The Grahams Forge Mill in Wythe County is one of the outstanding late-19th-century architectural gems of southwest Virginia. Although utilitarian in function, it is nevertheless a stunning site of rustic beauty: a five-story building on a stone foundation, with a flaking whitewashed, weathered, gray wood exterior; original windows and doors with stylish surrounds and proportionally correct dormers; a paneled frieze below broad eaves; a rusting silver tin roof; and a wonderful little cupola with star motif and decorative cresting. The Grahams Forge Mill and its complement of outbuildings possess outstanding architectural integrity, and many of the mill’s workings remain in place inside the structures. The current mill, constructed ca. 1890 and operated until 1934, was the third one to occupy the site. Its predecessors were the former Graham’s Forge that featured a furnace, iron rolling mill, and nail factory, and the earlier Crockett Forge, which was established in 1796. The site is named for David Graham, who acquired the forge in 1826 and later left it to his son, Major David P. Graham.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia