By Andy Soergel
Natural Bridge’s rock walls and 215-foot-tall limestone arch stand resolutely after weathering 500 million years of change.
It was revered by the Monacan Indians as the “Bridge of God,” before King George II claimed it as property of England in 1737. His grandson, King George III, sold it to Thomas Jefferson in 1774.
It was free to visitors under Jefferson’s ownership, before Jefferson died and new owner Joseph Lackland began charging 50 cents to view the bridge in 1835 –about $12.75 now. Admission reached $21 before Roanoke-based Kissito Healthcare and its CEO, Tom Clarke, bought the property in February 2014.
After all that Natural Bridge has been, Clarke says he looks at the ancient structure and sees all that it could be. He plans to donate it to the Commonwealth as a state park as early as Jan. 1, 2016.
“I think we feel the legacy of Thomas Jefferson and what the bridge represented to the country in its formative years — all of that speaks for itself,” said Clarke. “We’re thinking like an archeologist. What we want to do is bring out that rich history.”
Scroll over each photo below to learn what has happened, what is happening, and what Clarke expects to happen at Natural Bridge:
