Bedford County

From September 1963 to March 1966, the waters of the Roanoke and Blackwater Rivers were dammed at Smith Mountain Gap to form Smith Mountain Lake. The dam's primary purpose was to generate electricity. However, a recreation destination, an obvious by-product of the $66-million project, followed. Over the next four decades, marinas, resort condominiums, waterfront homes, an airport, and a state park were added. Even Hollywood came to the area in the early 1990s to film a portion of the Touchs...