Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge, painted by John Moran in 1885, depicts that distinctive geological formation in Rockbridge County. The 215-foot stone arch over Cedar Creek, a small tributary of the James River, has long been considered a natural wonder. The site was venerated by local Indians; visited at least once by George Washington (his initials are carved on the bridge, though it is not certain that he did it); and purchased, along with 157 acres, by Thomas Jefferson in 1774 for twenty shillings. Jefferson called Natural Bridge "the most sublime of Nature's works."