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Culture Crossings
The Town of Christiansburg has a rich history that serves as a colorful background for the region’s growing arts scene. Whether you’re already in town or planning a visit, this brochure will help you find local points of interest, historic buildings, art installations and more! If we’re missing anything, please let us know by emailing info@christiansburg.org.
Historic Markers
- 1909 Courthouse Eagle
Corner of East Main & South Franklin Streets
Located in Town Square, the metal eagle sculpture originally capped the clock tower dome of the 1909 Montgomery County Courthouse, which stood on this site until 1978. Constitution Oak
Corner of East Main & North Franklin Streets
The Constitution Oak was one of forty-five saplings given to the delegates of Virginia’s 1901-1902 Constitutional Convention. The 1902 constitution marked the resurgence of Democratic control in the state, replacing the Reconstruction-era constitution of 1870 and ushering in an era of Jim Crow segregation policies that shaped racial interactions until the 1960s. Montgomery County treasurer and Confederate veteran Arthur O. Sullivan planted the tree in 1902.Downtown Park
55 College Street NW
This park was dedicated in May 2018 to the memory of fallen Christiansburg police officers. Two marble memorials were erected to honor Officer Terry L. Griffith and Officer Scott A. Hylton, who were both killed in the line of duty.Eastern Continental Divide & 1763 Proclamation Line
1225 West Main Street
The Eastern Continental Divide ridgeline separates water flowing east to the Atlantic Ocean—via the Roanoke River basin—from water flowing west to the Gulf of Mexico—via the New, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In October 1763, by Royal Proclamation, King George III forbade Virginians to settle west of this line. In 2019, the line was marked in blue, a project spearheaded by Jim Glanville, pictured above.Lewis-McHenry Duel
Corner of West Main & South Franklin Streets
This public marker describes an 1808 duel, which is believed to be the first in the state in which rifles were used. Both Thomas Lewis and John McHenry died. The duel contributed to the passage of the Barbour Bill in 1810, which outlawed dueling in Virginia.Town Square Memorials
Corner of West Main & South Franklin Streets
In May 2016, the Montgomery County Public Safety Monument, located on the west corner of Town Square, was dedicated to fire, law enforcement and rescue personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.A memorial was erected in 1953 on the south corner of Town Square to honor soldiers who died during WWI, WWII and the Korean War. The names of soldiers from Montgomery County who died in the Vietnam War and the Middle East have since been added.
An obelisk recognizing Confederate soldiers from Montgomery County who died in the Civil War stands on the north corner of Town Square. The monument was erected in 1883 by the local chapter of the Ladies of the Memorial Association, which erected similar monuments across the South for fallen Confederate soldiers.
Street Art
- Cambria Depot Train
Cambria Street Railroad Crossing
Artist Katy Shepard painted this mural to represent a historic symbol of Christiansburg: a train traveling toward Cambria Depot. - Covered Wagon
West Main Street sidewalk near Town Square
Nikki Pynn, a local artist, painted the covered wagon as a tribute to the historic Great Road. Families migrated in colonial days on the Great Wagon Road, which ran from Philadelphia to North Carolina. It roughly corresponds to modern day Route 11. - Police Badge
10 East Main Street
By artist Dave Mann, this mural at the Christiansburg Police Department is a symbol of unity and diversity in the community.
- Horse Pull Toy
West Main Street sidewalk near Town Square
Nikki Pynn reimagined pre-existing features of the sidewalk to transform them into a classic toy. - Flowers & Bees
945 Cambria Street
Katy Shepard painted images that pay tribute to the environment on a storm drain to remind people of the value and importance of sustainable practices. This mural shows the importance of bees for pollination. - Farmers Market Robot
Hickok Street
The Appalachian Power box on Hickok Street was painted by the Tuxedo Pandas: Team 4924, a program of the New River Robotics Association. - Cambria Lilies
Corner of Cambria Street & Wilson Street
Artist Katy Shepard continued to put her environmental stamp on Cambria with these serene images of lilies on a storm drain.
Other Art
- Great Road Mural
2 East Main Street (inside Post Office)This mural, entitled “Great Road,” was one of many murals commissioned for post offices across the country by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Project Administration. This painting was completed in 1939 by John DeGroot and portrays the settlement of the Appalachian frontier. The post office itself is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Peace Sculpture
755 Roanoke Street
This public memorial beam stands outside of the Montgomery County Government Center and was acquired and donated by the Rotary Club of Montgomery County. The beam was salvaged from the debris of Ground Zero in New York City. It now stands as a public memorial to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001. Dick Gilbert, then-president of the club, wanted to “find something beautiful from the ashes.”Smiling Fish
19 West Main Street
This piece of artwork, created by Roanoke artist and welder Dave Wertz, was installed in the Downtown Historic District in 2017. “Smiling Fish” was commissioned by owners of the Old Town Mall to help beautify Downtown Christiansburg."Wings and Wheels"
100 East Main Street
This artwork, created by artist Nikki Pynn, was inspired by local cyclists and their practice of pushing themselves uphill to experience the feeling of flying down the other side.
Historic Buildings
- Barnes-Surface Building
4 West Main StreetThis early 1900s building was once the home of the automobile and tractor dealership, Barnes-Surface Motor Company Ford.
Cambria Freight Depot
630 Depot Street NE
Located in the Cambria Historic District, this depot station was built in 1868 and is one of only two railroad depots built in Virginia during the Reconstruction Period that remains standing today. It replaced an earlier station that was burned by Union Soldiers during the Civil War. The depot served as a passenger station until 1906, when a new passenger station was built, but continued to operate as a freight station until the 1960s.Christiansburg Institute Edgar A. Long Building
140 Scattergood Drive
Built in 1927 and named after a former principal, this building is the only remaining structure of the 14-building Christiansburg Institute campus. Christiansburg Institute grew from a small school for former enslaved people into a renowned high school for African Americans until its closure during school integration in 1966. The preservation, collection and interpretation of the school’s century-long history is managed by a coalition consisting of Christiansburg Institute Inc., Christiansburg Institute Alumni Association and Old Hill School. A small museum is located on the property in a replica of a smokehouse built in 1988 by the Christiansburg Institute Alumni Association.Hans Meadows
1800 Depot Street NE
John Craig, an early settler of the region, owned a considerable tract of land known as Hans Meadows. His son, James Craig, operated a tavern on this site. The surviving brick house was built in 1849; the rear section and hip roof were added in the early twentieth century. In 1792, James donated 175 acres to establish the Town of Christiansburg and build the first Montgomery County courthouse.Montgomery Museum of Art and History
4 E. Main Street
The museum houses rotating history and art exhibits, as well as an extensive archive of documents, genealogical information and photographs that the public can use to conduct research about the region and its historic families. The Montgomery Museum offers six off-site art galleries: Route 8 Donuts, Haga Law, Hometown Bank, Farmhouse, On Main Street/Great Road Events and the Christiansburg Public Library.The Oaks Victorian Inn
311 East Main Street
This Queen Anne-style house was built for Major W. L. Pierce and his wife, Julia, in 1893. At the time of its construction, the house was considered to be “in the country.” The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Old Hill School and Schaeffer Memorial Church
570 High Street
Captain Charles S. Schaeffer, a Union soldier and Baptist minister, came to Christiansburg as an officer of the Freedmen’s Bureau. He helped found the Memorial Church on High Street and the Old Hill School in 1867. The school began as a small gathering of twelve former enslaved people with a desire to get an education, but grew into a significant institution serving more than 200 students. The school later became known as the Christiansburg Institute. Both of these buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.