Villamont is famous for 2 reasons
Actor David Huddleston passed away on August 2, 2016 at the age of 85. He was born on September 17, 1930, to Ismay Dooley Huddleston and Lewis Melvin Huddleston. On several Internet sites, you will read that the award-winner was born in Vinton Virginia but this is not accurate. He was actually born in the tiny town of Villamont which is about 10 miles away from Vinton. Huddleston is best known for his roles in the films Blazing Saddles, The Santa Claus, and The Big Lebowski but he was also in a number of television series.
When he appeared on The Waltons episode The Literary Man in 1972, my grandmother Elizabeth Prease told us that not only did she know the man on the screen but that he was born in our neck of the woods and she had been his babysitter. We lived in Blue Ridge in Botetourt County and Villamont was in Bedford County less than half a mile from the Botetourt County line. In addition to my grandma several members of the Dooley family from Montvale Virginia also told me that David Huddleston was born in the area. Wikipedia states that on his application to Fork Union Military Academy, the actor did list Vilimont as his hometown.
In addition to David Huddleston Villmont is most famous for the spring where the water comes out of the mountain. Although there is a sign saying to drink at your own risk my family and others drank from this roadside spring for decades without a problem. When you click on the link you will find details where someone did an independent test and found no contaminants. Some Virginians have said they believe David Huddleston's family is related to the man for whom Huddleston Virginia was named but I have found no records to collaborate that theory.
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