H. L. Bonham Regional Development and Tourism Center

HOURS OF OPERATION

H.L. Bonham Regional Development and Tourism Center (Town of Chilhowie)

The historic H.L. Bonham House, located just off the Interstate 81 Exit 35 at Chilhowie, will serve as a tourism center and house tourism-related services of the Chamber of Commerce of Smyth County. The Bonham house holds historic value for the community and promotional value for tourists due to its high visibility from I-81.

 “The Bonham house is not only beautifully restored, but holds such innovative displays and tributes to the people and history of Smyth County, states Bobbie Walker, director of customer service at Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) headquarters in Richmond.  Walker and other VTC officials toured the facility for state certification evaluation in late August. “The Smyth County Visitor Center is destined to be a premier attraction for visitors to this region of Virginia,” says Walker.

The center will be one of 52 state-certified centers in Virginia, carrying tourist information on attractions, festivals, events and other items of visitor interest throughout the Commonwealth.  The center will serve as a regional marketing post in the southwestern portion of the state, promoting Virginia and Smyth County to tourists traveling along the I-81 corridor.

The tourism center became possible in 2002, when the family of businessman Hezekiah Love Bonham (H.L.) donated his former home, built in 1911, to the Town of Chilhowie for tourism purposes.  The town later contracted with the Chamber of Commerce of Smyth County, Inc., in a lease agreement of  $1 per year to operate and manage the facility for tourism and development.  The town renovated the structural elements of the facility through a TEA-21 Transportation Grant and will continue to assist in maintenance and repairs for the building and grounds.  

 It is anticipated the tourism center’s operation and management will soon be transferred from the Chamber to the newly forming Smyth County Tourism and Development Association, whose five-member board is made up of the top elected representatives for each of the towns of Marion, Chilhowie and Saltville and of Smyth County, (each mayor and the chairman of the board of supervisors) and one Smyth County business person representing a tourism-related business.  The local governments are partnering with private business to support and encourage the development of a tourism industry in the county as a viable economic tool.  It is a pioneering effort for Smyth County, bringing together resources, vision and planning for collective long-range success.

 From the state’s perspective, the new association is clearly a move in the right direction for our community. “The new Smyth County Tourism and Development Association is proof positive that great synergy and creativity are certain outcomes of a community who works together for the greater good,” says VTC’s Walker.  “Your combined efforts are so clearly exhibited in the new Smyth County Visitor Center. “

 Unlike many state centers, the tourism center at exit 35 in Chilhowie will feature graphic design elements highlighting both the current attractions and the history of Smyth County.  The “Travel Virginia” room, where visitors can obtain brochures and tourist information, will feature a ceiling mural of Smyth County’s own historical evolution.  A second mural is planned later for the current attractions room.  There is likelihood the second mural will be a group effort by either local professional artists or Smyth County art students and will be managed by a professional artist selected to spearhead the project.