I’ve lived in Virginia since 1970 and haven’t ever taken a trip to Southside.
Well, I did have a fraternity brother who lived in Fielddale, west of Martinville. I went to his wedding and stopped in at his house after my third year on the way to the beach. That would have been in the late 70s, and I didn’t pay that much attention to my surroundings.
The James River on the North, Tidewater on the East, and the Blue Ridge on the West bind Southside Virginia. The area is oriented to manufacturing and agriculture.
Not really a flyover; I’ve sped down interstates I-95 and I-85 through the area on trips south, not stopping on the way. The views from the interstates are deceptive.
This past weekend, I used one of my Hilton free nights to stay in Danville while playing a couple of WSOP Circuit tournaments at Caesars Virginia.
I left I-85 at South Hill for the 78-mile trip to Danville on US 58. US 58 runs the entire length of the bottom of the state for 508 miles from the Cumberland Gap to the Virginia Beach boardwalk.
Along the way, I saw manufacturing plants, open fields, smaller homes, and more Confederate States of America flags and battle flags than I’m used to seeing flying. After South Boston, the road turned to a constant roller coaster of ups and downs. As I reached Danville, I saw the “Last Capital of the Confederacy” sign, as it was for 7 days in April 1865, if you don’t count the cabinet’s refuge in Greensboro after surrender in May 1865.
I busted early on Saturday and needed to hang out somewhere for a few hours before checking into the Hampton Inn. After eating lunch, I searched the internet for bookstores. No national chain bookstores were in the area. With Averett University, Danville is a college town with a college bookstore. I found a couple of smaller local bookstores listed, one in downtown Danville.
As I drove on Riverside Drive north of the river, there were mostly strip malls and hotels. Most big-box stores were west of town. When I reached Main Street downtown, there was no foot traffic and many open parking spots. This town may have some revitalization opportunities.
The bookstore was small, with some new titles and a used-book room. I browsed for a while before buying a used book.
The downtown area and north of Riverside Drive were very hilly. Running on these roads would be unpleasant. I wondered if they had a good running community.
My hotel was on Riverside Drive within view of the river. On the north side of the river there was a paved path called the Riverwalk. Sunday morning, I ran the short distance to the path, then a mile and a half east toward town.
As I ran east, I stopped and read the historical markers. They described the city, mills, canals, and dams.
Dan Mills Company existed from 1892 to 2006. Six local businessmen built the cotton and wool mills on the north side of the river to take advantage of the fall line in the Dan River. At its peak, the mill was the world’s largest cloth manufacturer. Fielddale, about 40 miles west, was one of the benefactors of the mill, making Fieldcrest towels.
To house the required workforce, Dan Mills created a company town west of the mills. They owned all of the properties and infrastructure. This included a large power plant with three large smokestacks, known as the Three Sisters.
Because of foreign competition, the company eventually went bankrupt in 2006. The mills on the north side of the river went into ruins and were torn down. In recent years, two of the large mills near downtown have been repurposed. One reminded me of the barracks at FUMA.
The power plant sat empty until 2022, when Caesars purchased the property to build a casino. They demolished the building, but kept the Three Sisters intact. The casino hotel tower is lower than the smokestacks to retain the historic skyline. The casino opened in 2024.
When leaving town on Sunday, I drove south to access US 58. That route is entirely in Virginia; however, before reaching the entrance ramp cloverleaf, I entered North Carolina. I wondered who maintained that part of the interchange.
With the loss of manufacturing in the area, Southside is attempting to become a vacation destination with water access at Lake Gaston and now the casino in Danville.