Pigg River Heritage Area

In 2006, the Town of Rocky Mount received a matching grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to conduct an architectural investigation of historic resources and to prepare an interpretive plan and brochure for the Pigg River Heritage Area in the southern area of Rocky Mount. Hill Studio, P.C. was contracted to undertake this work and the plan and brochure has since been completed and adopted by Rocky Mount Town Council. This plan includes documentation of resources and planning recommendations for preservation, education, and recreation. These resources include the Washington Iron Furnace (PDF), Robert Hill Fort (PDF), Richard F. Rakes House (PDF), and Rakes Picnic Pavilion and Cement Spring (PDF), among others.

One of the recommendations of the plan is the establishment of a trail connecting the various resources and providing for recreational and educational opportunities for residents and visitors. This trail would be a community facility that enhances the quality of life for all residents of the Town providing opportunities for walking, jogging, and bicycling along a scenic river/ creek corridor, while also providing educational opportunities for students, residents, and visitors highlighting the historic resources that are an integral part of the heritage of Rocky Mount. In addition to the interpretive plan, Rocky Mount Town Council has adopted the Pigg River Heritage Trail Master Plan (PDF). The first planned phase of this trail will be a connector walk between Veterans' Memorial Park (PDF) and Lynch Landing.