Downtown in Blacksburg in Montgomery County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Cellar Building

Ca. 1890

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 27, 2015

1. The Cellar Building Marker

Inscription. Nick Kappas emigrated from Greece in 1913 and located in Roanoke. After the VPI vs. VMI annual football game in Roanoke, VPI cadets who frequented a restaurant where Kappas worked, persuaded him to move to Blacksburg to open his own business. He started the restaurant in 1921 in this building, and the business continues today. The restaurant had several different ofﬁcial names, but has always been called ‘the Greek's’ by its loyal customers. Today it is known as the Cellar Restaurant.

Visit www.Blacksburg.gov/museum for more information.

(captions)
(left) Nick Kappas May 16, 1897 – November 12, 1995
(right) Restaurant Interior c. 1930

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is May 16, 1815.

Location. 37° 13.854′ N, 80° 24.908′ W. Marker is in Blacksburg, Virginia, in Montgomery County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of College Avenue Extension and North Main Street (Business U.S. 460), on the right when traveling west on College Avenue Extension. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 302 North Main Street, Blacksburg VA 24060, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia,

in the Blue Ridge Highlands,

and in the New River Gorge.

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: William Black (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Early Years / Campus Over Time

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(about 400 feet away); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (about 500 feet away); People and Place / Land Grant College (about 500 feet away); The Armory (about 600 feet away); William Frank Henderson (about 600 feet away); Thomas-Conner House (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Houston Squires (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Blacksburg.

Also see . . . The Cellar Restaurant. (Submitted on June 27, 2015.)

The Cellar Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, June 27, 2015

2. The Cellar Building

Credits. This page was last revised on June 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,027 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 27, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.