Author Archives: Bee

Check In to the Past: Blacksburg’s Historic Hotels and Motels (1950 to 1980s)

As the quiet town of Blacksburg grew through the mid-20th century, so did the need for modern places for visitors to stay. Early Blacksburg was a small, rural community where travelers often relied on boarding houses or small inns. But with two major changes—the rise of automobile travel and the rapid expansion of VPI (nowContinue reading “Check In to the Past: Blacksburg’s Historic Hotels and Motels (1950 to 1980s)”

VPI Chapel and Library

In 1909, Virginia Tech built its campus chapel, later repurposed as the university library in 1914. The building burned on August 31, 1953, while being dismantled to make way for the new library, later named for Carol Montgomery Newman, longtime English professor and dean of the Academic Department. Standing on the site of today’s Newman Library, the old chapel was empty at the time—its books safely relocated weeks earlier.

Black Family of Blacksburg

According to Virginia and Virginians – Eminent Virginians, Montgomery County, 1606-1888, by Dr. R.A. Brock, Society of the Virginia Historical Society Harvey Black, M.D. Objects of Harvey Black Found at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond Photo from the American Civil War Museum in Richmond showing a group of Confederate veterans. The back notesContinue reading “Black Family of Blacksburg”

German Settlement of Southwest Virginia

The German Middle Settlement—spanning present-day Pulaski, Giles, and Montgomery Counties—has a rich, well-documented history. This page gathers books and resources that highlight the families, traditions, and stories that shaped the community and its lasting impact on Southwest Virginia.

Leadership at Virginia Tech and Its Impact on Blacksburg’s History

The history of the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia, is deeply connected to the evolution of Virginia’s land-grant university. Founded as the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (VAMC), the institution later became Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University—now known simply as Virginia Tech. A school of many abbreviations: VPI, VPI&SU and now VT). The university’s growth,Continue reading “Leadership at Virginia Tech and Its Impact on Blacksburg’s History”