As has been pointed out already, the term "ledge" was often used to refer to the Blue Ridge and probably the Southwest Mountains as a synonym for "mountain" or "ridge." Various surveyors' plats in Albemarle County include the term "ledge" in the descriptions.
The first one that uses the term is a survey for John McCord, 242 acres, November 14, 1748 with the description: "on the top of an arm of the blue ledge of mount:" [Albemarle County Surveyors' Plat Book, Vol. 1, Part 1 (1744-1755), p. 69.]
A November 24, 1829 survey for Fountain Richard, assignee of Achilles Broadhead, for 110 acres gives this description: "lying on the Blue Ridge on the waters of Lynch's river ['on the top of the ledge dividing Albemarle from Rockingham.']" [Albemarle County Surveyors' Plat Book Vol. 2 (1791-1853), p. 158.]
"Ledge" appears in use into the mid-19th century as shown in the description of a survey for William Rodes for 516 acres in Albemarle County and dated November 5th 1849: "lying on and between the mountains called the Bucks Elbow, the middle mountain and the Ledge and on the head waters of Moorman's river being an inclusive survey ..." [Albemarle County Surveyors' Plat Book Vol. 2 (1791-1853), p. 200.] This description and a couple of others from the same time period imply that the term may have been used in a reduced way by then to refer to a specific area of the Blue Ridge in the vicinity above the modern Charlottesville Reservoir near Turks Mountain and Turks Gap.
Finally, "ledge" was also used to the south of Albemarle County leading Oliver A. Pollard to employ the term in the title of his 1997 history of Nelson County "Under the Blue Ledge: Nelson County, Virginia."
Eric Grundset
-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Kukla <[log in to unmask]>
To: VA-HIST <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, May 20, 2013 10:44 am
Subject: [VA-HIST] Ledges
As several people have indicated, it looks as though "ledge" was pretty
uch a synonym for "ridge" in the VA piedmont, in SW Va, and in PA and NJ,
oo -- and in the specific instances I mentioned the reference is to:
Land in what is now north and northwestern Albemarle and before 1761 was
art of Louisa (and therefore Hanover before Louisa formed). . . . the
irst ledge corresponding with the Southwest Mountains and the second ledge
eing the Blue Ridge. This would be in the forks of the Rivanna River
long present US 29 north of Charlottesville.
Thanks to all you responded
Jon Kukla
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ww.JonKukla.com <http://www.jonkukla.com/>
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