Documenting the American South

Monument Name

War Memorial, Blowing Rock

Type

Marker

Subjects

World War I

World War II

Other Wars

Vietnam War, 1960-1975

Korean War, 1950-1953

City

Blowing Rock

County

Watauga

Description

The Blowing Rock War Memorial is a single, upright gray granite panel on a single granite base. The panel faces are finished and the edges roughhewn. A bronze tablet with black background holds the inscriptions. In relief above the inscription is a spread winged American eagle holding olive branches in its talons. Total height is approximately four feet. A flag pole stands a few feet to the proper right. The monument is located in Blowing Rock Memorial Park where a time capsule to be opened in 2089 is also located.

Images: Bronze tablet of the War Memorial | Blowing Rock Memorial Park | War memorial with the flag pole | Time capsule | Memorial garden | Side walk view of the park | Street view of the memorial park

Inscription

IN MEMORY OF THOSE / WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE / WORLD WAR ONE / [Left column] LINNY COFFEY / MILTON GREENE / HARLEY HAMPTON / [Right column] LLOYD HAMPTON / DANIEL TEAGUE / ALBERT WALSER / WORLD WAR II /
[Left column] FRANK BALDWIN / RALPH M. BROWN / JOHN H. CALLOWAY / O.D. GREENE / J.B. HOLLIFIELD / WILLLIAM P. KEPHART /
[Right column] DILLARD KERLEY / ERNEST L. PRESNELL / CLYDE STORIE / JULE W. TATE / DILLARD TRIPLET / EARL W. WARD / KOREAN WAR / JAMES H. BENFIELD / VIETNAM WAR / EDWARD E. GREENE / DONALD E. PARSONS / ..AND IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO SERVED IN / ALL WARS TO PRESERVE OUR NATION’S FREEDOM.

Custodian

Town of Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation

Dedication Date

Circa 2010

Decade

2010s

Geographic Coordinates

36.133790 , -81.678400 View in Geobrowse

Supporting Sources

“Historical Markers,” Blowing Rock Historical Society, www.blowingrockhistoricalsociety.com, (accessed May 11, 2022) Link

“In Memory of Those Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice,” The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed May 11, 2022) Link

“Town Parks,” Town of Blowing Rock, www.townofblowingrocknc.gov, (accessed May 3, 2022) Link

Public Site

Yes

Materials & Techniques

Granite, bronze tablet

Subject Notes

The public park was originally the site of the first hotel in Blowing Rock which was built in 1884. The building was destroyed by fire in the early 1900’s, rebuilt and lost to fire again in 1926. Then in 1939 the town bought the property to create the park.

Location

The Blowing Rock Memorial Park with the War Memorial is located at 1036 Main Street, Blowing Rock, NC 28605. The marker stands to the left of stairs at the park entrance and in front of the parks gazebo. The Boone Trail Highway Marker (#26) stands a few feet away from the War Memorial.

Landscape

The monument stands in the Blowing Rock Memorial Park. The park includes two tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, a picnic area, a playground and gazebo. The gazebo was originally built in 1976; then was demolished and replaced with a new, larger one in 2015. A low rock wall runs along sidewalk.