Near Pound in Wise County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Sunnydale Farm

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023

1. Sunnydale Farm Marker

Inscription. Sunnydale Farm, just to the north, was the home of Chant Branham Kelly (1894-1979), known as the “Father of Pound.” Kelly grew up here, served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican Expedition (1916-1917) and World War I, and returned in the 1920s. Eager to promote community development, he built much of Pound's business district, opened several stores, and recruited other merchants. He led efforts to secure the town's first paved road, electric and telephone service, a water system, a fire department, and a crucial dam to alleviate flooding. Kelly is buried in the family cemetery at Sunnydale Farm. The farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Erected 2017 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KA-21.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.

Location. 37° 9.249′ N, 82° 33.48′ W. Marker is near Pound, Virginia, in Wise County. Marker is at the intersection of Mountain Cove Road (Virginia Route 631) and Sunnydale Farm Road on Mountain Cove

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Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9725 Mountain Cove Rd, Pound VA 24279, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Daniel Webster Dotson (approx. 1.8 miles away); Dickenson County (approx. 1.8 miles away); Wise County / Dickenson County (approx. 1.8 miles away); Pound War Memorial (approx. 3.2 miles away); These Men Gave the Supreme Sacrifice for Our Freedom (approx. 3.3 miles away); Dotson-Mullins Field (approx. 3.3 miles away); Pound High School (approx. 3.3 miles away); Pound, Virginia (approx. 3.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pound.

Regarding Sunnydale Farm. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:

Beginning in the early 1920s, Chant [Kelly] was a leading developer of the nearby community of Pound, building multiple commercial buildings, providing electrical, telephone, and fire prevention services, and acting as Pound’s postmaster for twelve years starting in 1922 and as president of the town’s chamber of commerce. For these and other efforts Kelly was honored in period press accounts and was later eulogized as the Father of Pound.

Also see . . . Sunnydale Farm (PDF). National Register

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023

2. Sunnydale Farm Marker

nomination for the farm, which was listed in 2011. (National Archives) (Submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 203 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.