1935: Construction Begins on a Scenic Parkway Located Mostly within the Blue Ridge Mountain Chain

September 11, 1935

Ground was broken on the first section of the Appalachian Scenic Highway, which is now known as the Blue Ridge Parkway. These initial building efforts took place along a 12.5-mile (20.1-kilometer) stretch near the western North Carolina-Virginia border, specifically in the vicinity of North Carolina’s Cumberland Knob mountain peak. 

The ultimate result of this ambitious construction project was a parkway that spans a total of 469 miles (755 kilometers). The southern terminus is the border between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Qualia Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North  Carolina; the northern endpoint is Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The parkway is mostly located within the Blue Ridge mountain chain of the Appalachian Mountains and has received numerous accolades for the beautiful scenery along that route. 

The last link in the Blue Ridge Parkway was officially opened 52 years to the day that construction on the entire route had begun. The dedication ceremony for this 7.7-mile (12.4-kilometer) link took place at North Carolina’s Grandfather Mountain, part of that final segment of the parkway. (The accompanying photo was taken in this vicinity of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2016.)

Those participating in the 1987 ceremony included William Penn Mott Jr. (1909-1992), who was director of the National Park Service from 1985 to 1989. In his remarks, he highlighted the parkway’s aesthetic appeal. “The Blue Ridge Parkway has been called the most beautiful road in America,” he said. “I might add that it’s the most beautiful parkway in the world.”

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on the Blue Ridge Parkway, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Parkway

Additional information on the construction of this parkway is available at https://www.nps.gov/blri/learn/historyculture/construction.htm