, Patrick County also offers ample opportunities. Patrick County features nine rivers and streams that are part of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources’ trout stocking program. This is one of the highest marks in the state. The “crown-jewel” of Patrick County’s stocked trout streams is the Dan River, which is a Category A trout water from the powerhouse through Kibler Valley, meaning it is stocked the maximum amount of eight times per year. This section of river has historically been stocked with brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout, giving anglers the opportunity to secure the elusive “Virginia Trout Slam.” The Dan River is also

stocked upstream of Talbott reservoir, where it is considered a Category B stream. There is a good population of wild trout on the Dan River between Talbott and Townes Reservoirs, as long as you have obtained the permit from Pinnacles Hydroelectric Power House. The Ararat River, Clarks Creek, Poorhouse Creek, Rockcastle Creek, Round Meadow Creek, and the South Mayo River are all also part of Virginia’s put-and-take trout stocking program. The tailwater section of the Smith River, which flows out of Philpott Dam and continues southeast through Henry County, just to the east of Patrick County, is also a famed trout fishery. This section of river is also part of Virginia’s stocked trout program, and features a special regulation area to target the river’s wild brown trout. In fact, the Virginia state record brown trout was caught out of the Smith River.

Patrick County features many distinct fishing opportunities that cater to anglers of all skill levels, as well as putting anglers in close proximity to famed Virginia fisheries such as Smith Mountain Lake, the New River, and the Smith River. Come enjoy fishing in the beautiful backdrop that Patrick County has to offer!

If you have any more questions about planning your next fishing trip, feel free to contact us at 276-693-2005 or info@visitpatrickcounty.org.

THE STARis reborn

By Kristin Hylton

Driving down Patrick Avenue in Stuart just after the sun sets, the view mirrors what would have been seen almost eighty years ago. The retail facades downtown have changed, but an anchor of that sightline is once again illuminated with a neon star and warm backlighting – the Historic Star Theatre marquee shines brightly against the brick face of the building, and represents a massive collaborative community effort twenty years in the making. From its beginnings in the late 1940s through a revitalization in the early 2000s, and now in a second revival under the management of local nonprofit One Family Productions, the Star Theatre is poised to be the backdrop of many memories for a whole new generation of Patrick County residents and visitors.

The story of the Historic Star Theatre began its twenty-first century chapter when Tommy Beasley, a Patrick County native and longtime business owner, purchased the building in early 2004 with a vision to restore it to its former glory. In a 2005 conversation with Blue Ridge Back Roads newsletter, Tommy recalls the westerns shown at the Star Theatre in the 1940s, and how the stage was frequently host to country music bands. Local legend even has it that Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and perhaps even Hank Williams played on the stage of the Star Theatre. “The downtown was really busy,” Beasley remembered in that 2005 interview. “There was something going on all the time. I hope it will be like that again.”

Beasley’s cousins, Richard and Winfred, opened the Star Theatre on June 6, 1947, just five years after the close of the Danville and Western Railroad depot in downtown Stuart, at a time when large-scale farming, manufacturing plants, and timbering operations were just some of the drivers supporting economic growth in Patrick County. With 372 seats on its sloped floor and an air-conditioned interior (one of the first in Stuart), the Star was a luxury experience. The Star Theatre carried a singlecolumn feature films advertisement in The Enterprise throughout the 1950s and larger illustrated ads appeared regularly for special showings. One such ad in October of 1953 gives show details for “Cecil Campbell and his Tennessee Ramblers—on stage in person.” According to The Enterprise in a 2005 article, “the Star [Theatre] operated simultaneously with the Stuart Theatre in uptown Stuart, the Skyvue Drive-In on Poplar Drive between

Patrick Springs and Stuart, and the Patrick Drive-In in Patrick Springs.” Though the last of these four local theaters had closed in the early 1960s, Tommy Beasley was inspired by historic theater revival projects throughout the region, as well as the town of Stuart’s grant-funded revitalization of the downtown area at the time. Businesses were enhancing facades, sidewalks, and landscaping, and the Star Theatre project fit right into that improvement.

