Great Road Style : University of Virginia Press : 9780813923529 : 0813923522 : 30 Jan 2006 : Linked historically, culturally, and geographically, the counties that make up Southwestern Virginia and Northeastern Tennessee are also connected by a shared decorative arts tradition. "Great Road Style," so called because of the region's historical importance as a stage route connecting the eastern seaboard with the western frontier, is evidenced in distinctive forms of furniture, ceramics, textiles, and metalwork. Yet until now, the area's rugged geography - and the isolation of its communities - has prevented systematic documentation of its decorative artifacts. With Great Road Style: The Decorative Arts Legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, Betsy K. White takes readers on an engaging tour of an underexplored region's striking material culture, and in doing so fosters a new appreciation of its role in the development of American decorative arts.