Bent Mountain is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Roanoke County,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, United States. Bent Mountain is located on
U.S. Route 221 southwest of
Roanoke. Bent Mountain has a
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...
with
ZIP code 24059.
Geography
At over 2,600 feet in elevation, "...it affords one of the clearest views of the
Roanoke Valley
The Roanoke Valley ( ) in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west. The valley includes much of Roanoke County, as well as the ...
."
The community of Bent Mountain sits, as the name implies, on top of the large and fertile Bent Mountain Plateau. It is located in the extreme Southwest corner of Roanoke County and is in close proximity to neighboring
Floyd,
Franklin, and
Montgomery counties. The geographic borders of the mountain are also partially located in Floyd County, which has inspired the annual "Bent Mountain Brawl" Benefit Game between the
Cave Spring Knights and the
Floyd County Buffaloes.
History
The roads through Bent Mountain are also historic. "The Salem and Bent Mountain Turnpike Company was charted in 1840 to build a road from
Salem, Virginia across
Twelve O'clock Knob to Back Creek and thence to the top of Bent Mountain. The road was long delayed in construction, but the route planned was eventually used, and the road is now a hard surfaced state highway." Part of this road followed the famous
Trader's Path
The Trader's Path was a colonial highway through southwestern Virginia, established in 1740.
The Trader's Path was an early road from Augusta County, Virginia, now part of US 460 and US 220 Alternate. Established in 1740, the Trader's Path led fr ...
.
There are two theories about the origin of the name, "Bent Mountain." One of them is that the mountain is named for two early surveyors in the area, James Bent and William Bent, who were brothers and from Pennsylvania. The second theory is that the mountain is shaped like a horseshoe or "bent" mountain. There is also a tradition that the Bent Mountain area had settlers before the rest of the region, probably soon after 1740.
After the Civil War,
Jordan Woodrum purchased a large tract of "waste land", mostly mountainous tree and shrub, and thought by many to be of little value. However, he planted the hillsides with
Newtown Pippin apple trees, and sparked a new era in agriculture in the region.
"History of Roanoke County"
by Jack, George S., and Edward Boyle Jacobs. Roanoke, Va: Stone, 1912. Pages 74-75.
During Prohibition Bent Mountain had the largest distillery in Roanoke County on Bottom Creek Lane.
Education
Bent Mountain is served by Roanoke County Public Schools
Roanoke County Public Schools is the branch of the government of Roanoke County, Virginia responsible for public K–12 education. Like all public school systems in Virginia, it is legally classified as a school division. Although it performs the f ...
, with students attending Cave Spring High School. In 2010, the student population of Bent Mountain Elementary School dropped below 50, forcing Roanoke County Schools to close the 100 year old educational institution and send the Bent Mountain area students to neighboring Back Creek Elementary.
References
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Unincorporated communities in Roanoke County, Virginia
Unincorporated communities in Virginia