056-0056

The Big Meadows Site

VLR Listing Date

09/16/1982

NRHP Listing Date

12/13/1985

NRHP Reference Number

85003172

The Big Meadows Site, one of the most intensively investigated sites in the Shenandoah National Park and the entire Blue Ridge region, has revealed Indian habitation in the Big Meadows area occurring between ca. 2500 B.C. and A.D. 800. Yielding the park’s oldest example of prehistoric art and evidence of a possible dwelling in the Blue Ridge, the site also has produced large quantities of locally and regionally imported raw materials, indicating the extent to which its prehistoric occupants exploited a large and varied territory on a seasonal basis. The population peak of the Big Meadows Site was reached in Late Archaic to Early Woodland times, and contrasts with subsequent sparse use of the region by Late Woodland peoples (ca. A.D. 800-1600).

Last Updated: June 22, 2024

Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.

Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

For additional information Read

Nomination Form

056-5050

Coates Barn

Madison (County)

056-5043

Belle Plaine

Madison (County)

056-5008

The Homeplace

Madison (County)