Hobo Larry's WayTour of the Historic District of Gate City, Virginia - USA - Waymark Tours (WayTours) on Waymarking.com

A self-guided WayTour of the Gate City, Virginia Historic District that starts at the Courthouse and proceeds along Jackson Street to the Town Hall and back to the old Gate City Theater and Estil Cemetery.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Gate City Historic District is a national historic district located at Gate City, Scott County, Virginia. It contains 47 contributing buildings in the central business district of Gate City. Most contributing resources consist of commercial, residential, and governmental buildings dating from the late-19th and early-20th centuries. They are in a variety of popular architectural styles including Greek Revival, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Bungalow. Notable buildings include the Scott County Courthouse (1829), Library (c. 1940), Gate City Movie Theater (c. 1925), and Jail (c. 1829). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. The Gate City Historic District is an approximately five-block-long commercial area composed of 58 resources.


The posted coordinates and beginning to the WayTour are to the municipal parking area adjacent to the Courthouse.


First stop is along the street in front of the Scott County Virginia Courthouse at the local Artist Jim Speer statue of a WW2 GI.

N 36° 38.295 W 82° 34.826

Here in front of the courthouse is a sculpture dedicated to World War II veterans of Scott County. Constructed in 1999, the memorial consists of a stretcher bond brick shelter with a standing seam shed roof. A sculpture of a soldier dressed in World War II combat uniform stands within. A memorial plaque is located in the front of the memorial.

Second stop is in King Alley at the Gate City Art mural.

N 36° 38.352 W 82° 34.779

This Art mural in King Alley mural depicts historic sites and persons in Scott County, Virginia. At front center is Daniel Boone the famous frontier explorer, and two Native Americans, on the Great Warriors Path that passed through the Moccasin Gap here in route to Kentucky. Lower left are three musicians representing the Clinch Mountain Music Festival hosted here in the street every year. Above is the Carter Fold in Hiltons, home of Scott County's famous musical family. A deer, for the abundant whitetail population. The Kilgore Fort near Nickelsville, and the Blockhouse Fort at Natural Tunnel State Park in Duffield. Upper right is Bush's Mill, a fisherman, and a person kayaking the Falls of the Clinch River near Dungannon, and a train passing through the Natural Tunnel along Stock Creek.

The third stop is across the street from the Town Hall and Police department.

N 36° 38.378 W 82° 34.733

There is a memorial bust on display in the window here, and a place to cross to the lower street or return by the same upper street to the old Gate City Theater across the street from the parking area and posted WayTour beginning coordinates.


The fourth stop is the old Gate City Theater.

N 36° 38.237 W 82° 34.872

It was opened in 1947, and was the ‘in’ place during the 1950’s and into the 1960’s with a large selection of westerns, family pictures and always those adventure film for children on Saturdays.

Operated by Query Enterprises out of Marion, Virginia this chain mainly ran small town movie houses in eight Virginia towns.

Hobo Larry's favorite rich uncle told Hobo Larry that if you killed a rat while watching a movie you got a free popcorn and you had to go barefoot cause your shoes would stick to the floor.

The fifth stop is in Estill Cemetery, up on the hill across from the library and old theater. West Walnut Street is the second left on Manville road from the parking area on Jackson street.

N 36° 38.257 W 82° 34.967

Estill Cemetery is a historic political Cemetery in Gate City and is the burial site of a US Congressman and a Attorney General of Virginia.

Rufus Adolphus Ayers (May 20, 1849 – May 14, 1926) was a Virginia lawyer, businessman, and politician, who served as Attorney General of Virginia.

Ayers was born in Bedford County, Virginia. His family set out for Texas, but passed through Goodson (now Bristol) en route, and decided to stay there. Ayers attended Goodson Academy until it was closed at the start of the Civil War. He never went to school again, for the rest of his life. At age 14, young Ayers ran away and joined the Confederate Army. Although under age, Ayers served for some months as a soldier in East Tennessee


James Buchanan Richmond

US Congressman, member of the Democratic Party, he represented Virginia's 9th District in the US House of Representatives, serving from 1879 until 1881. Born in Turkey Cove, Virginia he attended Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia where he studied law.

Recommended Time for this WayTour: From: 8:00 AM To: 6:00 PM Stop Coordinates: 1. N 36° 38.295 W 82° 34.826 2. N 36° 38.352 W 82° 34.779 3. N 36° 38.378 W 82° 34.733 4. N 36° 38.237 W 82° 34.872 5. N 36° 38.257 W 82° 34.967 Starting Address for this WayTour: Scott County Courthouse Gate City, Virginia USA 24251 Number of Stops: 5 Website of stops: [Web Link] Stop Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
You must include an original photo showing one of the stops along the tour route.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/26/2021 Manville Possum visited it

View all visits/logs