Staunton and James River Turnpike
The Staunton and James River Turnpike ran
through here at Batesville and stretched for
43½ miles from Staunton to Scottsville.
Construction began in 1826 and was completed
by 1830. The turnpike provided a direct
route for Shenandoah Valley farmers to
transport agricultural products to Scottsville,
then to Richmond via the James River and
Kanawha Canal. Because the turnpike became
impassable during wet weather, it was
converted to a plank road (wooden boards laid
crosswise to the road surface) beginning in
1849. The emergence of the railroad industry
and the high cost of maintenance resulted in
its disuse by the late 1850s and eventual incorporation into the country’s road system.
Marker is on Plank Road (County Route 692) just west of Miller School Road (County Route 635), on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
