Imagine a forest-lined path traversing the mountain. The team pulling your coach are laboring along under the steep incline and rough terrain which get harder and colder during the winter. Bumping along in your carriage, your gaze wanders from side to side. There must be a better way.
These were the exact thoughts of young Ira Coltrane, a local teamster some time in the 1830s. Accounts differ, but at age 14 or 15 he knew that the steep stagecoach road was not the best route through the Blue Ridge Mountains near present-day Fancy Gap, Virginia.
Ira proclaimed to his companions that he saw an area deep in the gap that may provide a better path for traveling, saying it would make a “right fancy road.”
The town of Fancy Gap is about 12 miles from Mount Airy, with the highest elevation of the town being 2,894 feet. Imagine traveling to the Gap without the “Fancy Gap” way. Some documents suggest that it would have taken three or more days to cross from the Piedmont to the crest of the Blue Ridge, depending on your cargo and load.
Originally, the way up the escarpment, a long steep slope, to the plateau was based on native and animal paths, while some were expanded or altered to allow horses or potentially small carriages and wagons. They were not built to withstand the multiple convoys of people and merchants making their way into Carroll County. Going and coming were both issues. If your load was not adjusted accordingly or your load too light, the descent to the Piedmont could potentially be treacherous. Businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and hired help sporadically popped up along these paths, banking on misfortunes and weariness of travelers with multi-day trips.
These early roads were volunteer created with varying accuracies — solely dependent on the amount of time each person had to work. The creators made use of the gaps — low points between hills or mountains, and spurs, a lateral ridge or small outcropping. These geological formations aided in the passage through the mountains; Flower Gap Road and Good Spur Road (as early as 1786) were two of the roads/paths that predated Fancy Gap Hwy and US 52 through the town of Fancy Gap.
Ira Coltrane’s dream of a “Fancy Road” never left his thoughts and 19 years later “his” road was becoming a reality.
At 38 years old the now Colonel Ira Coltrane laid out the location for the new road through the crest of the Blue Ridge, which he named “Fancy Gap.”
As of 2010, 237 people lived in the Fancy Gap community, likely using the famed road daily. While the community is small it boasts wonderful history, artistry, and recreational opportunities. The path from Piedmont to plateau, once difficult and tiresome, became open and beautiful, lighting the way for new commerce and relationships. Fancy Gap Highway drew these two geographic regions closer together.
The town and its amenities are now easily accessible thanks to the wandering eye of a 14-year-old.
Today when traveling Fancy Gap Highway, there are several shops along the way and easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, America’s second most visited National Park Unit. To learn more about all the things to do in Fancy Gap, along with more history of the area visit, https://www.virginia.org/
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com