The Skyline Parkway Motel has finally been demolished.
April 25, 2007, 5:04 PM
Afton Mountain now presents a slightly more picturesque view to those who visit it, as the Skyline Parkway Motel was demolished in the last week or so. In doing so, they not only removed the main building, which had been the target of an arson attack in 2004, but they also removed the row of cabins next to the main building. The cabins had never been torched, but had been abandoned for some time, and were in hideous shape.
And of course, here are photos:
Straight-on view of the former motel.
This view is from the parking lot of Howard Johnson’s next door.
I would be interested to find out what this metal, man-made object embedded in the ground is.
The cabins formerly lived here, and as I mentioned, they’re gone now, too. This demolition only involved the brown structures connected with the Skyline Parkway Motel’s driveway. The white buildings comprising the former Skyline Parkway Motor Court, in front of the demolished buildings, which are in the same or worse condition than the brown buildings, were not demolished.
Some features, such as this retaining wall, were not demolished.
Aerial view of the now-empty property, viewed from the hill leading to The Inn at Afton. Compare this photo to this similar view of the area from 2003, before the fire.
I also have some other miscellaneous updates for you about up there. First of all, the gas station, which had previously been a Chevron station and was selling Pure brand in 2003, is now branded “WOCO”. Additionally, the Howard Johnson’s restaurant is still pristine, with a sign on the door directing hungry travelers to Dulaney’s, the restaurant at The Inn at Afton. However, the Howard Johnson’s sign has seen better days, as the sign structure has basically come apart, with numerous panels missing, along with the sign itself:
However, despite the main sign’s removal, the small message sign still displays “WELCOME” on both sides.
According to this report from NBC 29 (WVIR), the Howard Johnson’s building, the gas station, and the tourist information center will remain, while the Skyline Parkway Motor Court will be demolished, in preparation for a big redevelopment up there. No word on whether the still-operating-but-somewhat-grungy Inn at Afton will be included in this redevelopment or not.
Web site: My Afton Mountain photo set. Would you believe it's been almost four years since I did this?
Song: Robert Goulet singing "Jingle Bells" on The Simpsons
Quote: You know, it kind of brings a sense of closure almost, with the Skyline Parkway Motel's story ending just before I move to Washington DC...
Categories: Afton Mountain, Howard Johnson's, Skyline Parkway Motel