John Fox, Jr., novelist of the mountaineers’ struggle to cope with the mining era and a more modern lifestyle, lived and wrote in this home in the Wise County town of Big Stone Gap from 1890 until his death in 1919, drawing inspiration from the people and culture of the region. He is best remembered for two best-seller works: The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine. The shingled John Fox, Jr., House was begun ca. 1890 for Fox’s two eldest brothers, who came to Big Stone Gap from Kentucky as investors in mining options. Several additions were made to accommodate more of the family, including John Fox, Jr., and his wife, Viennese prima donna Fritzi Scheff. Throughout their ownership, which lasted until 1971, the Foxes made the rambling homeplace a cultural and social center. The John Fox, Jr., House property is now maintained as a museum by the Lonesome Pine Arts and Crafts Association.
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
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia