Bristol, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Bristol Union Railway Station

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019

1. Bristol Union Railway Station Marker

Inscription. The Rev. James King donated land for railroad facilities here in 1848, before the town of Bristol took root early in the 1850s. The first passenger train arrived on 1 Oct. 1856 on the railroad later known as the Norfolk and Western (N&W). In 1858, the line later known as the Southern Railway was completed from here to Knoxville, TN. Bristol became a manufacturing and commercial center. The N&W built the present station, the fourth on this lot, in 1902-1903. It served both railroads until passenger and postal service ended by 1971. The station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, is among the last of its era on the original N&W line.

Erected 2018 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number K-124.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.

Location. 36° 35.721′ N, 82° 10.818′ W. Marker is in Bristol, Virginia. It is on Martin

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Luther King Jr. Boulevard (Virginia Route 113) north of State Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located along the sidewalk on the west side of the Bristol Train Station, just north of the Tennessee/Virginia state line (State Street). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Bristol VA 24201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Tri-Cities Area,

in Southwest Virginia,

and in the Blue Ridge Highlands.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

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 walking distance of this marker: Historic Bristol (a few steps from this marker); Vance Klondike Derby

Bristol Union Railway Station Marker (<i>tall view • Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd on left</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019

2. Bristol Union Railway Station Marker (tall view • Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd on left)

(within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker in Tennessee); Bristol (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Bristol (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line in Tennessee); Birthplace of Bristol (about 300 feet away in Tennessee); First Country and Western Recording (about 300 feet away in Tennessee); Bristol Sessions (about 300 feet away in Tennessee). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bristol.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Civil War Memorial (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Regarding Bristol Union Railway Station. National Register of Historic Places #80004173 (1980)

Also see . . .
1. Bristol Station (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: The station was built in 1902 by the Norfolk and Western Railway at a cost of $79,000 (equivalent to $2,290,000 in 2018). Stylistically, the station fits into the pattern of early 20th-century American eclecticism, combining Romanesque with various European vernacular modes.
Several N&W trains served the station into the late
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019

3. Bristol Union Railway Station Marker
(wide view • marker visible along sidewalk)
1960s:
• Birmingham Special --New York City to Birmingham, and branch to Memphis
• Pelican --New York to New Orleans
• Tennessean --Washington to Memphis

(Submitted on May 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Bristol Railroad Station.

Excerpt: The stone-and-brick structure is one of the last surviving examples of a series of depots built before World War I by Norfolk and Western Railroad employees for the company’s rapidly expanding system. The station stood unoccupied for several years after the termination of passenger service and was converted to a shopping mall in the 1980s.

(Submitted on May 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Bristol Union Railway Station<br>(<i>northeast corner • view from railroad tracks</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019

4. Bristol Union Railway Station
(northeast corner • view from railroad tracks)

Bristol Union Railway Station<br>(<i>south entrance • view from State Street</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019

5. Bristol Union Railway Station
(south entrance • view from State Street)

Bristol Union Railway Station detail<br>(<i>doorway and baggage cart</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019

6. Bristol Union Railway Station detail
(doorway and baggage cart)

Bristol Union Railway Station (<i>southeast corner • view from State Street</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019

7. Bristol Union Railway Station (southeast corner • view from State Street)

Bristol Historical Association plaque (upper) and National Register plaque (lower)) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, October 4, 2024

8. Bristol Historical Association plaque (upper) and National Register plaque (lower))

Location is on the west facing wall towards Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,014 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 16, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2. submitted on May 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on May 16, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 8. submitted on October 6, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.