Throughout 2004 and 2005, Tommy and his wife Carol worked tirelessly to assemble an advising board, plan and execute fundraising efforts, and completely demolish and rebuild the structure. The Enterprise described the project as a “monumental restoration,” detailing the dilapidation of the roof, floor, and stage. After demolition of the areas needing repair, only the four outer walls remained. Though photos of the original Star Theatre couldn’t be located, Tommy was able to model the new marquee after the Glen Theatre, an identical space in Christiansburg that Richard Beasley built after selling the Star in Stuart.

Opening under the revised moniker of Historic Star Theatre, an October 2005 show marked the first time in 45 years that the public had set foot in the space as a theatre. Operating with a mission to present the best of performance art that sought to uplift the audience and celebrate the human spirit, the Star delivered a mix of music, live stage theatre, dinner theatre, workshops and classes, an annual Big Band Bash event, documentary screenings, and more throughout its first two years of reopening. Diverse, high-quality offerings at the theater continued regularly for several years after the 2005 season, but it became increasingly obvious that the daily management and maintenance of the theater was a bigger project than the Beasleys had planned for their retirement. After weathering local economic downturns and other roadblocks, the decision was made to lease the facility long-term, an arrangement that allowed the Star to continue to thrive as a community meeting space without the steep overhead of event production.

The issue of economic feasibility for an individual operator was what initially brought Stuart town manager Bryce Simmons to investigate the opportunity of the municipality purchasing the property. In 2021, the town received a historic designation for its depot area between Patrick Avenue and South Main Street, and

Tom and Carol Beasley

the Historic Star Theatre is nestled directly in the center of that zone. Speaking to Cardinal News in a 2022 interview, Simmons said, “I believe that the Star Theatre could be basically an anchor institution of our newly formed [downtown] Historic District.”

In order to investigate that belief, the town of Stuart found a new way to partner with a local non-profit organization, One Family Productions. Having used the theatre for both private and public-facing events over the years, OFP had witnessed firsthand the potential of the venue, and was able to help the town leverage a Tobacco Commission funding match, which allowed the town to hire a team of Virginia Tech graduate students to develop a feasibility study. “Historic theaters can have a significant impact on small towns, providing a focal point for community activity, driving economic growth, preserving local history, and creating jobs,” said Sarah Lyon-Hill, Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic and Community Engagement associate director for research development in an interview with Virginia Tech News. “But a study that examines the market and the likelihood of success can provide more clarity on the effect a historic theater might have on a particular town.”

As the feasibility study and other exploration of the Historic Star Theatre progressed, the One Family Productions team was already working to create a plan for utilizing the town’s potential new asset. The organization has curated an impressive portfolio of successful events and had long explored the Star as a venue for the community, investigating a variety of avenues to actualize the dream of bringing the theatre back to life, including engaging in

business development programs to help better design and understand potential business models for the Star.

The Virginia Tech study was completed in early 2023 and confirmed what Simmons and many others in town already knew – citizens overwhelmingly agreed that reviving the Historic Star Theatre would have a positive impact on the area. The study also projected the economic impact of reopening the theatre, and gave the town of Stuart data it needed to proceed with purchasing the property, implementing needed renovations, and publicizing a request for proposals to lease, operate, and manage the theatre.

When the operating proposal request was announced, One Family Productions was ready to demonstrate its desire to shepherd the Star into its next chapter. The organization was able to swiftly submit a plan for managing the theatre and its events. With its proven track record and the community trust that would be required to breathe new life into the theatre, OFP was ready to fill the space with engaging offerings, and rented the theatre from the town to host an evening with guitarist and singer songwriter DJ Williams, highlighting the second volume of his Almost Christmas album. The show was well attended and well received by the community. In celebration of the holiday season, the theatre was adorned with subtle but festive decorations, which served to highlight the rich ambiance the theatre exudes year-round.

The care and attention given to decorating the theatre during its renovation shines through even now, two decades later. One Family Productions executive director Chris Prutting defines

Downtown Stuart sometime after the Star Theatre became a coin-operated laundrymat.

what he thinks sets the Star apart from other venues. “It has a modern but nostalgic aesthetic. The theatre itself feels ageless, as if you are standing with one foot in the past and one in the future.” Anyone who visits the space will agree with a local reporter who once described the theatre as “a place of multicolored lights and cinematic shadows.” The gold and red interior, tin ceiling, silver embellishments, refinished hardwood floor, luxurious balcony seating, and art deco styling all contribute to a space that is polished and inviting, upscale and approachable.

