The road to Rockledge began, literally, with the clearing of a winding dirt road up the side of Mill Mountain in 1891. The journey to the top of the mountain took three hours by carriage, although many people preferred to walk.
Two decades later, a group of businessmen opened the Scenic Incline Railway, allowing visitors easier and faster access to the top of Mill Mountain. By railway, the journey took just four minutes and cost 25 cents round trip (equivalent to $6.43 today). You can still see the pathway of the Incline Railway running up the mountain behind Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
William Henritze purchased Mill Mountain and the Scene Incline Railway in 1920, when the automobile had quickly become a popular form of transportation. So Henritze and his brother paved a concrete road allowing motorists to drive up and down the mountain at their leisure.
Having owned the entire mountain and gained incomparable success with the paved roadway, Henritze constructed his home, Rockledge, in 1929. Today is continues to serve as a symbol of Roanoke’s history–from dirt roads to stone manors. Pieces of this history remain on site, including a Lord Byron medallion in the back wall and enormous millstones believed to be from the original “mill” on Mill Mountain.
The current owners, Nancy and Kevin Dye, have filled the inside of the home with pieces of history as well. Unique works of art and artifacts they’ve collected over the years in keeping with the style of the home and Henritze’s enthusiasm for travel and collecting.
Here is an in-depth look at a select few pieces of art and artifacts that call Rockledge home.
Photography by David Hungate
