In planning our trips, I look for interesting places off the main highways. We do not normally travel interstate highways because we much prefer the adventure of backroads. In planning the drive from Wytheville, VA to Harrisonburg, I saw that just off the highway was Graham's Forge. For some reason, it caught my imagination and decided we needed to try to find it.
Little did I know the adventure this little detour would provide.
I parked in the church parking lot and proceeded to get pictures as near the old building as I could. I am assuming the brick building may have been the Graham family's general store, and I'm sure it carries its own stories.
The old Forge is the wooden building in the background. I have since found better pictures of it and a bit of its history.
Graham's Forge Mill is a historic grist mill located in the community of Grahams Forge, Wythe County, Virginia. The mill was built about 1890, and is a five-story, rectangular, wood-frame building on a limestone foundation. Atop the metal roof is a cupola with a finial, and a late-Victorian-styled lightning rod. Also on the property are the smokehouse with oven / kettle used for hog scalding, corn crib, grain storage facility, oven / kettle remains, and mill dam.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
I love this old photo!
When I got back in the car, I asked, "Where to now?" to able-bodied assistant. He said, "Well, your directions say to head toward Graham Robinson Rd, but I don't know where it is." At that moment we both looked up and saw the road sign immediately in front of us. You guessed it - Graham Robinson Rd. The only thing about this road was that it was a one lane dirt road headed who knows where. It wasn't on the map.
Being either brave or crazy, we decided let's do it!
We weren't sure what we would do if we met an oncoming vehicle, but thankfully we were the only explorers on that road that day.
We soon came across these massive cinder block constructions. As of yet, I have been unable to find out what they were used for. Whatever it was, it was a large undertaking that petered out.
I decided this one needed investigating closer.
And this is what I discovered. I was still no closer to finding out what took place in these buildings. The dirt floor and tree-trunk posts should indicted something interesting.
Dick was happy to let me explore. There was a nice little stream that actually started back at the Forge and the little dirt road followed it.
We found this interesting, but I chose not to get any closer. We finally decided it must have been a two-story outhouse. What do you think?
Then our adventure got a whole more interesting when the road suddenly ended in the middle of field with three non-English-speaking men working on some equipment. It got a bit scary at this point because we had no idea where we were or where to go.
Finally, one of the men pointed to his right and we noticed this one lane wooden bridge. Do we or do we not? Are they trapping us in the woods? So we prayed!
The road continued to be even rougher that before, but turning around was not an option.
Before we knew it, we had emerged into an open corn field and could actually see the possibility of life. And we were still intact.
We eventually turned onto a paved road, and you will never believe what we saw.
We have since learned a lot about this old house, but at the time, we were awe struck and mystified to find something of this size in the middle of nowhere.
Construction of this historic home and plantation began in the 1830s for the family of Squire David Graham. Construction of the home and its many additions continued into the 1890s, when the property passed to the family of Graham's son, Major David Pierce Graham. The Graham family made their wealth from the labor of slaves, as well as the iron industry which was also an important part of the economic history of this region. The Graham family's iron furnaces provided pig iron (a lesser quality) that was instrumental in building a variety of items. Major Graham served in the Confederate Army, and his furnaces provided iron for Southern forces during the Civil War. Graham's pig iron was turned into cart wheels, rail, and even cannon, but it was reported the iron was unsuitable for the task as some of the cannon made from it ruptured.
The home of Squire David Graham, and later his son, Major David Pierce Graham, was built in stages beginning in 1830. The Grahams were influential residents in Wythe County owing to their wealth, the labor of slaves, and ownership of a dozen iron forges and furnaces. The Grahams were also investors in several mines and other projects throughout the region. The family also owned thousands of acres as well as a general store and mill.
David Pierce Graham, was born in 1838. He was a major with the the 51st Virginia Infantry Regiment, which was formed in 1861 with eleven companies. He joined at that time and rose to the rank of Major, before being discharged for health reasons. Major Graham still desired to support the Confederacy and provided iron for the Rebel cause. It is even claimed that a children's room in the mansion was used to as a meeting place for Confederate commanders and also to treat Confederate wounded when action drew near.
Major Graham loved the mansion and lived there for his entire life adding to and refining his family's home. After his death, it stayed in the family until it was eventually sold. More recently it was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The house does now carry the fame of being haunted and there have evidently been para-normal sightings. Whether or not this is true, the tours are helping support the restoration process. Let it be known, we saw nothing to prove or disprove the claim.
I hope you have enjoyed taking this adventure with us.
