High Bridge Trail State Park is a rail trail in

Southside Virginia Southside, or Southside Virginia, has traditionally referred to the portion of the state south of the James River, the geographic feature from which the term derives its name. This was the first area to be developed in the colonial period. Duri ...

converted from a rail line last belonging to

Norfolk Southern 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, ...

. The first section of the High Bridge Trail opened in 2008 and the final section was completed in 2012. With a length of more than thirty miles, the trail is shared by bicyclists, pedestrians and equestrians — and includes a restored crossing at the Appomattox River over the historic High Bridge – from which the park derives its name. The lineal park traverses Appomattox, Nottoway, Cumberland, and Prince Edward counties as well as Pamplin City, Prospect,

Farmville ''FarmVille'' is a series of agriculture-simulation social network game developed and published by Zynga in 2009. It is similar to '' Happy Farm'' and ''Farm Town''. Its gameplay involves various aspects of farmland management, such as plowi ...

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

and Burkeville. Where the trail traverses Farmville, it directly adjoins Longwood University at the campus' satellite housing and athletic site.

Background

High Bridge was built by the Southside Railroad in 1854 to cross the Appomattox River and connect Petersburg with Lynchburg. The bridge is approximately long and ranges from high. It was originally made of wood trusses laid onto 20 brick piers. The upper level held a rail bridge and a pedestrian walkway, while the lower level was for wagons. In the last days of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, Confederate forces attempted to destroy the bridge after crossing it to prevent pursuing Union troops from being able to cross. After a long delay in receiving orders, Confederate engineers succeeded in setting the bridge on fire on the morning of April 7, 1865, just as Union troops approached. By the time Union men arrived, 3 of the bridge's 21 wooden spans had burned and a 4th span was on fire. Union engineers successfully cut the 4th span to prevent further destruction of the bridge. They then charged across the lower level, forcing Confederate forces to retreat and preventing the bridge from becoming impassable. This had a decisive result and may have advanced the end of the war by several days. After the

Battle of High Bridge The Battle of High Bridge refers to two engagements fought on April 6, 1865 and April 7, 1865, near the end of the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War about northeast of Farmville, Virginia. The first battle is often the one identifi ...

and his surrender at Appomattox, Robert E. Lee told the very men who had destroyed the bridge – including civil engineer Major General William Mahone – to go home and start its rebuilding. Engineers began building temporary spans to replace those that had been destroyed; the South Side Rail Road company eventually finished the work and rail traffic resumed in September 1865. High Bridge Farmville Virginia

Park history

's last train crossed High Bridge on October 26, 2004, and in December 2006 the company donated of abandoned rail to the

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is a department of the government of Virginia; it oversees all Virginia state parks and Natural Area Preserves. History The Virginia State Commission of Conservation and Development was c ...

, managers of the Virginia State Park system. Intended as a park with the High Bridge as its centerpiece, the shared-use path for non-motorized traffic – pedestrians, bicyclists, and horseback riders – would preserve and protect trail resources while creating an education resource for local and national history. With a total budget of an estimated $11 million, four miles of trail east of Farmville opened on Aug. 22, 2008 and 12 more miles from Farmville west to Prospect opened on June 6, 2009. On April 6, 2012, after completion of the final segment of the trail, the restoration of the High Bridge itself, the trail opened for the first time for its full length — 147 years after the

Park details

Having been privately owned and operated by

and offering only very limited access, the park area now offers more than thirty miles of white limestone gravel trail open to the public. Retaining the 0.3% grade of the original rail line, the corridor features picnic, parking and toilet facilities as well as large oak trees, telegraph poles erected in the 1900s, remnants of the railroad's signal system, and Norfolk Southern's original cement mile markers. Park rangers and local police monitor the trail daily. The trail receives community support from the ''Friends of High Bridge Trail State Park'' (FoHBTSP). Formed shortly after the creation of the trail, the volunteer group supports the trail with cleaning, publicity and citizen patrol efforts. The High Bridge State Park has added a Mountain Bike Trail System. It is located on the Rochelle tract about 1.5 miles east of the Main Street Access in Farmville. There are two single track loops: the Earley trail, a 1.6 mile blue-blazed beginner loop; and the Burnside Technical Trail, a 2.6 mile red-blazed intermediate/difficult loop.

External links

High Bridge Trail State Park
Official Site
''Friends of High Bridge Trail State Park'' (FoHBTSP)

Interactive Virtual Tour High Bridge State Park

Trailink

References

{{authority control Rail trails in Virginia Parks in Appomattox County, Virginia Parks in Cumberland County, Virginia Parks in Nottoway County, Virginia Parks in Prince Edward County, Virginia State parks of Virginia Protected areas established in 2008 2008 establishments in Virginia Bike paths in Virginia

Background

Park history

Park details

See also

External links

References