Norfolk & Western Railway Headquarters

In 1882, the Norfolk and Western Railway chose Big Lick—a Virginia village of fewer than a thousand residents—as the site for its headquarters and shops, and the settlement became the city of Roanoke. The railroad built an industrial empire on Pocahontas coal, manufacturing its own steam locomotives at the Roanoke Shops and employing more people than any other company in the region for over a century. By 1931, that prosperity was visible: the N&W erected a 12-story Art Deco headquarters tower that became the tallest building in southwestern Virginia. The railroad was formed by more than 200 mergers between 1838 and 1982, and it operated profitably through both World Wars and the Depression, paying regular dividends when other carriers failed. The N&W became famous for its commitment to steam—refusing to abandon the technology while the rest of the industry moved to diesels. In 1960, the N&W became the last major railroad in the United States to make the switch. The Roanoke Shops, which had employed thousands of craftsmen, continued building and repairing rolling stock until Norfolk Southern closed them in 2020, ending 139 years of operations. The building now houses private condominiums, but the exterior and lobby remain accessible. The original murals depicting N&W operations survive. From the Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks, the tower's profile still defines the Roanoke skyline—a 12-story reminder of the railroad that turned a village into a city.