In early 2024, One Family Productions was announced as the new lease holder and managing operator of the theatre. The DJ Williams Almost Christmas show kicked off a robust opening season for One Family Productions and the Historic Star Theatre.

In the first few months of operation, One Family Productions has brought six music shows to the theatre, hosted private events and public-facing conferences, and partnered with the Reynolds Homestead to feature a one-man theatrical production in honor of Presidents’ Day. This collaboration allowed more than 200 students, many of whose grandparents remember seeing movies at the theatre, to experience the Star for the very first time.

One Family Productions has already filled the 2024 season with music, theatre, and other offerings, a calendar of which can be accessed on its website. In addition, the organization sees a lot of potential in the theatre as a rental and event venue. “It’s functionally incredibly versatile,” says Billie Jo Smith, OFP board of directors member and local theater veteran. “With flexible seating and an adaptable floor plan, we can easily see many types of theater experiences here, and that’s just the beginning.” One Family Productions envisions the Star hosting business retreats, traveling theatre, weddings, workshops, and more. In addition to a diverse collection of events, OFP has created a wide variety of options for theatre-goers. The private boxes that flank the sound booth in the balcony have been sold as season VIP spaces. Due to customer requests for season tickets, the theatre now offers Star passes at various price points that give the pass holder attendances to the shows of their choice.

The revival of the Star Theatre is a testament to the power of cross-sector collaboration and the importance of civic investment in communities. The success of its first season is an indicator of the immense support the residents of this area have for historic restoration. Walking up Patrick Avenue or driving into the downtown area on Friday and Saturday nights these days, it’s not hard to imagine what the street would have looked like in the 1950s. Just as in that era, the Star once again floods the street with both light and activity, and residents and visitors alike line up at the box office to claim tickets to the same variety of shows that were offered all those years ago.

For a full list of events and ticket information, visit onefamilyproductions.org/calendar

The Star Theatre during renovations in the early 2000s.

The concession area.

A FORCE in the community

By Diane Deffenbaugh, Assistant Director of Communications, Office of Engagement at Virginia Tech

At Virginia Tech’s Reynolds Homestead, an old catalpa tree stands watch over the property just as it did when enslaved workers laid the home’s first bricks to the restored birthplace of tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds and A.D. Reynolds, whose son founded Reynolds Metals.

The 16 Reynolds siblings (only 8 lived to adulthood) were born in the 1843 brick home at Rock Spring Plantation, a sprawling tobacco farm encompassing thousands of acres in Patrick County. Named for the shallow pool of clean water that wells up from the ground nearby, Rock Spring was also home to nearly 90 enslaved men, women, and children whose work in the fields, tobacco factory, and elsewhere on the property built great wealth for the Reynolds family.

The former plantation has been transformed over the past 50 years into part forest research project, part community gathering place, and part educational and cultural center. The old catalpa tree has seen history passing by in everything from ox-drawn wagons filled with tobacco to SUVs filled with tour-

ists. But while plenty has changed in 170 years, the community has consistently found a home here. With that gnarled tree, the historic house, and the cool spring bridging the generations, the local community and descendants of both the Reynolds family and the enslaved people have returned year after year to reflect, learn, and connect to both the past and present.

“This is much more than just a historic piece of land. The connection the community feels to the Reynolds Homestead has run through the generations, and Virginia Tech has become a part of that,” Director Julie Walters Steele said. “As a hub for arts and culture programs in Patrick County, it’s a place that brings people of all backgrounds together.”

Roots of an empire

Hardin Reynolds, the patriarch who directed the building of Rock Spring Plantation, believed strongly in the value of education. Although he didn’t have much education himself, he made learning a priority for his children, sending them to the best

colleges in the region, and also taught his children how to make a fortune. “This is the place that sparked the remarkable spirit of entrepreneurship within the Reynolds family,” said J. Sargeant Reynolds Jr., a descendant of Hardin Reynolds.

Hardin had a highly diversified income. The plantation, located on the main road between Norfolk and Bristol, grew and manufactured its own plug chewing tobacco, earned rent off its many land holdings, and ran a mercantile store that carried a wide variety of stock including luxury goods such as nutmeg graters and coffee pots and everyday staples such as corn, flour, and bacon. Hardin further stretched his money by earning interest on cash loans and investing. His children took that business acumen with them into the world, revolutionizing the economy of the region and the nation along the way.

