The Bent Mountain Center has been a beacon to the community for a decade, celebrating its ten year anniversary this year. The Center is a non-profit community center dedicated to promoting community, art, and education for the community and surrounding area. Its character and purpose grew from the small school in Bent Mountain. There is a common history and regional loyalty felt among residents of the area from Bent Mountain to Floyd, as many generations have lived and attended school in this mountain range.
With regular activities and events, schools have often been considered the center of community for generations. Some may remember that there were ten one-room schools serving the mountain-top region. As generations came and went, they were closed with new buildings replacing them. Between 1911 and 1915 the one-room school #8 in Bent Mountain was replaced with a three-room, wood sided school. In 1930, a brick seven-room school was built, with the old three-room building serving as the cafeteria and library.
Showing a peaceful profile, the plain, brick 1930 building was fondly compared to a Norman Rockwell painting. A new addition to the building was built in 1990. This addition included a multipurpose gymnasium with a stage and attached kitchen, a courtyard, and the attached Roanoke County Bent Mountain library building, which is still in operation to this day. Though locals loved the school, the Roanoke County School Board considered closing the facility several times due to its size and small student population. In late 2010, the Roanoke County School Board made the decision to extend the school’s operation for one more year, intending to close it the next year.
Despite local disappointment, in 2012 Roanoke County closed the school. It was then that Bent Mountain residents passionately asked the County Administration to consider turning the building into a community center. The idea was approved, and in 2013, the newly formed Bent Mountain Center officially became a 501c3 non-profit community center. Bruce Coffey was sworn in as the first chairman of the board of directors. Funded by local donations, the Bent Mountain Center quickly became a busy community hub. The residents of Bent Mountain had succeeded in their goal, and they couldn’t be more proud.
Today, the Bent Mountain Center offers educational, recreational, and social activities to residents of Roanoke, Floyd, Montgomery, and Franklin Counties. People from all around the area are welcome to visit the community center. Many musicians and artists have performed or displayed their work at the Center, with most of them coming from Floyd County. The area between Bent Mountain and Floyd continues to grow. Beautiful mountains, a safe community, and local attractions are encouraging individuals and families to relocate to this beautiful area.
According to the Center’s current Board of Directors Chairman, Steve Wachnowsky, “We are a benevolent organization dedicated to promoting community, art, and education, and in so doing, we enrich the lives of our community and visitors.” The Center’s mission is to promote the quality of life and best interests of our communities by providing a suitable location to effectively serve the leisure, recreational, educational, and social needs of our citizens and visitors.
The vision is to continue to grow the Bent Mountain Center into a thriving community complex, utilizing our existing programs, creating new programs, and seeking opportunities that would further serve the community. Additionally, the volunteers want to promote small business growth by providing a location which emphasizes the interests, artistry, and beauty of the area.
The facility is multi-functional, with a gym, featuring a stage where live music, classes, meetings, events, as well as other activities can be hosted. There is also a commercial kitchen, several classrooms, and an additional outdoor stage behind the building for outdoor events. The BMC provides rental spaces for classes, weddings, birthdays, special events, and more. Throughout the year they offer family activities, live music, civic meetings, and art exhibits.
Utilizing some of these impressive facilities, the Bent Mountain Center’s annual cornerstone event is Summerfest, a local favorite. This family friendly outdoor event features live music, food, and beverages, and the volunteers are ready for unpredictable weather. In 2021, they were ready for Summerfest with two bands booked. Food, drinks, and volunteers were lined up, but the unpredictable mountain weather had other thoughts. Though the weather called for rain, they set everything up outside, waiting and watching the forecast, hoping for clear skies. Then, with only a few hours notice, the bands canceled. People started to show up. First just a few, and then a large crowd of over 150. And as the volunteers surveyed the crowd, they noticed everyone was talking, smiling, laughing, and having a great time. To add to this success, it did not end up raining, making it one of their best Summerfests to date.
BMC hosts other seasonal events as well. Oktoberfest is a fall event filled with live Bavarian music, food, beverages, and a good time for all. Those who want to fully embrace the Christmas season should attend the Christmas Faire. It is a festive event for the whole family, including a visit by Santa Claus, as well as Christmas activities. Volunteers at the Center also use events to support the community. They recently hosted their first joint Pancake Breakfast, partnering with Bent Mountain Volunteer Fire Department. They also sought to provide comfort and convenience during the pandemic by offering many “grab-n-go” breakfasts and dinners. This helped all who participated to feel a sense of community during the lockdowns.
In addition to these charitable events, the “Friends of the Bent Mountain Center” fundraising campaign was launched in April 2023 to support new philanthropic programs and services to community residents. To date 67% of the goal is met. Their first new program was to support the veterans of Bent Mountain by providing monthly meals for their meetings as appreciation for their service. They also support the local food pantry by collecting food donations for those in need.
Volunteers are critical to the operation of the Bent Mountain Center. They have helped by painting the gym and hanging the stage curtains, painting the hallway, and hanging pictures. Artist and Musicians have also donated their time and talent to support the Center. Those who run the Center are happy that the newly renovated Bent Mountain Library is part of the facility, and are thankful for the generous support from the Bent Mountain Woman’s Club, and Roanoke County Administration. The Center can thrive due to the generous support provided by Bent Mountain residents and guests.
Bent Mountain Center • 540-929-4127
10148 Tinsley Lane, Bent Mountain, VA 24059
bentmtnctr@gmail.com• www.BentMountainCenter.com