Price’s Fork is just outside of Blacksburg, on Price’s Fork Road between Blacksburg and Christiansburg. From the historical marker
“Prices Fork is within the area often referred to as the German New River Settlement. Before 1745, German immigrants moved from Pennsylvania and began settling in this region within the Prices Fork-Tom’s Creek area near and along the horseshoe bottoms of the New River. They were among the earliest settlers of European descent in the western section of present-day Virginia. Prices Fork received its name from the Price (Preisch) family, early German settlers here, whose land bordered both sides of the road. Prices Fork evolved into a village during the mid-19th century. Portions of the community’s buildings are within the Prices Fork Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.”
Pretty cool to know. You can’t throw a rock in our area without hitting someone with the last name of or related to a Price. Please don’t throw rocks. Or hit people.
Built in 1950, Price’s Fork Elementary School was built to accommodate the Price’s Fork community in Montgomery County. In the 1960s, an addition was added which became the Kindergarten area. However as Montgomery County began to grow and plans were developing to add more homes in the Price’s Fork area, Montgomery Public Schools realized a new school was needed. In 2011, a new Price’s Fork Elementary was built a little closer to Blacksburg and the old school site was closed.
Unlike the old Blacksburg Middle School, (perhaps that will be a post one day), the school board didn’t let the old school fall apart until the only option was to tear it down. To raise money to pay for two new high schools, the old Price’s Fork Middle School was sold to local company Taylor Hollow Construction. The company put together a community advisory committee to work on plans for the site. And those plans have come to life to turn an old building into a place that fills a need in our community.
First it started with turning the old classrooms into affordable apartments for those aged 55 and up. An addition was added later to support more apartments in 2021 – some of which are ADA accessible.
Next came the food. A commercial kitchen, Millstone Kitchen, was built. The kitchen is for local caterers, food truck owners, and future wannabe food business owners. Chefs can use the kitchen to prepare their food for events. For the future business owners, they can work with experienced caterers and restaurateurs to learn more about how to run a business.
In addition, there is Moon Hollow Brewing – a female run brewery in the old Kindergarten addition of the school. They host events with food trucks, have a dog-friendly patio, and you can order to-go from their neighbor, El Ranchero. El Ranchero is a Mexican restaurant with typical Mexican fare and some American as well. The restaurant is in the old cafeteria. They have kept the old school tiles on the wall and the stage!
People who know me well, have heard me complain about MCPS, the Board of Supervisors, and Blacksburg Town Council and their lack of willingness to work together on the old Blacksburg Middle School property. It was a cluster from the beginning. But the old Price’s Fork School project is an example of what can happen when governments work together with the community.
Resources
New faces settling into old Price’s Fork Elementary
Old Prices Fork School Comprehensive Community Revitalization Project
Lisa Sedlak 