Near West Jefferson in Ashe County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Mt. Jefferson
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 4, 2019
1. Mt. Jefferson Marker
Mount Jefferson looms high over the town of Jefferson for which it is named. It was formerly called Negro Mountain because run-away slaves supposedly hid out there while fleeing north. The summit and slopes of the mountain now make up Mount Jefferson State Park, covering 474 acres.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Blue Ridge Parkway series list.
Location. 36° 17.7′ N, 81° 24.792′ W. Marker is near West Jefferson, North Carolina, in Ashe County. It is on Blue Ridge Parkway (at milepost 266.8), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located at the Blue Ridge Parkway's Mt. Jefferson Overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: West Jefferson NC 28694, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s and he Mountains in the High Country. 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 original Cherokee Nation, 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 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tom Dula (approx. 2.3 miles away); Glendale Springs Inn (approx. 3.9 miles away); E. B. Jeffress Park (approx. 4.2 miles away); Stoneman's Raid
this page online
Also see . . . Mount Jefferson State Natural Area History. NC Division of Parks and Recreation website entry:
The mountain's name was chosen in honor of Thomas Jefferson and his father, Peter, who owned land in the area and surveyed the nearby North Carolina-Virginia border in 1749. Around the time of the Civil War, legend holds that the "caves" beneath Mount Jefferson's ledges served as hideouts for escaped slaves traveling to freedom on the Underground Railroad. (Submitted on October 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 4, 2019
2. Mt. Jefferson Marker (wide view)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 4, 2019
3. Mt. Jefferson Overlook
(marker on left Mt. Jefferson visible in background)
(marker on left Mt. Jefferson visible in background)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,421 times since then and 101 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
