(Every prior issue of Floyd Virginia Magazine)

By Vickie Holt

This year, Floyd Virginia Magazine celebrates fifteen years of serving the people and the businesses of Floyd! From those who planted the seeds, to those who didn’t want to see it end, to those who continue on, the history of the magazine is one that encompasses what is best about Floyd, Virginia. It was born of community pride and sustained by community love and cooperation. It has come to be not only a promotional hub for local businesses, and not only a comprehensive resource for visitors, but also a lasting volume celebrating the people, history, and culture of Floyd. And it all began with a shared notion.

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(Left to right: Carolyn Akers, Lois Akers, Glynda Woolums, and Joana Shelor)

by Colleen E. Grecus

Located at the corner of North Locust Street and Penn Avenue, poised atop a hill across from the Floyd Historical Society, is one of the more charming gems to be found in scenic Floyd, Virginia.

Deriving its name from the building’s historic beginnings, the legendary Schoolhouse Fabrics has been serving the community of Floyd and its visitors since the early 1980’s.
First commissioned by Henry Dillon in 1911, the brick structure was built on the site of the 1846 Jacksonville Academy, which had been established by Governor Floyd, himself.  It is said that many of the bricks used in the new structure were part of the original Academy!
The new building began serving as a grade school for the county upon its completion in 1913.  Built in the Georgian Revival style, defined by balance and symmetry, the schoolhouse features large and arched windows, dormers, and simple columns to draw attention to the large stoop and entryway.
It operated as Floyd High School until 1939, and later, Floyd Elementary School until 1962.  Needing more space, the schools moved again into bigger, newer buildings.  This left the old school building vacant and available.
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A passion for cars was instilled in Rob Favre at an early age. Some of his earliest memories include working on his dad’s race cars in the shop and getting to work at his dad’s auto parts store.

He continued his interest with an auto mechanic class in high school, and during his college years, Favre worked with used cars at a location in Blacksburg. Shortly afterward, he started working for car dealerships.

The passion he has for cars, however, is not limited to just selling and fixing. After all, cars are for driving! And since 2008, Rob Favre has been getting behind the wheel and driving…really fast! With his race team, Buffalo Mountain Motorsports, Favre has raced dirt late models regionally across Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. With twenty-three total wins, Favre is also a former Wythe Raceway champion. He also received Rookie of the Year.
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by G.V. Carlsson

A story that starts in seventeenth-century England, then crosses paths with one of today’s top country musical artists and ends with new life breathed into a classic landmark is certainly one that calls for a big, cozy chair, a mug of everyone’s favorite hot beverage, and a bowl of popcorn!

In 1654, a man named James Tugwell immigrated from England to the Virginia Colony. There, he lived in Lancaster County before finally receiving a land patent. He then settled in Middlesex County with his wife, Mary. The two of them made a home in Middlesex and raised their family.

Fast-forward over a hundred years and the Tugwell family had since become the Tuggle family, and the descendants of James and Mary had done well for themselves. The family owned several hundred acres of land in what eventually became Patrick County. On that land was a particularly beautiful spot surrounding Rockcastle Creek. This area became known as Tuggle’s Gap, and it is still known by that name to this very day.
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When the Nanfelts moved their family to Floyd County in 2020, Sharon was not expecting to build a natural playground on their small family farm. Yet, with the ongoing pandemic and the difficulty it brought for her children making friends, that’s exactly what she found herself doing. She chopped away at tough sod for weeks on end, tilled cow pasture into winding garden beds, and installed an enormous playground slide onto the hill…all within just a handful of months after arriving.

“I didn’t know I would build this business,” said Sharon, “but I did know that my children needed open spaces and to experience the magic of their own imaginations. I knew that I would create things, grow things, and build things to get them outside and to bring children to meet mine.”
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People who settled in the Floyd County area began holding religious services by 1795, and Pine Creek Primitive Baptist Church is one of the earliest churches established. It was founded in 1803 when four members of Salem Church – also known as Head of the River – were dismissed to form Pine Creek Primitive Baptist. They established the church just off the road leading to Spangler’s Mill. The initial property conveyance occurred in 1804 when Thomas Goodson conveyed five acres for the establishment of a church and graveyard at the site.

The current building is actually the second church constructed at this site. Due to age and fire, the first building was replaced around 1881, and has remained relatively unchanged since. However, the original stone foundation was replaced with cinderblock, and the roof was replaced at some point with corrugated metal.
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(From left to right: Robert Nickell, John McEnHill, and Joanna Nickell)

Former Chamber of Commerce leader, John McEnhill, is still somewhat amazed at how he ended up owning Buffalo Mountain Ziplines. He had announced plans to retire from his position as Executive Director in 2020 to pursue a business concept, but those plans were put on hold during the pandemic as he pivoted toward helping the Chamber and its members navigate the pandemic challenges.

