Near Williamsville in Bath County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Life at the Tollhouse
As early as 1880, the Hodge family was responsible for the management of the Warm Springs Mountain tollhouse. By the end of the tool road's operation in the 1910s, there were ten children living at the house "up on the mountain". Much of the data collected about this site is based upon the remembrances of this family.
The tollhouse also served as temporary quarters for the road crews responsible for maintenance of the turnpike. The crew would sleep in the loft with the children during the week and return to their own homes on the weekend.
A common theme in the Hodge family is one of hospitality. According to one story, there was a tollgate at the site, but it was never closed. One particular day, a Hodge child was told to watch the gate. A man came along on horseback and handed the child some money. Not knowing how to make change, the child gave him the money box and said "just take what you want".
Living on the top of the mountain at the turn of the twentieth century afforded the Hodge family an opportunity to watch the coming of technologies that we now take for granted.
"It was around 1902 that I saw the first automobile that passed through Warm Springs.... my grandfather waved to the driver to stop and told him it was a toll gate. Grandfather charged them twenty-five cents tollbut said he did not know if he had done right or not as there was no rates for cars". - Roy H. Hodge, Sr.
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Erected by Virginia Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 38° 3.06′ N, 79° 45.969′ W. Marker is near Williamsville, Virginia, in Bath County. It is at the intersection of State Highway 39 and Homestead Mountain Drive, on the right when traveling west on State Highway 39. Located at the Dan Ingalls Overlook in George Washington National Forest. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Williamsville VA 24487, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, in the Alleghany Highlands, and specifically in the Potomac 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 one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Turnpike Movement in Virginia, 1825-1835 (here, next to this marker); The Land and Natural Resources of Bath County (here, next to this marker); The Virginia Springs Resorts (a few steps from this marker); Settlement on Warm Springs Mountain (a few steps from this marker); Early Bath County Courthouses (approx. 0.8 miles away); Warm Springs Baths (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Rev. Dr. William H. Sheppard (approx. 0.9 miles away); Terrill Hill (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Williamsville.
Photographed by Craig Swain, July 10, 2010
3. Modern Va 39 Where Toll Gate Stood
Photographed by Craig Swain, July 10, 2010
4. Entrance to the Ingalls Overlook
Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,240 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4. submitted on August 11, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