The enslaved community

A similar culture of entrepreneurship, commerce, and business was also fostered among the enslaved community at Rock Spring, according to Kimble Reynolds, whose great-great-grandparents Kitty and Anthony Reynolds were enslaved at the plantation.

For a long time, little was known about the plantation’s enslaved community, but the homestead has worked to learn more and bring those stories to life. Today, a portrait of Kitty, who was born in 1838 at a neighboring plantation, hangs in a bedroom on the second floor, where docents share stories about her life with visitors. Two works of art honoring the enslaved men and women provide additional opportunities to open further conversations about slavery.

Researchers have uncovered more than 60 potential graves at the property’s enslaved cemetery, while additional study of tax records and other documents has helped identify many of the enslaved people.

“Our goal is to share the stories of as many men, women, and children who served as enslaved laborers on the plantation as we can,” Steele said. “According to tax and census records, by 1840 when Hardin Reynolds inherited his father’s estate, 18 Africans

were enslaved here. In 1850, with the addition of those individuals, his wife, Nancy Jane Cox Reynolds, brought with her as part of her dowry, the enslaved community increased to 48. By 1863, the number of enslaved men, women, and children was 88.”

Connecting to history

Years ago, as night fell over the old plantation, Kimble Reynolds stood in the lawn between the twisted catalpa tree, the brick home, and the kitchen house, looking up at the stars and thinking of Kitty and her husband, Anthony, and their lives as enslaved workers a century before.

“To look at that North Star and sort of wonder, ‘What was going through their mind at that time? What was a day like for them as the traffic came down that main thoroughfare?’ It’s just something that’s a real strong personal connection.”

His longtime service on the Reynolds Homestead Advisory Committee honors that family connection and adds to his ongoing service to Virginia Tech. Kimble received a bachelor’s degree in marketing management and served as class president in 1988. In 1995, he earned a master’s degree in health and physical education from the university.

After earning a law degree, he opened a private practice in Martinsville, where he also has served as a city council member and mayor. He has remained an active member of the Virginia Tech community, serving as the first Black president of the Alumni Association and also was a member of the Pamplin Advisory Council and the university’s Multicultural Alumni Advisory Board. He received Alumni Distinguished Service Awards in 2008 and 2009.

“Part of my dedication to the Reynolds Homestead is family ties. How do I maintain my ties to this space for my children and other descendants of Kitty Reynolds? But also, it’s important to me that I provide a diverse perspective, especially from the standpoint of being an African American individual in this community,” he said.

For the past 30 years, Kevin Reynolds has visited the homestead for church gatherings and other community events.

Left to right: Brothers Hardin Harbor, Walter Robert, Abram David, William Neal and Richard Joshua Reynolds.

Kimble Reynolds with a portrait of his great-great-grandmother Kitty.

Ancestors from both sides of his family tree are buried in the enslaved cemetery.

“This is where my family started,” he said. His great-greatgrandmother Ida Reynolds was born enslaved at Rock Spring in 1863. His great-great-grandfather, Robert Reynolds, also was enslaved on the property. “It has been powerful to know I can go back to where my family began,” he said.

Time spent providing community service sparked the realization of how moving that history was. While helping his son build a picnic table and benches near the original spring as an Eagle Scout project, he dipped a bottle into the pool and took a drink of the cool water.

“I realized I was drinking from the very same spring as my enslaved ancestors all those years ago. Here I was with my own son helping to preserve this place for the community. History had come all the way back around,” he said.

The gift

The historic buildings, the catalpa tree, and the gentle spring where it all began endure because of a careful plan to preserve the Reynolds Homestead and give it to the university. Through collaborations between Virginia Tech and local organizations, the property remains a force in the Patrick County community.

The last Reynolds family descendant left the property in the 1960s, and the house sat vacant for several years until, in 1967, a local schoolteacher stopped to check on it and found a pony living in the home alongside the Reynolds family’s

antique piano. Nannie Ruth Terry started a quest to save the historic landmark and wrote a letter to R.J.’s youngest daughter, Nancy Susan Reynolds, to invite her to visit. That sparked a friendship and a plan to save the homestead.

