The Country Cabin with its descendant, Country Cabin II, is the
oldest mountain music/ cultural venue currently operating along the
Crooked Road.
"The Crooked Road” is Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, a driving
route through the Appalachian Mountains from the western slopes of
the Blue Ridge to the Coalfields region of the state. The trail
connects major heritage music venues in the Appalachian region such
as the Blue Ridge Music Center, Birthplace of Country Music
Alliance, and the Carter Family Fold. The traditional gospel,
bluegrass, and mountain music heard today was passed down from
generation to generation and lives on through a wealth of musicians
and instrument makers along the trail. Annual festivals, weekly
concerts, live radio shows, and informal jam sessions abound
throughout the region. In addition, this region is also rich in
other cultural and natural assets, particularly crafts and outdoor
recreation. A wide variety of traditional handcrafted woodwork,
weaving, and pottery can be found along the trail in country stores
and small workshops. The lush valleys and rugged mountains offer
numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, from hiking and
biking to fishing and boating.
The original Country Cabin was built in 1937 under President
Roosevelt’s WPA program as a community recreational facility and is
a National and State Historic Landmark. Local musicians gathered at
the cabin every Saturday night to perform and carry on traditional
bluegrass and country music.
The popularity of the weekly event soon outgrew the log cabin
and in 2002, a new larger facility was built in nearby Appalachian
Traditions Village, to accommodate bigger audiences and to host a
wider variety of programs.
In addition to clogging classes, and a Saturday night show, the
Cabin hosts the Dock Boggs Memorial Festival, held annually the
second Saturday in September. This festival honors the lives of two
local extraordinary musicians – banjoist Moran Lea “Dock” Boggs, a
soulful singer and unique banjo player, and ballad singer and
songwriter Kate O’Neill Peters Sturgill. The festival offers local,
regional and national-known traditional musicians and dancers, as
well as handmade mountain arts and crafts and home cooked mountain
foods.
The legacy of music lives on and continues to grow at the
Country Cabin II. New additions to the site will be completed soon
and include, a new building to accommodate larger music events, a
small mountain church which will be used as a Wedding Chapel, a
museum that will tell the Country Cabin story, and an outdoor
amphitheater.
You are looking for a Magnetic Key Holder! BYOP!
*Permission was granted by the property owners for this
cache!
The Crooked Road
Appalachian
Traditions The Country Cabin
