True north
For 20 or so years now, my brother and I have been owners of property on the side of Cook’s Mountain in North Garden, having ultimately inherited it from our grandfather, who bought in 1909. He and our grandmother lived there until 1918, when they moved to Charlottesville. We often drove down from Charlottesville to spend a day or more on the family property, to wander over the mountain, visit the old Bettie Martin iron mine, which is on the place, and listen to stories of our grandparents lives there. Carol Jones is correct in her letter in a recent Mailbag [“No direction home?” November 24 in reference to “Northern Exposure,” Ask Ace, November 10] about the South Garden sign, which is on Plank Road where it runs along the South Fork of the Hardware River. However, she did describe North Garden as being on the “North Fork (sort of)”. Back in the day, North Garden was thought of as being the area where the railroad passes over Plank Road. That’s the small bridge that large trucks manage to hit now and then. The railroad station was just south of that RR overpass, but it was demolished many years ago. There was a tiny, but vibrant business section there, including Smith’s store, which burned down long ago, and Laird’s Apple Products (brandy), which is still there. Actually, though, this hamlet is also in the watershed area of the South Fork of the Hardware, separated by a mountain ridge from the North Fork watershed, which runs through Red Hill.
These days, with old names being forgotten as zip codes have become the defining nomenclature, North Garden (22959) runs roughly from Israel Gap (west of Rt. 29 on Plank Road) past Crossroads (intersection of Rt. 29 and Plank Road), South Garden, and all the way to Alberene. It even runs north up Old Lynchburg Road to Red Hill Road. A very large area. As for South Garden, we always thought of it as being the area around Garland’s Store (corner of Old Lynchburg Road and Plank Road) and the “Falls” across Plank Road on the South Fork, and that is just where the ADC Albemarle Street Map Book shows it. Looking at some historical maps, I didn’t find South Garden on either the 1866 U.S. Army map of Albemarle (a copy of which was published by Steven G. Meeks in 1984) or on the Green Peyton map of 1875, although they both show North Garden. However, the 1907 Massie map shows South Garden along what is now Rt. 29 just north of Covesville! I’m betting that map is wrong, though. All three historical maps are available from the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Sociey, by the way. Oh…and you can buy Captain Jack’s Apple Jack, made by Laird’s, at the ABC Store. It’s actually pretty good.
David Miller
Nellysford
CORRECTION
Due to a fact-checking error, in the last issue’s Development story “Ten priciest commercial properties for sale in the city and county,” we listed the former OXO Restaurant at 215 West Water St. as being for sale for $95,000. In fact, the business is for sale at that price, not the building.