History on the move

By CHARLES OWENS

TAZEWELL, Va. — History is on the move in Tazewell County.

It took several workers, a larger tractor trailer and a police escort to move the Frog Level Yacht Club Thursday morning along the U.S. Route 19-460 corridor in Tazewell. Traveling at a steady speed of about 3 mph, it took a good 45 minutes to move the old service station from Frog Level to its new home at the Historic Crab Orchard Museum in Tazewell.

“There were no problems,” Charlotte Whitted, director of the museum, said. “There were two people on top of the building as it went by. I kept holding my breath everytime we went by a mailbox or a car parked by the road.”

The Frog Level Gas Station has the unique distinction of being the last grocery store/gas station in Virginia that could serve beer without having a kitchen on the premises to cook meals. It was opened in 1932 by Thomas E. “Ed” Bowling Sr., and later operated by his son, T.E. “June” Bowling Jr. Although the gas pumps were removed in 1996, the store remained a popular hang-out for everyone from lawyers, doctors and everyday laborers. It also was a popular tourist destination for visitors to the region.

The old service station will be reopened next spring as a new exhibit at the Historic Crab Orchard Museum in Tazewell.

“The yacht club could look for a place to dock pretty soon,” Whitted said. “We have about as much water down here as Frog Level. But I guess we’ll have to import some frogs. I just keep saying it is a cultural icon because of the role it played in the community. It was a unifying force.”

Whitted said the old service station will be a welcomed addition to the museum.

“I think it will be an interesting addition,” Whitted said. “It seems to be a cultural icon that people are very focused on. It will give us (the museum) something in the 20th century as well. It’s a 1932 store. It’s kind of a target for the Depression era.”

Whitted said the Frog Level station should be ready to open at the museum by next spring.

“What happens next is we will build a foundation under the building,” she said. “It’s not quite set on the footers because it is too wet today. Once it is set into position, we will build up a foundation under it. Then we will need some back filling under it. Then we can replace the siding, and do some exterior restorations so it will look the best it can. Then we will work on cleaning it on the inside, and replacing what needs to be replaced.”

In addition to serving as an exhibit at the museum, the facility also will be available for private rental.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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