History of the Area

Hampden Heights as we know it today was developed by Park Hills West. Construction began in 1982 and continued with Thomas Construction Associates. The site upon which Hampden Heights stands today is an area of considerable historical value and interest.

This area, close to the Appalachian Trial, was a dwelling place for the Shawnee Indians. Cooking pits and other artifacts were discovered at the sites of 1136, 1138, 1144 and 1146 Dry Powder Circle. Arrowheads, spearheads, hoes and various other utensils–relics of the late Woodland Indians and dating as far back as 3500 years–have also been discovered in Hampden Heights.

The picture above is a reproduction of a photo of the covered bridge which once crossed the Conodoguinet Creek at Lambs Gap Road. This photo originally appeared in a 1939 issue of Life Magazine. In the photo, the bridge appears much as it would have when completed in 1842, except that the original wood shaker roof had been replaced with a tin roof. The bridge covering was removed and the bridge renovated between 1941 and 1944, with delays caused by World War II. The road surface was replaced with a steel roadway, and the bridge was removed in December 1984, when the present two lane modern bridge was opened to traffic.

In the background of the photo, you can see the stately barn on the Hoy farm that was built in 1880 at a cost of $5,500. The cupolas on the roof of the barn accounted for $500 of that amount, but were quite necessary for ventilation. The barn was destroyed by an arsonist in 1970. It was never replaced, but the stone foundation can still be seen today. The Hoy Farm stone house remains on Creekview and was built in 1790.

Also seen in the photo is a road across the creek, and running parallel to it. In its time, that road provided access to the tenant farmer's dwelling in the area what is now 1149 Dry Powder Circle. Even earlier, it probably provided access to a very old lime kiln in the area of 1143 Dry Powder Circle. The ruins of the kiln were covered by excess fill in the 1930s when the WPA improved the grade at Lambs Gap Road.