The delight of visiting a used bookstore
STORY & PHOTOS BY Kay & David Scott
During an October journey to the New River Valley , a scenic four-county region of southwest Virginia , we stopped at Old New River Books in Christiansburg . Visiting libraries and bookstores has long been an enjoyable part of our travels . It is always fun to browse the aisles of a bookstore brimming with volumes of stories , illustrations , history and ideas . While all bookstores offer enjoyment , used bookstores add the mystery of never knowing what you might discover . A used bookstore is the rare commercial enterprise where a few dollars can buy many hours of pleasure . We especially enjoy small town bookstores where strangers are generally welcomed by a knowledgeable and friendly owner who enjoys discussing books and telling out-of-towners about the community . Old New River Books is one of these special places .
Christiansburg enjoys an interesting history . With a population of 23,000 , it is eight miles south of Blacksburg , a town twice its size and home of Virginia Tech University . In addition to driving on public roads , a paved trail allows residents to hike or bike between the two towns .
Christiansburg was named for Colonel William Christian , an early settler and brother-in-law to Patrick Henry . Established in 1792 , the town once served as home to Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone and , later , Booker T Washington . Christiansburg still has an operating
Ken Vaughn , owner of Old New River Books , used nearly 3,000 books to construct an arch that separates the Christiansburg , Virginia , bookstore from a floor filled with antiques .
drive-in theater , one of six remaining in the state . It is host to a fall pumpkin festival and can boast having one of the most impressive public parks we have visited in a town of its size .
Interestingly , the town ’ s Main Street follows the Eastern Continental Divide with rainfall on one side flowing to the Gulf of Mexico and the other side flowing to the Atlantic Ocean .
The Old New River Bookstore consumes the rear portion of the first floor of an early 1900s warehouse .
The three-story building is primarily devoted to antiques with the bookstore occupying space that was formerly an apartment for the previous owner .
The building sits across the street from the town ’ s historic 1868 railway depot that served as a passenger and , later , freight depot until 1960 . An earlier depot was burned by Union forces during the Civil War . For train buffs , the station alone is reason enough to visit Christiansburg , a town with a lot of early American history . Walking into Old New River Books
12 Community Life