Thornton Gap facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thornton Gap |
|
|---|---|
View from Skyline Drive near Thornton Gap
|
|
| Elevation | 2,460 ft (750 m) |
| Traversed by |  US 211 |
| Location | Page / Rappahannock counties, Virginia, United States |
| Range | Blue Ridge Mountains |
| Coordinates | 38°39′40″N 78°19′12″W / 38.66111°N 78.32000°W |
Thornton Gap is a special place in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. It's like a natural doorway, called a wind gap, that connects two different parts of the state. It separates the beautiful Shenandoah Valley from the Piedmont region of Virginia.
A Look Back at Thornton Gap
Thornton Gap got its name from Francis Thornton. He lived from 1711 to 1749 and owned land to the east of the gap. In 1740, he built a large house in the Piedmont area, near a place called Nethers.
A historian named J. Houston Harrison wrote that in 1737, the Harrison family traveled through this gap. They were moving from Alexandria to settle in the valley. Later, they helped found the city of Harrisonburg.
A company was created to build a road over the mountains at Thornton's Gap. This was a private company called the Thornton's Gap Turnpike Company. They built a toll road, which means people had to pay to use it. This road opened in 1806.
During the American Civil War, Thornton Gap was an important path. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson used it to move his soldiers. His troops were known as "foot cavalry" because they marched so quickly.
Before the Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive were built, there was a town at Thornton Gap called Beahm. These big projects were built by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. The WPA helped create jobs and build important things across the country.
A famous sculptor named William Randolph Barbee was the son of a person who collected tolls at Thornton Gap. Later, William's son, Herbert, placed a statue there to remember his father.
Thornton Gap Today
.jpg)
Today, U.S. Highway 211 crosses the mountains at Thornton Gap. The gap is located right on the border between Page County and Rappahannock County.
Thornton Gap is also an entry point for the Skyline Drive. This famous road runs along the mountain tops through the Shenandoah National Park. It stretches between Front Royal and the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Rockfish Gap. The headquarters for Shenandoah National Park are located near Thornton Gap, in the Town of Luray. The long-distance Appalachian Trail also passes through Thornton Gap.
