State Route 56 (SR 56) is a primary
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in the U.S. state of
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 ...
. The state highway runs from
U.S. Route 11 (US 11) at
Steeles Tavern east to
US 60
U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia.
The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as Pacific Avenue, in the ...
near
Buckingham
Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of Central Milton Keynes, sou ...
. SR 56 is the main east–west highway of
Nelson County. The state highway connects the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Lovingston with Buckingham to the east and the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
and the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...
to the west.
Route description
SR 56 begins at an intersection with US 11 (
Lee Highway
The Lee Highway was a national auto trail in the United States, connecting New York City and San Francisco, California, via the South and Southwest. After receiving a letter on January 15, 1919, from Dr. Samuel Myrtle Johnson of Roswell, New Mex ...
) at Steeles Tavern a short distance east of the historic
Cyrus McCormick Farm. The junction is just north of the
Augusta–
Rockbridge county line. SR 56 heads southeast into Rockbridge County as Tye River Turnpike, which enters
George Washington National Forest
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover of land in the Appalachian Mountai ...
and passes under
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
's
Roanoke District at the village of
Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples
The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9 ...
. The state highway follows Little Marys Creek along its winding ascent of the Blue Ridge Mountains. SR 56 intersects the
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenand ...
at Tye River Gap, where the highway enters Nelson County and becomes Crabtree Falls Highway. The state highway descends through
Montebello and follows the South Fork of the
Tye River
The Tye River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Originating on the eastern slope ...
past
Crabtree Falls
Crabtree Falls is one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is located in the George Washington National Forest in Nelson County, Virginia, off of Virginia State Route 56. The name of the falls ...
to
Nash, where the highway begins to follow the Tye River proper.
SR 56 leaves the national forest and enters more gentle terrain just west of
Tyro
In Greek mythology, Tyro ( grc, Τυρώ) was an Elean princess who later became Queen of Iolcus.
Family
Tyro was the daughter of King Salmoneus of Elis and Alcidice, daughter of King Aleus of Arcadia. She married her uncle King Cretheus of ...
, the site of the
Tyro Mill
Tyro Mill is a historic grist mill located at Tyro, Virginia, Tyro, Nelson County, Virginia. It is a multi-story frame mill built in 1846–47 with an addition made in the late nineteenth century. It has a metal-sheathed gable roof and a stone foun ...
. The state highway follows the Tye River through
Massies Mill to
Roseland, where the highway turns south to join
SR 151 on Patrick Henry Highway. The two highways run through the hamlet of
Hendersons Store to just north of
Piney River, where the highways diverge at a wye intersection; the short connecter between SR 151 south and SR 56 east is SR 151Y. SR 56 heads east as Tye Brook Highway, which heads east and crosses the Tye River before intersecting US 29 (Thomas Nelson Highway) at
Colleen. The two highways run concurrently northeast past historic
Mitchell's Brick House Tavern
Mitchell's Brick House Tavern, also known as Oakland, Hite House, Goodwin Tavern, Goodwin House and Coco House, is a historic home located at Arrington, Nelson County, Virginia. It is a two-story, painted brick Greek Revival-style house with a ...
, contemporary Nelson County High School, and historic
Lovingston High School on their way to Lovingston.
SR 56 splits northeast from US 29 along Front Street, which also carries
US 29 Business. At the south end of the
Lovingston Historic District
The Lovingston Historic District is a national historic district located in Lovingston, Virginia, USA. It is a historic district which includes the entirety of the 1809 and 1823 plats as well as the continued growth through the early-to-mid-20 ...
, SR 56 turns southeast onto James River Road. SR 56 heads southeast through an at-grade crossing of Norfolk Southern's
Washington District
The Washington District is a Norfolk Southern Railway line in the U.S. state of Virginia that connects Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and Lynchburg, Virginia, Lynchburg. Most of the line was originally built from 1850 to 1860 by the Orange and ...
at
Shipman. The state highway passes through a gap between Findlay Mountain and Thomas Mountain to
Red Apple Orchard. At
Wingina
Wingina ( – 1 June 1586), also known as Pemisapan, was a Secotan weroance who was the first Native American leader to be encountered by English colonists in North America. During the late 16th century, English explorers Philip Amadas and Arth ...
, SR 56 passes the historic home
Soldier's Joy and has an at-grade intersection with
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
's
Rivanna Subdivision
The Rivanna Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Virginia. It was formerly part of the CSX Huntington East Division. It became part of the CSX Florence Division on June 20, 2016. The line runs from Richmo ...
, then crosses the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
into
Buckingham County. The state highway passes through Woods Corner before reaching its eastern terminus at US 60 (James Anderson Highway) in
Alcoma west of the county seat of Buckingham.
Major intersections
References
External links
Virginia Highways Project: VA 56
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Virginia Byways