Near Westlake Corner in Franklin County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Smith Mountain Lake: Franklin County
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 8, 2017
1. Smith Mountain Lake Franklin County Marker
Appalachian Power Company built Smith Mountain and Leesville Dams between 1960 and 1963 to generate hydroelectric energy. West of Smith Mountain Dam, the waters of the Roanoke and Blackwater Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake, covering 20,600 acres that had primarily been farmland. On 7 March 1966. the lake first reached full pond (795 feet above sea level). Forty miles long, the lake features 500 miles of shoreline, of which 275 miles lie in Franklin County. Smith Mountain Lake became a popular recreational destination and gave rise to a thriving residential community. It is the largest lake wholly within Virginia.
Erected 2015 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KP-20.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1966.
Location. 37° 8.641′ N, 79° 40.15′ W. Marker is near Westlake Corner, Virginia, in Franklin County. It is at the intersection of Booker T. Washington Highway (Virginia
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bedford County / Franklin County (approx. 0.4 miles away); Booker T. Washington Birthplace (approx. 3.8 miles away); Booker's Lifelong Love of Animals (approx. 3.8 miles away); Animals for Food and Farm Work (approx. 3.8 miles away); Slavery in the Tobacco Kingdom (approx. 3.8 miles away); Booker T. Washington's Birthplace (approx. 3.8 miles away); The Day of Freedom (approx.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 8, 2017
2. Smith Mountain Lake Franklin County Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. Freed Here, At Last (was approx. 3.8 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); How Tobacco Farms Used Slavery (was approx. 3.8 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . . Smith Mountain Lake. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on March 23, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 8, 2017
3. Smith Mountain Lake
This view is from Franklin County looking towards the Bedford County shore.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 16, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 642 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 16, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
