Munford in Botetourt County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Johnson Farm

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 2, 2025

1. Johnson Farm Marker

Inscription. Around 1766 Thomas Wood began the first known homestead on this property. The farm passed through several hands until John T. Johnson bought it in 1852. Johnson family descendants worked the farm continuously for nearly 90 years, during which time it became part of the flourishing Peaks of Otter community.

This settlement included about 22 families and boasted a church, a school, and the Hotel Mons. The hotel purchased fruits and vegetables raised on the Johnson farm, and some family members worked at the resort. The hotel closed in the 1930s, and families began to leave the area, all victims of the Great Depression.

Among the last to leave were Callie Johnson Bryant and her family, who lived here until the early 1940s. Members of the Johnson family still live in the Bedford County area.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1766.

Location. 37° 27.294′ N, 79° 36.326′ W. Marker is in Munford, Virginia, in Botetourt County. It is on Johnson

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Farm Road. The marker is located on the Johnson Farm Trail, part of the Peaks of Otter unit of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 Johnson Farm Rd, Buchanan VA 24066, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Mountain Region.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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 walking distance of this marker: Johnson Farm Apple House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Johnson Farmhouse (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Hotel Mons (approx. 0.4 miles away); Abbott Lake (approx. half a mile away); A Community at "the Mons" (approx. 0.7 miles away); Polly Woods' Ordinary (approx. 0.7 miles

Photos on the Right Side of the Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 2, 2025

2. Photos on the Right Side of the Marker

The photos are captioned (top) "Mons School in the Peaks community, 1925" and (bottom) "Johnson Farm during the 1920s."

away); Peaks of Otter (approx. 0.7 miles away); Sharp Top Mountain (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Munford.

Also see . . . The Peaks of Otter and the Johnson Farm. Article summarizing the history of the Peaks of Otter area, with details about the Johnson Farm. (Submitted on August 6, 2025, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 2, 2025

3. Johnson Farm Marker

Johnson Farm Orchard image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 2, 2025

4. Johnson Farm Orchard

Johnson Farm Barn image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 2, 2025

5. Johnson Farm Barn

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 2, 2025

6. Springhouse

Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 6, 2025, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 243 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 6, 2025, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.