Surrounding Area

 Focusing carefully on the style and condition of buildings such as the old store in Elgood, shown here as photographed in 2011, brings to mind the question of what this store might have been like in its prime. Our parents often visited towns and communities around Athens because they offered additional shopping, entertainment, and retreat opportunities. And extended families were spread across many small communities.

As children we grew accustomed to short trips to nearby places. Although Athens had its own grocery stores, sundries, restaurants, hardware, and specialty shops, the surrounding area enriched Our Years in the community.  Princeton and Bluefield were larger and offered what we thought was a more cosmopolitan experience. Smaller towns were thriving but many have declined over the years. 

This section includes recent photographs of Elgood, Matoaka, Spanishburg, McComas, and Lerona. Please contact us if your have addition photos to share of these towns or of other unicorporated communities near Athens. This might include old or historic photos as well as more recent ones.