Visiting the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum in Ferrum, Virginia – Appalachian Heritage and Moonshine History
Visiting the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum in Ferrum, Virginia – Appalachian Heritage and Moonshine History
This weekend, Fish and I found ourselves in Ferrum, Virginia, and stumbled into one of the most delightful small museums I’ve ever visited. Let me tell you all about it.
Ferrum is a little village of about 2,000 people, nestled 40 winding miles south of Roanoke. Founded in 1889, the town initially served as a support hub for the Norfolk and Western Railroad, although settlers had been farming the area long before the first trains arrived. Over the years, its people worked the coal seams, harvested lumber, and, perhaps most famously, distilled a little moonshine.
During Prohibition and well beyond (Virginia didn’t fully legalize liquor sales until 1968), bootlegging became a crucial way of life. It wasn’t rebellion so much as survival - hardworking families trying to carve out a better life amid rugged terrain and limited opportunities.
But Ferrum also became an unlikely beacon of education in the Blue Ridge. With the support of the United Methodist Church, the Ferrum Training School opened in 1914 on an 80-acre portion of George Goode’s farm. It offered the “Three Rs,” along with training in agriculture and home economics. The school expanded into a junior college in 1926, became a complete college by 1971, and continued to award high school diplomas until 1954.
Today, Ferrum College offers a diverse range of degrees, including graduate programs, and maintains strong ties to its Methodist roots, still requiring coursework in religion and philosophy.
“Bootlegging and moonshining is a way of life for many families in and around this area — hard-working men and women just trying to carve out a better life for their children.” – Henry Lee Law
In 1973, the college established the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, dedicated to preserving and celebrating the Appalachian folk heritage.
This free museum is a gem. Inside, there’s an exhibit dedicated to the life’s work of Dorothy Cundiff (1928–2021), a local historian who collected the photos, letters, and oral histories of the region’s “common folk.” Her collection captures a living record of resilience and community, a reminder that the extraordinary is often found in the everyday.
Other exhibits include “The History of Souvenirs,” a whimsical collection of more than 1,000 pieces of kitschy travel memorabilia (Fish and I, of course, were delighted; we have our own ever-growing collection of shot glasses). And then there’s the moonshining exhibit, a fascinating look at how local ingenuity helped families survive and thrive. Outside, visitors can explore a working antique farm complete with log cabins, a wood-fired kiln, and even a rather grumpy rooster who clearly takes his job as groundskeeper seriously.
We left the museum grinning and stopped by the small gift shop on the way out, where I picked up 100-Proof, written by local author and son of moonshiners, Henry Lee Law. (Keep an eye on Rite of Fancy for the review soon!)
Ferrum, with its mix of faith, folklore, and frontier spirit, is proof that the best stories are found in the places most people overlook.
Check out my video tour here: https://youtu.be/rMnjIHehA-A
Unfortunately, we couldn't get another shot glass. The gift shop (oddly) didn't have any of those.
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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.
In addition to her travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com
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