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. Marker is at the intersection of Booker T. Washington Highway (Virginia Route 122) and Smith Mountain Lake, the county line, on the right when traveling south on Booker T. Washington
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Booker T. Washington Birthplace (approx. 3.8 miles away); Freed Here, At Last (approx. 3.8 miles away); How Tobacco Farms Used Slavery (approx. 3.8 miles away); Booker T. Washington's Birthplace (approx. 3.8 miles away); Booker T. Washington National Monument (approx. 3.8 miles away); Slavery on the Plantation (approx. 3.8 miles away); Jack-O-Lantern Branch Trail (approx. 3.9 miles away); I think that I owe a great deal of my present strength and ability to work to my love of... (approx. 4.1 miles away).
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
2. Smith Mountain Lake Franklin County Marker
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 March 23, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 16, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 363 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 16, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
