About

Located on West Stuart Drive in Galax, the Dr. Virgil Cox House is one of a handful of large houses built overlooking its downtown district during the first dozen years of the city's history. Built about 1913 for W. E. Cox, the frame house features a complex form with gabled and polygonal projections and a hipped roof associated with the earlier Queen Anne style; some details, such as the Tuscan columns on the wraparound porch, are Colonial Revival. The terraced lot features an original garage as well as a boxwood garden. By 1936, the property became the residence and office of Dr. Virgil Cox, who in 1952 established the Blue Ridge Hospital and Clinic to treat emergencies, serious illnesses, and maternity cases. Between 1962 and 1965, Dr. Cox served in the Virginia House of Delegates and was largely responsible for the legislation that created Grayson Highlands State Park.