About

Perched on a hill above Smith Mountain Lake, two large stone chimneys are all that remain of the Gwin Dudley Home Site, one of the best-known historic sites in Franklin County. Gwin Dudley was rewarded with a land grant for service and loyalty to the United States during the Revolutionary War and settled in central Franklin County where he prospered as a farmer. The south chimney is marked with a highly distinctive stone tablet inscribed by its builder Gwin Dudley in 1795. Above and below the tablet are built-in arches that are both functional and decorative. This type of chimney construction appears to be unique in the region.