Ben Martin

Bedford County (Images of America: Virginia) Ben Martin

From September 1963 to March 1966, the waters of the Roanoke and Blackwater Rivers were dammed at Smith Mountain Gap to form Smith Mountain Lake. The dam's primary purpose was to generate electricity. However, a recreation destination, an obvious by-product of the $66-million project, followed. Over the next four decades, marinas, resort condominiums, waterfront homes, an airport, and a state park were added. Even Hollywood came to the area in the early 1990s to film a portion of the Touchstone Pictures film What About Bob? Though the Smith Mountain Lake communities continue to grow, vestiges of an earlier rural farm life remain. Images of America: Bedford County tells the story of this transition from farming community to bedroom community for nearby Lynchburg and Roanoke.