The History of Roanoke began in the 1740s when Mark Evans and Tasker Tosh came from Pennsylvania and took up land near the salt licks where Indian and animal trails crossed in the center. For generations, these salt marshes, or licks as they were called, had been a gathering place for buffalo, elk, and deer, as well as the Indians who hunted for them. The original town was called Old Lick, but in 1874 the town was chartered as the Town of Big Lick. The Railroad came to the Valley in 1852. In 1881, when the Shenandoah Valley Railroad came to town, Big Lick was renamed "Roanoke." Roanoke came from the Indian word, "Raw-re-nock," a name for shell beads worn by the Indians and used as trade goods. Today, the Roanoke Valley is the largest metropolitan area in western Virginia. The City of Roanoke's population is 97,032. The region including Roanoke City, Salem City, Roanoke County, Botetourt County and Franklin County has a total population of 303,517.
A historic landmark built in 1949. The Roanoke Star shines out over the Valley and offers a breathtaking view of the city. It's a great place to start any sightseeing tour. Roanoke is one of a very few cities to have a mountain peak within its city limits. On November 12, 1909 a two-railroad car incline opened offering the first transportation up and down Mill Mountain. The incline fell into disuse in the late 1920s when the loop road was built and the automobile age arrived.
The church is a classic example of High Victorian Gothic style with its basic cruciform structure and is typified by contrasting materials and colors. The yellow brick was chosen because of its ability to repel the grim and soot from the steam engines located just below the church. The church seats 800 worshipers. White marble imported from Italy, is evident throughout the sanctuary, but is most visible at the alter.
This historic landmark, built in 1907, was modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia and Sir Christopher Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The firehouse made of brick walls built on a limestone foundation, with the first story constructed to look "rustic." These brick walls, made of mud pulled from the Roanoke Valley's marshlands, reportedly "sweated" salt that was then licked by the horses housed downstairs, who left their tongue prints on the walls. The arches and pilasters point to Wren, originator of the Georgian style, and the cupola (bell tower) is reminiscent of Independence Hall. The original pressed tin ceiling and brass poles are still part of this historic landmark.
The Market is the oldest such market in continuous use in Virginia. In 1882 licenses were issued to 25 hucksters around the same time the city was chartered. Today the Market includes unique shopping, locally-grown produce, art galleries, art studios, country stores, restaurants, museums, coffee shops and Visitor Center. The Market Building was built in 1922 and was an indoor meat market. On its opening day, March 23, 1922, local merchants decorated the building with fresh flowers and an orchestra entertained the crowds all morning. It provided 16 stalls with modern sanitary conveniences like large freezers and display cases for its fresh produce traders. Today the City market building appears remarkably unchanged, yet it is now an international food court including several variety shops. It is undergoing a complete renovation and will open in spring 2011.
This historic neighborhood has one of the largest concentration of Victorian homes in the Valley. In 1771, King George III of England granted 150 acres of land along the Roanoke River to James Alexander, an early inhabitant of the area. Sometime before 1838 a log structure was built on the site. The property changed hands several times, eventually belonging to Samuel H. Gish. Now known as the Alexander/Gish house, it is one of the oldest structure's in the Roanoke Valley. Most homes were built in the 1880's - 1930's. The neighborhood was a fashionable place to live and remained so until World War II had ended. A majority of Roanoke's "first families and affluent citizens" were then living in elegant homes throughout this section until an exodus into the suburbs around the 1940s and 50s. Today many of the great treasures of yesteryear gleam even brighter than before with restoration and renewal. The neighborhood hosts a Christmas homes tours in December the second full weekend called Old Southwest Parlor Tours
