Hooray! Who can ever forget Jefferson's description of this beautiful
place? "The Natural bridge, the most sublime of Nature's works, though not
comprehended under the present head, must not be pretermitted. It is on the
ascent of a hill, which seems to have been cloven through its length by
some great convulsion. The fissure, just at the bridge, is, by some
admeasurements, 270 feet deep, by others only 205. It is about 45 feet wide
at the bottom, and 90 feet at the top; this of course determines the length
of the bridge, and its height from the water. Its breadth in the middle, is
about 60 feet, but more at the ends, and the thickness of the mass at the
summit of the arch, about 40 feet. A part of this thickness is constituted
by a coat of earth, which gives growth to many large trees. The residue,
with the hill on both sides, is one solid rock of lime-stone. The arch
approaches the Semi-elliptical form; but the larger axis of the ellipsis,
which would be the cord of the arch, is many times longer than the
transverse. Though the sides of this bridge are provided in some parts with
a parapet of fixed rocks, yet few men have resolution to walk to them and
look over into the abyss. You involuntarily fall on your hands and feet,
creep to the parapet and peep over it. Looking down from this height about
a minute, gave me a violent head ach. If the view from the top be painful
and intolerable, that from below is delightful in an equal extreme. It is
impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime, to be felt beyond
what they are here: so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and
springing as it were up to heaven, the rapture of the spectator is really
indescribable! The fissure continuing narrow, deep, and streight for a
considerable distance above and below the bridge, opens a short but very
pleasing view of the North mountain on one side, and Blue ridge on the
other, at the distance each of them of about five miles. This bridge is in
the county of Rock bridge, to which it has given name, and affords a public
and commodious passage over a valley, which cannot be crossed elsewhere for
a considerable distance. The stream passing under it is called Cedar creek.
It is a water of James river, and sufficient in the driest seasons to turn
a grist-mill, though its fountain is not more than two miles above."


On Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 2:52 PM, Jurretta J. Heckscher <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> From the Friends of the Natural Bridge (
> http://friendsofthenaturalbridge.org/):
>
>
> The Friends of the Natural Bridge (FNB) is pleased that the Virginia
> Conservation Legacy Fund, Inc. has taken ownership of the Natural Bridge of
> Virginia and the surrounding 1,600 acres with the intention of donating the
> majority of the property to the Commonwealth of Virginia's state park
> system as soon as possible. Then this amazing geological icon and special
> part of American natural and cultural history will be protected for future
> generations of Virginians and visitors from around the world. It also will
> continue to provide economic benefits to the businesses and citizens of
> Rockbridge County and the entire Valley of Virginia region.
>
> The FNB comprises organizations and individuals who have advocated the
> transformation of the core lands of the Natural Bridge of Virginia into a
> public park. The FNB, led by the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council
> (RACC) and the Valley Conservation Council (VCC), worked in concert with
> Rockbridge County officials and drew upon the advice and support of
> national conservation groups, including The Trust for Public Land to bring
> state, regional and national focus to the effort.  Other key members of the
> Friends include the Mountain Valley Preservation Alliance (formerly the
> local branch of Preservation Virginia), the Lexington and Rockbridge
> Tourism Development Office, the Historic Lexington Foundation, the
> Rockbridge Historical Society, and a host of volunteers. Its mission was
> endorsed by Rockbridge County and the cities of Lexington and Buena Vista,
> historical preservation and economic development organizations, garden
> clubs and other groups which passed resolutions of support and participated
> in this effort. The FNB is grateful to everyone who helped make this vision
> a reality.
>
> It was a huge collaborative effort involving the principal owner - Angelo
> Puglisi who most generously gifted the Natural Bridge and 188 acres of
> surrounding land to the VCLF, the realtor - Jim Woltz and his team, the
> Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund, Conservation Partners, LLC, the
> management and staff of the Natural Bridge, the Rockbridge County Board of
> Supervisors and Lexington and Buena Vista City Councils, Governor Bob
> McDonnell, state and federal legislators, multiple Virginia state agencies
> especially the Virginia State Parks and Director Joe Elton and the National
> Park Service.   Others who supported the effort in various ways include
> Katie and Cochran Lyle, the reporters who covered the story, all those who
> signed our iPetition and liked the Friends on Facebook and many more
> individuals.
>
> The FNB is also pleased that the Virginia Outdoors Foundation has
> designated a Special Projects Area (SPA) encompassing 178,800 acres in
> southern Rockbridge and northern Botetourt counties which includes the
> Natural Bridge property and the entire watershed of Cedar Creek, which
> carved the gorge traversed by the Natural Bridge. The designation benefits
> residents of the SPA who are interested in protecting their land through
> conservation easements and therefore also benefiting wildlife by providing
> a safer passage between the Alleghenies and the Blue Ridge Mountain ranges.
>
> The Commonwealth will not be able to establish a park without expected
> future donations. For more information or to get involved in the ongoing
> park development effort, please visit the FNB website at
> http://friendsofthenaturalbridge.org/ or contact Chris Wise, FNB chair,
> 540-784-9258, Barbara Walsh, Rockbridge Area Conservation Council,
> 540-463-2330 or Faye Cooper, Valley Conservation Council, 540-886-3541.
>
> ______________________________________
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>

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