Nancy Susan Reynolds purchased the property and renovated the house and several outbuildings, including a kitchen, an ice house, a creamery, and a granary. Today, the restored home is filled with Reynolds family heirlooms and displays of 19th century life.

But she had more in mind than just preserving her family’s history.

At the grand dedication on the lawn in 1970, Nancy Susan Reynolds deeded the property to Virginia Tech. In doing so, she set a mission calling for programs designed to improve the quality of life in Patrick County “culturally, economically, and practically.”

“That’s the smartest thing she did. That’s what has kept it going and how it remained preserved,” said the late Richard S. “Major” Reynolds III, Hardin’s great-great-grandson. “If it had been passed down to family, it inevitably would have eventually been broken up, but through Virginia Tech it was preserved and has become even more important to the community.”

Today, as part of Outreach and International Affairs, the Reynolds Homestead serves as a place of learning and culture in a rural area where residents don’t have easy access to theater, art exhibits, and other cultural experiences.

“Nancy Susan Reynolds realized that this community didn’t have the opportunities that she had growing up. So, she

An aerial view of the Reynolds Homestead sometime in the 1970s.

really weighed heavily in our mission to offer arts and culture and history and to offer opportunities for education,” Steele said.

Today, residents of Patrick County and beyond celebrate their weddings on the homestead’s lawn and enjoy nature along the 1-mile LEAF trail. They attend concerts, festivals, and lectures. The surrounding 780 acres of woodland serve as the Reynolds Homestead Forestry Resources Research Center, where Virginia Tech researchers and students study forest biology.

The long-standing ties between the Reynolds family, the university, and the community remain strong with the Reynolds Homestead Advisory Committee, which helps steer the homestead’s future.

Major Reynolds had said he felt deeply connected to the property where his parents and brother, Virginia lieutenant governor J. Sargeant Reynolds, are buried in the family cemetery. More than 50 years ago, he listened to his brother speak at the homestead’s dedication, and ever since he has watched it “really become a place of good for the community.”

Over the years, the Reynolds family has continued its support, including building the homestead’s Community Engagement Center in 1978 and an addition in 1992. The two-story building holds several meeting spaces where community members can gather. Support of education in the community is also upheld through the Nancy Susan Reynolds Scholarships, which have helped hundreds of Patrick County high school seniors attend college.

“The Reynolds Homestead fits very well into the types of things for which our family cares deeply, such as helping the community and people who have fewer resources,” Major Reynolds said. “I think Nancy would be very happy to see it as it is today. She would see it as a very important part of her legacy.”

A lifetime of learning

With staff members who are deeply embedded in the community, the homestead works hand-in-hand with nonprofit, business, and government organizations to address local needs.

“We aren’t just working to fulfill Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission; we’re living it every day,” Steele said.

The homestead intentionally keeps the community deeply involved. Dozens of residents volunteer at the homestead, and others serve on the advisory board.

When Janice Pendleton moved to the area in the 1980s to teach in the local school, she had no idea how much the homestead would come to play a part in her family’s lives. Her children became “regulars” at summer camps and art classes, and she took on a summer job as a docent leading tours.

Each December, scores of children visit the homestead’s Victorian Christmas celebration, which draws up to 1,600 kids each year. Other hands-on experiences, such as summer camps and living history exhibits, allowed her students to explore other cultures and fit right into classroom studies, Pendleton said.

After Pendleton and her husband retired, the homestead provided a way for them to stay engaged with the community. “The Reynolds Homestead has provided lots to keep us busy and help us feel useful,” she said. The couple help in the kitchen during events, set up art exhibitions, and decorate for Victorian Christmas. They also participate in the College for Older Adults program, which provides lifelong learning for adults 50 and older.

“Volunteering is my way of giving back to a place that has been a meaningful part of my life for more than 38 years,” Pendleton said. “It really is a special place for this rural community.”

Sarah Wray, the Reynolds Homestead’s community engagement, partnerships, and programs manager, said the community is the true magic behind the homestead’s success. Many efforts, she said, are sparked by ideas from community members.

“When we are able to leverage their insights and expertise, and then empower them to do it, they begin to feel an ownership,” Wray said. “The homestead endures on the trust built through the generations.”

Volunteers for the Victorian Christmas.

Dr. Seuss’s birthday celebration at the Reynolds Homestead.

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