He had been considering options for owning and operating a business for several years, but the pandemic also impacted his business concept, so he began pursuing other options. Eventually, McEnhill put in several purchase offers for commercial real estate in Floyd County.

“These offers helped clarify what was or wasn’t a good fit for me,” McEnhill recalls. “I had looked at the Buffalo Mountain Ziplines listing several times over several months until one day something clicked, and I asked myself, why not?”
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Located atop the magnificent Blue Ridge Plateau in southwestern Virginia, Floyd is a haven of natural beauty, where the people are renowned for their hospitality. Floyd has a vibrant culture of music, arts, local foods and wines, and outdoor recreation. With nearly forty miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway running through it, Floyd is a wonderful place to visit during the Spring and Summer months. For more information about below and other events, go to VisitFloydVA.com or call Visitor Center at 540-745-4407.

SAMPLING OF MAJOR EVENTS:

April 30 • Po’ Ramblin’ Boys Live @ Floyd Country Store
www.FloydCountryStore.com

April 30th (May 1st Rain Date) • Raise the Barre Dance Recital
www.FloydFamilyCampground.com

April 30 & May 1 • 16 Hands Spring Studio Tour
www.16Hands.com

May 1 • Mayfaire • www.FloydArtCenter.org/mayfaire

May 14 • FCHS Program: Tpm Perry ~ “Dr. John Stuart, William A. Stuart, and Jeb Stuart” 10:30-12 at the Floyd Center for the Arts

May 21 •Ray Wylie Hubbard – Performing Live
Historic Epperly Mill • www.EpperlyMill.com

June 3-5 • Little River Poetry Festival
www.LittleRiverPoetryFest.com

June 5 • Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius Live
Floyd Country Store • www.FloydCountryStore.com

June 18 • FCHS Program: Charlie Thompson ~ author of “Rock Castle Home”. 10:30am – 12:00pm at the Floyd-Montgomery Library Community Room.

June 18-19 • Floyd Artisan Trail Tour
www.FloydArtCenter.org/artisan-trail

June 25 • House and Garden Tour • Floyd Events Center
www.FloydArtCenter.org/house-garden-tour

July 9 • Replenish Festival • Burnett Farm
www.ReplenishFest.com

July 27-31 • Floyd Fest • www.FloydFest.com

August 14-20 • 3rd Annual Plein Air Biennial
www.FloydArtCenter.org/Plein-Air

September 10th • Floyd County Fair
www.FloydFamilyCampground.com

September 1-4 • Floyd Yoga Jam • www.FloydYogaJam.net

September 16th and 17th • VW Buses at FFC
www.FloydFamilyCampground.com

September 17 • FCHS Program: “Preserving Floyd’s Historic Records” 10:30am – 12:00pm at Floyd Center for the Arts
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Located at 880 Little Valley Road in Carroll County, within Meadows of Dan, is an historic treasure that is getting a second chance to shine.

It was during the early 1900’s when Carroll County’s schoolboard recognized the need for additional schoolhouses to serve the growing community. The project eventually saw the construction of several schools, built on carefully selected sites, so children would not have to walk more than five miles from their homes along the dirt roads and animal trails. One of these sites, located at milepost 185 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, became known as the Little Valley Schoolhouse.

Construction on the schoolhouse began in 1929 when the Jessup family donated the land to the School Board of Carroll County. In turn, Carroll County provided funds to build the schoolhouse. Local residents provided the needed labor and a nearby sawmill provided the building materials, most of which were sourced from local oak and chestnut trees. It was a genuine community effort, meant to provide opportunities for the children of the families living there.
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On March first of 2022, the quietness of the predawn hours was interrupted by the sound of a tiny bleat. A wooly brown dairy sheep named Siren had given birth to an adorable ram lamb. The precious baby was black with a white head and white socks, pink nose, and floppy black ears. He was also the first of nine lambs to be born at Floyd EcoVillage.

Large fields, bright skies, and friendly visitors are but a few of the experiences these tiny floofs can look forward to during their time on the seventy-five-acre property of the EcoVillage. There, they will be in the company of sixteen other sheep, two rams and fourteen ewes, as well as two nervous but attractive cows. This happy collection will be kept and cared for in the paddock located between the earth-bermed lodge and the pond, overlooked by the Event Center. Guests are encouraged to visit the animals while walking the trails but are not allowed to enter the pens without a staff member.
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