Natural Bridge is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Rockbridge County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States. The community is the site of

Natural Bridge A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion fro ...

, a

natural arch A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, Cliffed coast, coastal cliffs, Fin (geology), fins or Stack ...

which gives the town its name. Natural Bridge is located at the junction of

U.S. Route 11 U.S. Route 11 or U.S. Highway 11 (US 11) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway extending across the eastern U.S. The southern terminus of the route is at US 90 in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refu ...

and State Route 130. Natural Bridge has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

with ZIP code 24578, which opened on June 1, 1800.

Attractions

The main attraction in the community is the

. The site, a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

, is a

within a

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

gorge formed by Cedar Creek. The land including the bridge was once owned by

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

, and according to legend,

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

surveyed the bridge.Carrie Hunter Willis and Etta Belle Walker, 1937, ''Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of Virginia'' Natural Bridge Zoo,

Natural Bridge Caverns The Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest commercial caverns in the US state of Texas. The name is derived from the natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance. The span was left suspended when a ...

and the Virginia Safari Park are located nearby. In addition to the Natural Bridge, the Rockbridge Inn, Vine Forest, and Virginia Manor are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

, and the heart of the resort area at the center of the village is listed as the Natural Bridge Historic District.

References

External links

The Natural Bridge
Unincorporated communities in Rockbridge County, Virginia Unincorporated communities in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Rockbridge County, Virginia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia {{RockbridgeCountyVA-geo-stub

Attractions

See also

References

External links