Highland County is located on the western border of Virginia, adjacent to West Virginia and about halfway down the stretch of Appalachian Mountains that straddles the line between the two states. Along the Appalachian chain there is a band of ridge and valley geography that is continuous from the north to the south, and Highland County is within that geography – its remote rolling agrarian valleys are separated from one another by long narrow ridges. To the east of this ridge and valley geography lie continuous valleys of large rivers – starting with the Champlain and Hudson valleys in the north, and including the Cumberland, the Shenandoah, the James, the Roanoke and the Tennessee valleys. To the east of these valleys in Virginia is the Blue Ridge.
I have visited Highland County twice in the last few years – once in a car, and once touring on my motorcycle. I was struck by the beauty of its remote valleys and the seeming simplicity of the way of life they have supported, reflected in the pastoral fields, the neat farms, the tiny churches, and the simple old structures one can still admire. Some of those old structures and homes are abandoned now, but in the decorative details that grace their windows and doors and roof lines one can trace the architectural styles that were popular in their time. Even the abandoned structures have dignity. Some of the structures are simple in the extreme – sheds here and there of straightforward shapes, often covered with corrugated metal, but sometimes constructed with wood and with attention to detail you’d normally find in a house.
In this post I’m sharing images of simple structures from Highland County – homes and farm buildings for the most part. These are sparsely settled valleys, so the structures most often sit on their own, surrounded by rolling fields and forested ridges. When a structure sits out on its own you can observe and appreciate its form and lines and details more easily.
In my next post I’ll share photographs from the Highland County Fair, one of those classic fairs that are held at the end of the summer, where local livestock and produce compete for ribbons, and trucks pulling weight compete in a frenzy of mechanical muscle and noise!
The rolling ridge and valley landscape of Highland County is still largely rural and agricultural in nature.
A curiously-proportioned small house with simple outbuildings on a quiet valley road. Everything is painted white except for some red details on the house front and the red gate.
The simple white house and an abandoned two-story structure directly face each other across the narrow valley road.
Two abandoned structures with clapboards weathered to the same shades of grey. The first floor of the building on the left was a storefront. Vines and a bird nest are visible in the wall on the right where clapboards are falling off.
A simple old gas station, long abandoned. The projecting hip roof is typical of old small country stations. A concrete base for the gas pumps is still visible.
Pastures and fields stretch out beyond the old gas station and the remains of what must have once been a nice large tree.
This little barn structure has the feel of a simple small church. The projection at the gable that would have supported a pulley has an interesting saw-tooth decoration. A wind vane and lightning rod are visible.
Another abandoned house that probably had a storefront at one time. The wooden structure has nice detail at the windows, including diamond and triangular panes below the gable.
This solitary house appears to have once had a porch that was removed, leaving a strip across the front where the structure is exposed. As with other abandoned structures in the area, the grass is being cut by someone!
The construction sequence of this structure is easy to trace, with the original gable roof extending out to the right via two additions and their shed roofs following the same pitch.
A small shed and shelter on a patch of bare dirt makes for an interesting composition against the green hillside. It seems like a farm animal has been tethered here, but what about the old tires?
A simple small barn with attention to detail. The tall narrow double and triple windows show that the Italianate style that was popular in the US in the mid-1800’s made its way to farm structures. I wonder why the face of the clapboards is slightly wider on the upper story.
A small accessory structure with classical lines sits a little distance from a main house. Maybe this is a “tiny house” in which an elder parent can live somewhat independently?
There must be an interesting story behind this telephone booth and its strange location.
A simple shed with galvanized corrugated siding. These straightforward forms are appealing in their own way, especially when set in isolation.
Another simple shed – on a stone foundation. This one is a bit house-like with its materials and some attention to detail, not to mention the double satellite dishes.
This shed is of the basic variety – corrugated siding, bent at the corners to keep the weather out. Two sheets of plywood cover an opening, and there was no worry about whether they lined up.
There are many simple churches in the landscapes of this county. Some appear to be rarely used base on the guest-book signatures one can see just inside the front doors. Nevertheless, someone is keeping them in good shape and doing a nice job of mowing the lawns.
In one of the little church cemeteries a big wasp nest blends into the carved rock that tops this grave stone in the architecture of a roof. I found an obituary for the 35-year old online. He and a friend were taking their first drive in a car they had just bought together. He got confused with the steering wheel direction, lost control, and went over a steep embankment. The friend saved himself by jumping out.
