Poor Mountain
Encyclopedia
Poor Mountain is a ridge of high peaks located in Roanoke County
, Virginia
and Montgomery County
, Virginia. At 3,928 feet, Poor Mountain is the tallest mountain in the immediate area. The mountain is under consideration for the placement of a wind farm
. Reportedly, Invenergy Wind LLC dropped the idea of putting wind turbines on Poor Mountain and neighboring Bent Mountain, as a study concluded that the potential energy would overload the existing electricity transmission lines
found in the immediate area, however they have not and are still trying to pass the project through state and local government venues. They already have the land leased for up to 54 of the 443 foot tall wind turbines.
The mountain was named in honor of Major Enoch Poor
who served in the French & Indian War 1754-63. He was later promoted to General in the Continental Army
Poor Mountain has the largest known population, by far, of piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla
), a plant which draws nutrients from the roots of Eastern Hemlock
trees.
Piratebush is found only in limited numbers at a few other locations in Virginia, North Carolina
, and Tennessee
.
The Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve
has been established to protect this population.
Twelve O'clock Knob
is located adjacent to Poor Mountain in Roanoke County directly south of Salem
, Virginia. The north slope of the ridgeline formed by Poor Mountain and Twelve O'clock Knob marks the southwestern boundary of the Roanoke Valley. Fort Lewis Mountain
is located directly across the valley from Poor Mountain.
and television
stations in the Roanoke, Virginia
-Lynchburg, Virginia
Designated Market Area (DMA). On the apex of the mountain in what's referred to as an "antenna farm" are the broadcasting antennas on towers for radio stations WVTF-FM 89.1, licensed to the Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc.; W220BD 91.9, licensed to Family Radio; and three radio stations licenced to Mel Wheeler, Incorporated, WXLK-FM
92.3; WSLC-FM
94.9; and WSLQ-FM 99.1. Digital television stations located in the antenna farm are WBRA-TV
3 (PSIP Channel 15), WDBJ-TV 18 (PSIP Channel 7), WSLS-TV
30 (PSIP Channel 10), WFXR-TV
17 (PSIP Channel 27), WPXR-TV 36 (PSIP Channel 38), and WEDD-LP 54. All of these stations are licensed to Roanoke. Other telecommunication antennas and towers for local, county, state and national public service, are also located on Poor Mountain, and their flashing Federal Aviation Authority tower lights can be seen from dozens of miles away, especially at night.
The antennas for the other primary digital TV stations in the Roanoake DMA, WSET-TV
13 (PSIP Channel 13) and WWCW 20 (PSIP Channel 21) are located on towers on Thaxton Mountain, halfway between Lynchburg and Roanoke. Prior to the 2009 digital TV transition, WSET could not locate on Poor Mountain because of an inability to provide analog "city-grade" coverage of Lynchburg from that site, in addition to short-spacing concerns with WOWK-TV
in Huntington, West Virginia
.
The Poor Mountain broadcast antenna farm is a good example of radio and TV stations, co-locating their broadcast towers near each other on the highest point near their Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) city of license. The nearest "antenna farm" to Poor Mountain is on Holston Mountain
in upper East Tennessee, home to most of the FM and TV stations in the Tri-Cities (Bristol, Virginia
-Kingsport, Tennessee
-Johnson City, Tennessee
) DMA. Although most radio and TV stations are in fierce competition with each other in their broadcast markets, they will often locate their broadcasting antennas very near each other, and in some cases, will even share land or towers with each other, in the interests of space, land availability, and the cost of putting a transmission building on top of a mountain. Other examples of co-located towers on mountain peaks in the United States are on Signal Mountain
near Chattanooga, Tennessee; Sharp's Ridge
in Knoxville, Tennessee; Red Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama; Mount Wilson
near Los Angeles; the Sutro Tower
in Clarendon Heights near Mount Sutro
in San Francisco; Lookout Mountain, Colorado near Denver; Cedar Hill between Dallas and Fort Worth; South Mountain Park
near Phoenix; Nelson Peak near Salt Lake City; Sandia Crest near Albuquerque, New Mexico; and probably the most famous broadcast antenna farm of all: the World Trade Center
Tower One, on which many of the New York City television and several FM stations had their antennas. All were lost when Twin Towers One and Two collapsed after the September 11 attacks in 2001. Most of those stations now broadcast from their previous home, 200 feet lower, on the Empire State Building.
