Wise, Virginia By: Vanessa Collier

Wise, Virginia The town of Wise, Virginia was formed on February 16, 1856, along with it’s many buildings and attractions. Wise was originally combined with Scott, Lee, and Russell counties but broke away from them in 1856 to form it’s own county.

Wise, Virginia (continued) Wise had many former names: Dunn, Roane, Gladeville, and eventually Wise. The name Wise came from the former governor of Virginia, Henry A. Wise. The picture on the next page is of the beautiful scenery in Wise.

Main Street Main Street is one of the biggest attractions in Wise. There are many buildings along the street, but three of the buildings have survived many generations. These three buildings are the Dari Barn, The Courthouse, and The Inn at Wise.

The Dari Barn The Dari Barn is the oldest restaurant in Wise. The Dari Barn is a good place to go eat some great food such as its most popular, jumbo cheeseburgers. This is a place where the older citizens of our neighborhood often gather to tell old stories.

Dari Barn The model to the left is a display of the Dari Barn.

Wise County Courthouse In our little town, we have one of the main attractions in the county--the court house. People from several different towns visit the courthouse for research, police duty, and court appearances. Several towns such as Appalachia, Powell Valley, Norton, Coeburn, Wise, and Pound all share the Wise County Court House.

Wise County Courthouse (continued) The first Court was held in a small Baptist Church. School was also held in the church. Due to complications with scheduling school and court around each other, a courthouse was formed. The first courthouse was 30x45 ft and made of logs. This courthouse was burned in 1864 by federal soldiers in the Civil War.

Wise County Courthouse (continued) The second courthouse was build in 1876. This courthouse was made of native clay and much bigger than the last one. It had two stories and chimneys on both sides.

Wise County Courthouse (continued) The current courthouse was built in 1896 by Milbourne Gilliam and Creed Flanary. An item of interest connected with the court is that in the early days of the court a whipping post stood between what is now the present courthouse and  jail.  It was used mainly for whipping men who mistreated their wives.  Behind the old courthouse stood a gallows on which seven men were hanged.  

Comparison of Courthouses The pictures above show the current courthouse (left) and my display of the courthouse (right).

The Inn at Wise The main structure of The Inn at Wise was built in 1910 on a site which has been used for a hotel since the Civil War.  The home of Andrew Jackson Dotson, the first sheriff of Wise County, first occupied this site. Captain Henderson Dotson operated the first hotel and tavern called Dotson Hotel which burned in 1909 on this site.   A group of local business men along with Virginia Governor George Peery rebuilt and named this structure Colonial Hotel.  The name was later changed to The Inn at Wise Courthouse.

The Inn at Wise (continued) The hotel fell into decline and was purchased by Herb Thompson who restored the old, rundown building to a grandeur seldom seen.  At one time in the main dining room, the crystal chandeliers were made of 200 year old Venetian glass.  Hand-blown bottles graced the Early American corner cupboard and cabinet.   Original oil paintings decorated the walls of the main dining room, the lobby and the second floor parlor. 

The Inn at Wise (continued) On the third floor of the Inn there were two suites:  The Russian Suite and The White House Suite.  The Russian Suite contained furniture built by Russian Peasants for the Czarina,  Alexander, wife of Nicholas II, and was used in her suite at the Royal Palace.  The White House suite was so named for the fireplace built of bricks from the White House in Washington D.C.   Among the antiques in the room was a bed often used by Abraham Lincoln when he stayed at the Old Grand Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

The Inn at Wise (continued) The pictures above are of The Inn at Wise. The picture on the left is the original picture of the Inn, and the picture on the right is a model of the Inn.

Model of Main Street The model at the right is a model of the three buildings that existed during the 1950s.

Additional Views of the project The above left is a top view of the Dari Barn. The middle picture is a top view of the courthouse. The top left is a top view of the Inn.

I presented my model to Mr. Whited’s fourth block Local History Class. Presenting the Model I presented my model to Mr. Whited’s fourth block Local History Class.

Works Cited Places to Visit in Wise County. The Inn at Wise. 26 Nov 2006. http://www.wisevahistoricalsoc.org/places_to_visit_in_wise_county.htm Wise County Virginia, A Wise Business Decision. Welcome to Wise County Virginia. 26 Nov 2006. <http://www.wisecounty.org/