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You are here: Home / Geography / When Did Thomas Jefferson Purchase the Natural Bridge In Rockbridge County, Virginia?

When Did Thomas Jefferson Purchase the Natural Bridge In Rockbridge County, Virginia?

March 16, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County, Virginia is a 90-foot (27-m) wide, 215-foot (66-m) high stone formation that really is a bridge.

U.S. Route 11 runs directly over it.

It was once part of a limestone cavern, but millions of years ago the soft rocks that made up the roof of the cavern collapsed.

Some harder rocks were left standing.

The first person to own the land surrounding the Natural Bridge was Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.

He was fascinated by this geological oddity and asked the royal governor of Virginia to grant him a tract of land that included the bridge in 1774.

Thomas Jefferson purchased the land including the Natural Bridge from King George III of England for 20 shillings.

For many years he maintained a cabin there.

The Natural Bridge in Virginia fascinated Thomas Jefferson, who was greatly interested in geography.

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Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Did West Virginia Become a State and When West Virginia Become the Thirty Fifth State?
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