Goshen Pass is a

water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a prac ...

, or gorge, in the Little North Mountain, formed by the passage of the

Maury River The Maury River is a tributary of the James River in west-central Virginia in the United States. It is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay. Course The Maury flows for its entire length in Rockbridge County. It is formed near Goshen by the ...

, approximately northwest of Lexington in Rockbridge 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 ...

. State Route 39 traverses the pass along the banks of the Maury River.

Background

Goshen Pass is the site of the

Matthew Fontaine Maury Matthew Fontaine Maury (January 14, 1806February 1, 1873) was an American oceanographer and naval officer, serving the United States and then joining the Confederacy during the American Civil War. He was nicknamed "Pathfinder of the Seas" and i ...

memorial overlooking the Maury river. After Maury's death, his body was taken from the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

in Lexington to Hollywood Cemetery in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. Along the way the coach stopped at the Goshen pass, per Maury's request, to pick some of his favorite flowers,

rhododendrons ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

, and mountain-ivy before continuing onward to Richmond. Subsequently, a memorial to him was placed there, consisting of a vertical stone monument, showing Maury's face and an inscription a poem written by Mrs. Margaret Junkin Preston as cited on the webpage. In addition, high above the river below, a huge anchor and chain were placed, honoring Maury's naval service. Matthew Fontaine Maury is buried between Virginian presidents

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig tick ...

and

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

.Preserve webpage
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Gallery

Maury River - Goshen Pass.jpg, The Maury River cuts through the Appalachians, west of Wilson Springs, between Hogback Mountain and Jump Mountain Matthew Fontaine Maury memorial at Goshen Pass overlooking the Maury River.jpg, Maury Memorial at Goshen Pass overlooking the Maury River Goshen Pass east.JPG, View to northeast from overlook Goshen Pass west.JPG, View to southwest from overlook Maury River.JPG, Maury River State Route 39 Goshen Pass.JPG, State Route 39 near west end of the pass

References

{{Gaps of the Appalachian Mountains Water gaps of Virginia Landforms of Rockbridge County, Virginia Matthew Fontaine Maury

Background

Gallery

See also

References