Roanoke County, Virginia
Roanoke County is a county located in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area and located within the Roanoke Region of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 85,778. As of 2010, the population was 92,376...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 83,629 people, 30,997 households, and 17,203 families residing in the county. The population density was 215 people per square mile . There were 32,527 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile...
, Virginia. At 3,928 feet, Poor Mountain is the tallest mountain in the immediate area. The mountain is under consideration for the placement of a wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
. Reportedly, Invenergy Wind LLC dropped the idea of putting wind turbines on Poor Mountain and neighboring Bent Mountain, as a study concluded that the potential energy would overload the existing electricity transmission lines
Electricity pylon
A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
found in the immediate area, however they have not and are still trying to pass the project through state and local government venues. They already have the land leased for up to 54 of the 443 foot tall wind turbines.
The mountain was named in honor of Major Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
who served in the French & Indian War 1754-63. He was later promoted to General in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
Poor Mountain has the largest known population, by far, of piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla
Buckleya distichophylla
Buckleya distichophylla, commonly called piratebush, is a flowering plant in the family Santalaceae, native to the Southern United States. It is a rare plant, found only in sporadic mountainous areas of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia....
), a plant which draws nutrients from the roots of Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
trees.
Piratebush is found only in limited numbers at a few other locations in Virginia, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
The Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve
Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve
Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve is a Natural Area Preserve located on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County, Virginia. The preserve has the world's largest population of the rare piratebush. The mountain derives its name from the fact that the soils on its slopes are poor, due to their base of...
has been established to protect this population.
Twelve O'clock Knob
Twelve O'Clock Knob (Roanoke County, Virginia)
Twelve O'clock Knob is a mountain located in southwestern Roanoke County, Virginia, directly south of Salem, Virginia. According to local lore, slaves in the western Roanoke Valley noted that the Sun was directly over the mountain roughly around noon local time...
is located adjacent to Poor Mountain in Roanoke County directly south of Salem
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in Virginia, USA, bordered by the city of Roanoke to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census...
, Virginia. The north slope of the ridgeline formed by Poor Mountain and Twelve O'clock Knob marks the southwestern boundary of the Roanoke Valley. Fort Lewis Mountain
Fort Lewis Mountain
Fort Lewis Mountain is a mountain which stretches from Ironto in Montgomery County, Virginia to Masons Cove in Roanoke County, Virginia. The rural community of Bradshaw is located in the narrow valley between the south slope of Catawba Mountain and the north slope of Fort Lewis Mountain...
is located directly across the valley from Poor Mountain.
Communications hub
Poor Mountain is the location of several broadcasting antennas for radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
stations in the Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
-Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
Designated Market Area (DMA). On the apex of the mountain in what's referred to as an "antenna farm" are the broadcasting antennas on towers for radio stations WVTF-FM 89.1, licensed to the Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc.; W220BD 91.9, licensed to Family Radio; and three radio stations licenced to Mel Wheeler, Incorporated, WXLK-FM
WXLK-FM
WXLK is a Contemporary Hit Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving the New River Valley and Southwest Virginia. WXLK is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.-Coverage:...
92.3; WSLC-FM
WSLC-FM
WSLC-FM is a Country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, serving the New River Valley. WSLC-FM is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc.-WDBJ-FM:...
94.9; and WSLQ-FM 99.1. Digital television stations located in the antenna farm are WBRA-TV
WBRA-TV
Blue Ridge PBS is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for western Virginia. It serves the Roanoke/Lynchburg and Tri-Cities markets from studios in Roanoke....
3 (PSIP Channel 15), WDBJ-TV 18 (PSIP Channel 7), WSLS-TV
WSLS-TV
WSLS-TV, channel 10 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Roanoke, Virginia. Its transmitter is located on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County. The station is owned by Media General who also owns local newspapers The News & Advance and Danville Register & Bee...
30 (PSIP Channel 10), WFXR-TV
WFXR-TV
WFXR is the Fox-affiliated television station in Roanoke, Virginia. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 17. WFXR's transmitter is located on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County....
17 (PSIP Channel 27), WPXR-TV 36 (PSIP Channel 38), and WEDD-LP 54. All of these stations are licensed to Roanoke. Other telecommunication antennas and towers for local, county, state and national public service, are also located on Poor Mountain, and their flashing Federal Aviation Authority tower lights can be seen from dozens of miles away, especially at night.
The antennas for the other primary digital TV stations in the Roanoake DMA, WSET-TV
WSET-TV
WSET-TV is the ABC television network affiliate for the Roanoke/Lynchburg, Virginia market. The station is licensed to Lynchburg, and transmits its digital signal on VHF channel 13. WSET is owned by the Allbritton Communications Company. Its transmitter is located near Thaxton, Virginia...
13 (PSIP Channel 13) and WWCW 20 (PSIP Channel 21) are located on towers on Thaxton Mountain, halfway between Lynchburg and Roanoke. Prior to the 2009 digital TV transition, WSET could not locate on Poor Mountain because of an inability to provide analog "city-grade" coverage of Lynchburg from that site, in addition to short-spacing concerns with WOWK-TV
WOWK-TV
WOWK-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-States and Kanawha Valley area of West Virginia that is licensed to Huntington which is the second largest market east of the Mississippi River. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter...
in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
.
The Poor Mountain broadcast antenna farm is a good example of radio and TV stations, co-locating their broadcast towers near each other on the highest point near their Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) city of license. The nearest "antenna farm" to Poor Mountain is on Holston Mountain
Holston Mountain
Holston Mountain is a mountain ridge in Upper East Tennessee and southwest Virginia, in the United States. It is in the Blue Ridge Mountains part of the Appalachian Mountains...
in upper East Tennessee, home to most of the FM and TV stations in the Tri-Cities (Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
-Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
-Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
) DMA. Although most radio and TV stations are in fierce competition with each other in their broadcast markets, they will often locate their broadcasting antennas very near each other, and in some cases, will even share land or towers with each other, in the interests of space, land availability, and the cost of putting a transmission building on top of a mountain. Other examples of co-located towers on mountain peaks in the United States are on Signal Mountain
Signal Mountain
Signal Mountain may refer to:*Signal Mountain, Tennessee, a town in Hamilton County, Tennessee**Because of the proximity of this town to it, Walden Ridge is often mistakenly called Signal Mountain....
near Chattanooga, Tennessee; Sharp's Ridge
Sharp's Ridge
Sharp's Ridge is a steep limestone ridge in Knoxville, Tennessee, north of the city's downtown. A area of the ridge is maintained as Sharp's Ridge Memorial Park, a city park dedicated to the honor of the area's war dead. The ridge also is the site of a transmitting antenna farm that serves most...
in Knoxville, Tennessee; Red Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama; Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson can refer to several things:* Mount Wilson ** Mount Wilson Observatory* Mount Wilson, New South Wales, a mountain with a small hamlet in Australia* One of a list of peaks named Mount Wilson...
near Los Angeles; the Sutro Tower
Sutro Tower
Sutro Tower is a three-pronged antenna tower near Clarendon Heights in San Francisco, California. Rising from a hill between Twin Peaks and Mount Sutro, it is a prominent part of the city skyline and a landmark for city residents and visitors...
in Clarendon Heights near Mount Sutro
Mount Sutro
Mount Sutro is a hill in San Francisco, California. Most of Mount Sutro remains private property owned by the University of California, San Francisco , but a parcel, including the summit, has been set aside as the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve and is open to the public. It is one of San...
in San Francisco; Lookout Mountain, Colorado near Denver; Cedar Hill between Dallas and Fort Worth; South Mountain Park
South Mountain Park
South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona, is the largest city park in the United States, one of the largest urban parks in North America and in the world. It has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride.-Geography and Ecology:...
near Phoenix; Nelson Peak near Salt Lake City; Sandia Crest near Albuquerque, New Mexico; and probably the most famous broadcast antenna farm of all: the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
Tower One, on which many of the New York City television and several FM stations had their antennas. All were lost when Twin Towers One and Two collapsed after the September 11 attacks in 2001. Most of those stations now broadcast from their previous home, 200 feet lower, on the Empire State Building.