Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-12-09
Relics Of q Former Race.

A.Sc VI VI ~ CE ASoCCs l.l-sF
: DR.. j. P. Hale. president of the We
Virginia Historical and Antiquaria
Society, has returned from trip up
the mountains of Fayette, where b
went in the interest OF the spciety I
examine the prehistoric stone wal
which are there.
These walls are on top OF one of tn
highest mountains of the county. neal
~ 1,5OO feet above the level of the riy
er, and a mile back from the railroad
They are on the mountain betweel
Morris creek and Loup creek. which i
almost inaccessible. have been seen b.
but few white men and have never
been accurately described.
There are two of these walle. Eacf
one crosses the top of the ridge anG
encIoses land on either side of it fol
some distance down the sides of the
mountain. The two enclosures are
about half mile apart and the walls
which surround them, were they con
tinuous. would each be perhaps mile
or more in length.
They have been described as stone
walls, but strictly speaking are not
walls. They are simply long piles OF
loose stones. In places about five feet
in height, and often lower than that.
At the base the piles are perhaps 25
feet wide and many of the stones are
SO large that several men would be re-
Hquired to lift them. The walls are not
continuous, but often break off alb
ruptly, leaving long open gaps before
they are begun again. Sometimes they
end gradually and disappear with
scattering of loose stones. DR.. Hale
says that it is evident that this work
was never completed.
Who began it or for what purpose it
was begun can be merely a matter of
conjecture. Some have thought the
walls were built for fortications, others
that they were to run game into and
many theories have been advanced as
to their purpose. but none have been
satisfactory and none Of them seem
even plausible after seeing the work,
says DR.. Hale.
Within each of the two enclosures
is spring. One of them has never
been known to fail and the other-is dry
this season for the frs: time ever
known. They are in circular basins
and through the opening in the bot |
tom of one of them, through which the
water flows, rod was run straight
down for about FIVE feet. The springs
Ire almost at the summit of the noun
ain, which nearly 1.500 feet above the
liver. and where the supply of water
comes from is mystery.
Within one of the enclosures is a cir
ular wall of stone, about 33 feet in
liameter. It was evidently about fourl
eet high when built. In the centerI
t this poplar tree has grown to be
/ feet in diameter, has gone to decay
nd fallen down. The roots have NOV
d the stones in the wall in places and
is evident that the tree has grown
lnce the building of the wall The
ge of the tree is several hundred years,
r as DR.. Hale expressed it, that tree
las doubtless growing there when Col
mbus discovered America, showing
ne stone work to be. of great age.
here is another circular pile of stones
'ithin the same enclosure, several feet
Ugh and probably 30 feet in diameter.
tree. somewhat smaller than the
5her, is growing in the midst of this
lie also. Another curious piece of
ork is circle about 30 feet in diane
#, outlined by fiat stones, like thin
agstones, all set on edge. and about
inches high.
At the base of the mountain are the
mains of the old stone foundation of
me kind of a building. Most of the
ones in the walls have been taken
vay, the wall having been destroyed
'out 1920, but the base Of it still re- =
aims circular in form about so feet in
ameter and the wall when standing
as about 10 feet high, built regularly
large stones laid one upon the other.
d not simply, loose pile like the
her
DR.. Hale heard of another wall, sew
al miles up Morris creek, surround
: the top of cone shaped mountain
me 1,800 feet high. There is also r
nilar wall several miles up Paint
EEK, which DR.. Hale expects to visit u
is week or next, if the weather will =
rmit.
Dr.. Hale was accompanied on his
p by John Cole, Jr., who made gi
rvey of the wall and will make plat cf
it to accompany paper which DR.. N,
lie will prepare for the historical -
Gazette. u
Iual